Rajkot school opens separate wing for girls

Rajkot (Gujarat), Jan.2 (ANI): Rajkumar College, a boarding school in Gujarat's Rajkot city, has come up with a separate wing for girls, which is all set to become functional from the academic year beginning in March this year.

The school has a 140 years old legacy of imparting education to the scions of the royalty.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who initiated the campaign for girls' education in the State, is expected to inaugurate the girls' school.

Vinod Kumar Thakker, principal of Rajkumar College, said the move to open a separate wing for girls comes after an increase in enrolment of girls in the school.

"From 1870 till 1938 this school was only for princes. After 1938, other students were also allowed entry into the school. However, Rajkumar College was a boys' school, mostly for princes," said Thakker.

"But from 2002, girl students were also given admission in the school and for the past seven to eight years, we have got so many admissions of girls' students that we thought of starting a new school for them," he added.

Thakker further said the new three-storey building of the girls' wing would house students from class V to XII.

The medium of instruction will be English and the school will follow the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum.

The school authorities plan to limit only 30 students per class in the new building that has 29 classrooms.

This elite school promises to live up to its name by providing state-of-the-art facilities including music room, dance room, yoga centre, computer lab, visitors' room, multi-media room, language library, arts and crafts room etc. There will be hostel facility as well.

Jitednrasinh, heir of erstwhile princely state of Muli and one of the trustees of the school, welcomed the initiative as a positive step for the education of girls in Saurashtra.

"The biggest thing is the promotion of girls' education, which faced shortage in this part of the region. With this I don't intend to say that girls schools were not there. We have started a boarding school and we hope to run it up to the high standards of RKC (Rajkumar College). Since there was a necessity so that one necessity has been fulfilled," said Jitednrasinh.

The girls' school has tied up with the famous Weatherhead High School of Liverpool for student and staff exchange programmes.

The school boasts of housing the sixth generation of many royal families including Chaintnyadev of erstwhile princely state of Wadhvan and Jitednrasinh of erstwhile princely state of Muli.

This 140-year old school is spread over 25 acres land in heart of the city.

At present around 1500 students are studying in the school.

The majestic Indo-Gothic architectural building of this school is famous for its architectural heritage. (ANI)