NIZAMABAD: The corridors of Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS), Renjal, echoed with laughter and memories recently as 31 former students, now in their 60s, reunited with teachers aged between 75 and 80. But the reunion was about more than reliving the past. The 1979-80 SSC batch used the occasion to launch a long-term soft skills programme for the school’s present-day students.
Returning to their alma mater after 46 years, the alumni pledged to help students develop skills that go beyond textbooks and examinations. The initiative will feature regular interactive sessions on communication, personality development, leadership, career guidance, ethics and confidence-building, with the aim of improving students’ career prospects.
One of the organisers and alumnus, S Siddaiah, says the initiative would continue as an ongoing movement and that its progress would be reviewed periodically to ensure its effectiveness.
The reunion was marked by nostalgia and gratitude as former students shared memories of their school days and felicitated their retired teachers for shaping their lives. The teachers welcomed the initiative and urged alumni from other batches to undertake similar efforts to strengthen government schools.
Participants say such efforts can significantly enhance the quality of education in rural government schools while inspiring students to dream beyond their circumstances.