Bhawani Dayal Arya College

Dewan Chand, Suva Geeta Pillay, Suva

Bhawani Dayal Arya College, located at Nakasi, is a premier institution run by Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji.

The former students of the college organised a reunion last year in Auckland on a grand scale and as the former principal I was privileged to be the guest of honour.

This year the re-union is being organised by Simom Prasad and his team in Australia at Gold Coast, Queensland. This year’s guest of honour is a former distinguished principal of the college, Mrs S.J. Singh.

I understand that other teachers of the nineties will be there as well.

This is perhaps the singular most worthy respect the former students could pay to their teachers.

I served Bhawani Dayal Arya College as its principal from 1990 to 1999.

At that time Mrs Singh was my deputy and subsequently she served as the principal. With other departmental heads we formed a formidable team which was never satisfied with anything less than the best in the field of sports, extra-curricular activities and academia. External Examination results continued to improve at all levels and subsequently the college opened its doors to form seven students.

Today it runs four streams of form sevens and external examinations results are well beyond expectations.

Some of the achievements of the nineties are as follows.

1. The institution changed its name from Bhawani Dayal High School to Bhawani Dayal Arya College.

2. Prefects leadership training programme under the auspices of the Apex Club of Nasinu…thanks to Amar Dayal the president.

3. Introduction of computer literacy.

4. Introduction of the Book Bank Scheme to assist the students.

5. Building of separate Havan (prayer) room to cater for social cultural activities.

6. Introduction of Form Seven Education at the college.

7. There are other achievements in the National Quiz, oratory contests, Mathematics competition, Physics competition, and inter-secondary schools soccer and netball competitions.

8. Introduction of the very popular college song composed by Pundit Guru Datt I take this opportunity to warmly congratulate my former students for their foresight in remembering their Alma Mater and their teachers in such a big way. May God grant them health, happiness and success in all their endeavours.

Why is it that Fijian civil servants are so scared about being put on contracts? Is it because the incompetent ones are worried they will not be able to hide their incompetency or take tea breaks sharp at 10am and leave for lunch at 1pm or shoot out the door at sharp 4.30?