Three Parsi endowed and managed girls’ schools are listed in Education World’s (EW) top 10 "Vintage legacy girls’ day schools” in India. They are The J. B. Petit High School for Girls (ranked number one), Bai Avabai Framji Petit Girls’ High School (ranked seventh) and The J. B. Vachha Girls High School (ranked 10th). The Bangalore based monthly EW, edited by noted journalist Dilip Thakore, is a magazine and media portal for education. Thakore was the founder editor of Business India and Business World.
Clockwise from top l: The J. B. Petit High School for Girls; principals Benaifer Kutar, Diana Marfatia, Banoo Makujina;
The J. B. Vachha Girls High School; Bai Avabai Framji Petit Girls’ High School
In a message to the publication J. B. Petit principal Beniafer Kutar wrote, "I believe the credit for our number one rank in this category should accrue to our teachers who successfully implemented the online and hybrid learning model during the pandemic.” Speaking to Parsiana on October 2, 2022 Kutar said, "True excellence is a product of synergy… Success isn’t achieved independently… The notion of ‘it takes a village’ is something I believe in deeply and is more critical now than ever.” J. B. Petit has topped the list for the second successive year. "The award is the culmination of the consistent effort of all members of our school community, our talented students, fabulous faculty, and the warmth, support and cooperation of our parent community,” she told Parsiana. To Kutar, the award has meant reaffirming core values and principles, deepening commitment to meaningful teaching and learning, and building on strong relationships within the school community. "Our team at J. B. Petit is committed to upholding our long-standing legacy of excellence in education as we strive to exemplify the School motto, ‘Ever Forward.’”
To Diana Marfatia, principal of Avabai Petit, ranked seventh (previous year at number 12), "this award reminds us that we are on the right track and we are doing good work which is visible and thus merits an award.” She communicated to Parsiana on October 2 that it gave them added pleasure to receive the award in the vintage legacy category "because this recognition that we are carrying on a long legacy well is gratifying… For us awards are stimulators that spur us on further to higher and better.”
Parsiana was unable to get a comment from principal Banoo Makujina of J. B. Vachha till the time of going to press. The school was ranked at 10th place. Last year it stood at 13th.
The other schools in the list include St Mary’s, Poona, La Martiniere and Loretto House in Calcutta, among others. The institutions were rated on the parameters of teacher welfare and development; competence of faculty; academic reputation; co-curricular and sports education; individual attention to students.