In the heart of Ahmedabad, on the banks of the Sabarmati and near the old Ellis Bridge, stands a red brick building near the Victoria Garden. Today he was given an I.P. Known as Mission High School. But this is not just a school. This is one of the oldest and most important symbols of modern education in Ahmedabad. When and how did it start? This school was born in June 1866. At that time Ahmedabad was still known as the old walled city. The Irish Presbyterian Mission (Irish Presbyterian Mission) started the work of education and service in Gujarat. Irish missionaries came to Gujarat around 1841. His work was again active in Ahmedabad in 1863. About 1100 rupees (about £114 at the time) were collected from the Presbyterian Church of Ireland and local support to start the school. According to some accounts the wife of the then British collector and her friends also contributed. Initially an English medium school was started with only 34 students in a small space in a place like Shahibaug or Hathisinghi Wadi. By 1879 the number of students reached 201. Who built the building and how? Around 1875 it was decided to build a permanent building for the school. Rao Bahadur Himmatlal Dheerajram (also known as Himmatlal Engineer) was entrusted with the task. The same person who later also built the steel structure of the Ellis Bridge. This red brick Gothic style building was considered one of the most modern buildings in Ahmedabad at that time. European flavored windows, fine woodwork and solid construction give this school a distinct identity. Even today this old building is used as an administrative office and is counted among the heritage sites of Ahmedabad. Change with time was initially English medium. But in 1952, due to indigenous spirit and students having difficulty with English, it was changed to Gujarati medium. Today it runs under the management of the Gujarat Christian Service Society and provides education from nursery to higher secondary. Why is this school important? I.P. Mission schools did not only teach reading and writing. It symbolized the beginning of modern education in Ahmedabad. While most of the schools were run in the traditional way, education was imparted here with a new method, regular classes and tidy building. Alice Bridge and this school together tell the story of Ahmedabad's modernization. Even today when you cross the Ellis Bridge towards Raikhad, this red brick building reminds you of the 19th century. It says how education can transform a city.
I.P. Mission School, located at the end of Ellis Bridge: 160 years of history hidden within red bricks is featured on Aapnu Amdavad — the digital home of Ahmedabad, where Amdavadis discover stories and everything happening across the city.