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Tucked away in the quiet neighborhood of Gamadia Colony, Tardeo, is the Lady Engineer High School, a private, unaided co-education institute with 600 students. The U-shaped, ivory-colored School building fronted by a sunny courtyard appears to be a clean and welcoming space even before one enters the premises. Last year the School received a commendation for Mazhi Sundar Shala (My beautiful school). In the absence of a kitchen garden, it missed the third prize at the competition for educational institutions that lie within the Bombay municipality’s D Ward. The School building also houses the Dr Freany Cama Home for Parsi Women and senior citizens.

Committed to the cause of education, Lady Jerbai Engineer had founded an educational institute in 1939 for four to seven-year-old Parsi children in a bungalow on Sleater Road. As a young girl from Amravati, Jerbai (née Kanga) was miffed that her education ended at the school level whereas her brother Jehangir was sent to England for further studies. Her determination to marry an educated person led to a match with Sir Noshirwan Engineer who was the first Indian-origin advocate general of British India. Her keen interest in education made her visit Montessori and nursery schools in England. Upon her return she set up a school that initially had 10 to 12 students. Soon the number of students grew thanks to her dedication. In those days the fees ranged from one rupee to Rs 16, based on the family’s financial ability. 

Impressed with Jerbai’s efforts, solicitor R. Malegamwala offered a sum of Rs 30,000 to the School from the Soonabai Servai Trust. This money enabled her to purchase a plot of land in Tardeo where the School now stands. However, she did not have the funds to undertake construction of the School building. In 1950, she was offered six lakh rupees, bequeathed by Dr Freany Cama to set up a hostel for Parsi women and girls, similar to the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association). Engineer consented to shoulder this responsibility if the Cama Trust would help with construction of the School building. Having forged a symbiotic relationship for over seven decades, the School has been functioning on the ground floor and the Dr Freany Cama Home for Parsi Women and senior citizens on the first floor. The first floor also houses the School’s computer laboratory. In memory of the founder, a thanksgiving jashan is organized every year.

Continuing to charge very reasonable fees, the School draws students from the surrounding areas of Grant Road, Bombay Central and Worli. In fact,  a earmarked fund supports the education of socially disadvantaged children at the School. "Discipline, cleanliness, love and a deep respect for one’s parents are the values that the School is based on,” mentions principal Errick Elavia who joined the School as a teacher in 1997. The School hall is spacious enough to accommodate the entire strength of the school from Nursery to Std X. With its emphasis on value education, every classroom in the English medium School is equipped with smart boards to ensure technology-aided lessons to simplify the understanding of abstract concepts. To improve math skills, students are familiarized with calculating tools like Abacus and Mathemind. 

To ensure holistic development of the students, the School, whose motto is "Spread the light of knowledge,” provides for extracurricular activities like karate, dancing, Indian music, speech and drama, personality development and adventure sports, indoor and outdoor games such as table tennis, carrom, badminton, cricket, chess, scrabble as well as excursions. The School also offers Scouts/Guides training and regularly organizes scouting camps. 

The principal has also taken students to visit NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in the US and to the UK on the invitation of the Indian High Commission and the British Parliament organized by IIMUN (India’s International Movement to Unite Nations). The School’s alumni have become doctors, engineers, police inspectors, pilots, besides shining in other professions.

In tune with its Zoroastrian heritage, Rukhsana Modi, religion teacher, conducts prayer classes every Friday for 19 Zoroastrian students who receive free education with funding from the Parsi Amelioration Committee (PAC). Ervad Darayesh Katrak, secretary of the Dadysett Charity Trust, conducts periodic talks for Parsi students and their parents. The School remains closed during the Gatha days. In addition to the principal, the School has eight Parsis on the teaching staff. Every year the management sponsors a pilgrimage for all Parsi/Irani students and teachers to Navsari, Udvada and Chikhli nearby that has an agiary.

Khurshed and Khurshid Bharucha from Std I have featured in the new navjote song composed by Kaizad Patel (whose YouTube channel BombaySarrgamm creates original music and cover songs and modernized monajats). Shahzad Olpadwala of Std IX, won the gold at the state level for taekwondo (Korean martial art and combat sport) in 2024. Some of the students have represented the School at the state level in carrom and chess. 

"For me, the School and my students always come first,” said Elavia. "I expect my teachers to reach out to every student as they are front bench counselors. Our efforts go towards making every student self-sufficient. As I’m a member of Zonta International — an organization committed to building a better world for girls — we endeavor to teach our boys to develop a healthy respect for their female counterparts.” He is concerned though to witness the growing religious prejudice among students despite the School’s efforts to promote unity in diversity.

Farzandi Daruwala, a senior English/Geography teacher, lauded the principal for promoting a sound work culture and a feeling of belongingness that reflects in the loyalty of the staff towards the institute. Her daughter, an ex-student, developed a high level of confidence thanks to the extracurricular activities. This stands her in good stead today in her role as cabin crew with Air India. 

Ashraf Shaikh, a former student, serving as an IT (information technology) head for the School, has been there for 18 years. The School’s wi-fi enabled computer laboratory is available to students even after school hours. "As students interact with me right from Kindergarten, they treat me as their confidant, trusting me with their deepest problems,” said Shaikh. 

The School employs a part-time counselor, Rinkle Kariya, who supports children with academic and behavioral issues. "Thanks to easy access to adult content, children often use abusive language. Use of substances is another problem we have to deal with,” said Kariya. Remedial classes are conducted for students who need them. 

The secondary coordinator Reema Kashmiri who has been with the School for 31 years echoes the principal’s beliefs. "Instead of corporal punishment as consequence for bad behavior we ask students to do something constructive such as learning a poem or writing a passage. For serious transgressions, we are compelled to issue three pink cards as warning; in rare cases a grey card leads to expulsion,” said Kashmiri. 

Primary coordinator Shravani Pawar who has served the school for 20 years and is known to remain at School long after school hours, commends Elavia: "Through his own example, Sir has taught us to put the School first and that’s what we all do.” In the pre-primary section, a mix of methods, including Montessori, enliven the teaching-learning process. For the new academic year, the school has revamped the preschool curriculum with the help of Niyati Shah, qualified from London’s Trinity College, who will also train students of Stds IV to VII in speech and drama. 

The role played by the Lady Engineer High School Trust that has been providing the required support is acknowledged too. The trustees are Shahrook Munsiff, Ferjan Engineer, Delbar Mendis, Yasmin Mody and Gool Udwadia with Tariq Engineer, Manjula Engineer and Anupam Munsiff being managing committee members. During the pandemic the trustees liquidated their reserves to ensure full payment to every staff member. Staff salaries are based on the government’s recommendations of the sixth pay commission; every Diwali they are rewarded with a generous bonus — a practice almost unheard of in private schools. Mendis was clear that every rupee earned was invested back into the School. The managing committee meets every month to look after the affairs of the institution. Declared Mendis, "As grandchildren of the founder, we wish to continue doing the good work that our feisty grandmother started.” Lady Engineer’s dream of offering holistic education continues to uplift and inspire a new generation.