ANDHRA ASSOCIATON HIGH SCHOOL, CALCUTTA.
The first Telugu School teaching in Telugu language was started at 67-Rashbehari Avenue, Calcutta in 1938 at the initiative of Dr. C. Sambasiva Rao, a prominent educationalist & social worker, for the benefit of children of members of the Andhra Association in the area. The school used to work was rue for two hours daily from 7 am to 9 am but the timings did not suit those who taught the Telugu language voluntarily and the venture was subsequently given-up.
By the end of World War-II in 1943, a few was members of the Association returned to Calcutta but there were no schools for their children teaching in Telugu language at Deshapriya Park, Calcutta. At this juncture, Smt. Meenakshi Sundaram, a teacher of the renowned local National High School volunteered to conduct primary classes in the Telugu language for the children with the help from Smt. K.Syamala Sastry & Sri.M. Rukmini Ram Mohan Rao. Tamil brethren in the locality also sought admission for their wards in the school. The school grew in strength. The school had to be run, for want of space, at three different places i.e. Tamil Sangham, South India Club and the Andhra Association premises. Thus, the school became a cosmopolitan school, known as "Bharathi Bodhanalayam" for the South Indian children in Calcutta. With the passing of time, the school was handed-over to the authorities of the Old National High School, Calcutta with an explicit understanding that Telugu as vernacular language will be taught to the children of Telugu community or other community who is interested in that language. Unfortunately, the Telugu children were not many in number to justify exclusive employment of a Telugu teacher at the school. Thus, the Telugu community in the area lost benefit of the school that was originally started by the members of the Andhra Association. After seven years, the Bharati Bodhanalayam to the National School in the area, and the children of Telugu community in the locality had been left with either to continue in the National School - an English medium school, or join any other English medium school where there was no opportunity to learn Telugu language.
However, an attempt was made in 1952 starting with a summer school at the premises of the Andhra Association to teach the Telugu language to a few boys and girls. Summer school received good response and gradually developed into a regular school teaching the Telugu language besides other subjects. Thus, the school known as ''Andhra Association School'' was opened on the auspicious day of UGADI in 1953 (06.03.1953) at 16-Park Road, Ballygunj, Calcutta. Ever since, it has grown gradually and now reached to its present strength of 854 students with a recognized Primary section, and a recognized High School section. Thus, the Andhra Association can legitimately take the pride in fulfilling one of its prime objectives - promotion of education amongst the children of Telugu community with Telugu being the teaching language since inception of the Andhra Association.
AA High School - Prez Note
In the year 1938 members of the Andhra Association felt the need for a Telugu teaching Institution for the children of Telugu families in the city of Calcutta. Some enthusiastic ladies of the community started to teach Telugu to a small group of children. As the years went by, the initiative grew into a movement to establish a permanent and regular Telugu School.
On 28th March, 1953, a Primary School was established with three classes. With the dedication and devotion of the Andhra Association at Calcutta, more classes came to be added and institution ca to be recognized as a Junior High School in 1958.
Moving from strength to strength the Junior High School became a High School and was recognized as such by West Bengal Board of Secondary Education as an unaided Secondary School in 1965. The Higher Secondary Section with Arts and Commerce under the affiliation of the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education started in 1983. The school is managed by the Andhra Association Building Trust.
Over the years the school has been securing excellent results at the secondary level. The pass percentage has been 100% and 70 % of the students secure first class. Our school was ranked 5th in the City in recent years.
We are proud to be the first school in the region to introduce Bhagavat Gita chanting classes, Yoga and Meditation classes and the Sanskrit Language. We have a fine working computer lab and Smart Class ( audio visual ) teaching aids in each class room and a well stocked library.
Our school conducts the annual " Tanguturi Prakasam Memorial Inter-school Debate" for which a 1 Kg Silver Trophy (donated by a former Trustee) is awarded. The Primary section also conducts an interschool multi-disciplinary competition for which silver trophies (donated by a former Trustee) are awarded.
Our school, as it stands today, represents the hopes and aspirations of all the Telugu-speaking people who came to Bengal since the 1930s. Hope, in having our own permanent school in Calcutta and aspiration to give back to this city something special to represent fond memories. Our school is patronized by all communities .
The school alumni comprises of achievers across the country and the world, in fields as wide as IT, Corporate, Civil Service, Armed Forces, etc, who make the Telugu community proud. We therefore continue to rededicate ourselves to the cause of the nation and the world.
