St Patrick’s School - 150 years: ‘In this school, it doesn’t matter where you come from’
Current students, staff and alumni gather for final party.
KARACHI:
For anyone who attended the opening of St Patrick’s High School’s 150-year celebrations last year, the final party at the school campus on Friday remained true to what the institution stands for: achievement and success.
Everyone was present from the current primary school boys to the highly successful alumni. The school hosted around 2,000 people on an evening that started a little after the chief guest, His Grace Archbishop Evarist Pinto, and the guest of honour and another Patrician, Senior Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haq, arrived.
Speaking to the gathering, Principal Rev Father Joe Paul said that managing the school was not an easy task. “We had to keep pace with the great leaps of science and technology, but we managed. We were blessed as we were able to produce well-balanced and caring individuals for society, who are now serving the country.”
Almost everyone present was an over-achiever. Dr Muhammad Ebrahim Hasham was one such person. He is the founder of the Usman Institute of Technology, the Usman Memorial Hospital and 11 other social welfare endeavours. A graduate of the year 1964, he said he still remembers the canteen patties and coke.
Muhammad Siyab who just graduated from the school last year was also at the celebrations. Now studying medicine at Cornell University campus in Qatar, he said he missed the place so much that he flew back specially for the celebrations. “The best thing about the institution is that they don’t look at where you have come from. Once you join the institution, your success doesn’t depend on your [family and financial] background, but on what you, as an individual, do.”
Siyab said he would like to come back and teach at the school as, according to him, if there is anything that makes St Patrick’s what it is today, it’s the teachers.
Shahid Firoz, the director of the Arfeen Group of Companies, has been visiting school on and off ever since he graduated in 1970 from the St Patrick’s School and College.
For him, the school brings back memories of a vast playground, strict discipline and polished individuals. At the celebrations, he accompanied his best friend, Qadeer A Batlay, who he had met in school.
Their friendship grew so strong that now Batlay has joined Firoz’s business as a close aide.
Batlay is now the director of Port Grand, an Arfeen group endeavour.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2011.
For anyone who attended the opening of St Patrick’s High School’s 150-year celebrations last year, the final party at the school campus on Friday remained true to what the institution stands for: achievement and success.
Everyone was present from the current primary school boys to the highly successful alumni. The school hosted around 2,000 people on an evening that started a little after the chief guest, His Grace Archbishop Evarist Pinto, and the guest of honour and another Patrician, Senior Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haq, arrived.
Speaking to the gathering, Principal Rev Father Joe Paul said that managing the school was not an easy task. “We had to keep pace with the great leaps of science and technology, but we managed. We were blessed as we were able to produce well-balanced and caring individuals for society, who are now serving the country.”
Almost everyone present was an over-achiever. Dr Muhammad Ebrahim Hasham was one such person. He is the founder of the Usman Institute of Technology, the Usman Memorial Hospital and 11 other social welfare endeavours. A graduate of the year 1964, he said he still remembers the canteen patties and coke.
Muhammad Siyab who just graduated from the school last year was also at the celebrations. Now studying medicine at Cornell University campus in Qatar, he said he missed the place so much that he flew back specially for the celebrations. “The best thing about the institution is that they don’t look at where you have come from. Once you join the institution, your success doesn’t depend on your [family and financial] background, but on what you, as an individual, do.”
Siyab said he would like to come back and teach at the school as, according to him, if there is anything that makes St Patrick’s what it is today, it’s the teachers.
Shahid Firoz, the director of the Arfeen Group of Companies, has been visiting school on and off ever since he graduated in 1970 from the St Patrick’s School and College.
For him, the school brings back memories of a vast playground, strict discipline and polished individuals. At the celebrations, he accompanied his best friend, Qadeer A Batlay, who he had met in school.
Their friendship grew so strong that now Batlay has joined Firoz’s business as a close aide.
Batlay is now the director of Port Grand, an Arfeen group endeavour.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2011.