For them, school was a cultural melting pot

Alumni of New Era High School, Panchgani, celebrates diamond jubilee.
Express News Service

Pune, December 28: THE diamond jubilee celebrations of New Era High School in Panchgani is something special. Not only is it a walk down memory lane for those who spent memorable years within its walls, it is also a time to cherish the spirit of togetherness among people of diverse communities and cultures.

About 40 alumni members of the New Era High School gathered at the Baha'i Centre at Sadhu Vaswani Chowk on Saturday morning to be part of the celebration from December 26 to 29. "We learnt how to respect and educate ourselves on different faiths and religions. Today, we are equipped to accept people with an open mind," says Vahid Eshrajhi. For him, the alumni meet was a time to catch up with friends from 22 years ago.

Teachers too were an integral part of the celebrations. "All students were given projects on different religions. Even our morning prayers cover different communities," said Sitara Vasudevan, former teacher at the school.

For Renee Dupree, an American teacher in Macau, the school is the ideal choice for her children, Rachelle (12) and Jonathan (13): "There are too many external factors these days that can influence children adversely. That's why I decided to send my kids to New Era."

The celebrations, where former attorney general Soli Sorabjee was the guest of honour for the opening ceremony on Monday, will include talks by former students, former principals, cultural programmes, fete and games.

Know more
The New Era High School, Panchgani, is an international co-educational institution which is supervised by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of India. Students at the school are from diverse backgrounds, with children coming from different parts of the world.

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