Benefits in Bardoli

Can a public trust and a private concern embarking on a joint educational venture meet with success? Pervez Mehta believed so. When Mehta’s health required a shift from the polluted city of Bombay, the family moved to Bardoli in South Gujarat, around 30 miles east of Surat, in 1985. The family had no prior connection to the town from where in January 1926 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel launched his satyagraha (agitation) against a proposed land revenue increase by the British.
The Mehtas bought some land in 1987, the same year Pervez became a trustee of the Bardoli Jarthosti Anjuman (BJA) and later the trust’s honorary secretary. The Mehtas started construction of their home while Pervez began the Mazda Cold Drink factory and later entered the wholesale medicine business. His wife Jaloo started a small English medium nursery school on the premises in 2001. As the Playpen Nursery School (PNS) gained in popularity, they bought the adjacent plots and Pervez gave up his other business pursuits.

School building; (right) a class in progress

Pervez Mehta

Various activities at the School

Bardoli dakhma

"The parents insisted we start a (full-fledged) school,” says Pervez. He then thought of approaching the BJA as a secondary school required a playground. It was suggested that the non-functioning dakhma grounds could be so utilized as corpses are taken to Navsari or Surat for disposal. "We put the proposal to the Anjuman,” narrates Pervez. As the income from the fees would go to the Anjuman and the agiary, "everyone accepted.” As the BJA is a religious, community trust, it was decided to create the Bardoli Parsi Jarthoshti Education and Charitable Trust to run the Bardoli Parsi Trust’s English Medium School (BPTEMS). Pervez took a personal loan and set about building additional classrooms on his property. He and BJA president Homi Pithawala are the only two common trustees on both trusts. All the trustees have to be Parsis, and if a managing committee is formed the trustees would still have the final say on matters, Pervez clarifies. "The School became a reality only due to the foresight, guidance, help and cooperation of our trustees Jalbhai Kasad, Dhanjisha Dumasia, Yasmine Sanjana and Pithawala.”
When differences arose some years back amongst the BJA trustees on other issues, the Doongerwadi plans were put on hold. Instead, Pervez rented out a playground nearby.
Income from the School covers the maintenance and kathi expenses of the Bardoli agiary; the BJA pays only the mobed’s salary. Pervez notes they don’t have to seek donations from elsewhere for the upkeep of the agiary.
The ownership of the PNS remained with the Mehtas while the BJA pays a token rent of Re 1 per annum to the family for the BPTEMS. The arrangement is "permanent,” he notes. Pervez’s son Shahazaad assists in the management of the School while his daughter-in-law Gulnar teaches and monitors.
The School has around 900 students with classes up to the ninth standard; next year the 10th will be started. Students are enrolled on "a first come, first served basis” and no interviews are conducted to screen out applicants, explains Pervez. "We were the first to limit the number of students in each class and appoint two teachers per class so as to give full attention to them. This ensures no (private) tuitions are required.” A tie-up with Tata Class Edge provides audio visual, educational, e-learning videos. "Our School is the first school in Gujarat to implement this.”
There are nine other English medium schools and 15 Gujarati medium schools in Bardoli, notes Pervez. "We were the first to include karate, skating and Bharat Natyam dancing in our curriculum,” he observes. Many students have reached state level competitions in karate, chess, athletics. Every month activity based competitions are held between the houses where all the students participate in general knowledge tests, essay writing, debate, storytelling, quizes, drawing, etc. "When we have an annual day we see to it that every child comes on stage. This removes their stage fright,” notes Pervez.
An ERP (enterprise resource planning) software system takes care of the mandatory roll calls and the students’ grades are posted online with passwords provided to the parents who can monitor their child’s performance on their mobile phones and interact with the teachers. "The students and parents are happy,” says Pervez. And so are the Parsis of Bardoli who have benefitted from the Mehtas’ largesse.