The renaissance of Zahira College

By Nizla Naizer

Walking into Zahira College is like stepping back in time, to an era where the likes of T.B. Jayah monitored the hallways for errant young students playing hooky, or where classrooms were filled with carefully brought up sons of affluent families across the country, who wished their child to have the best education in English with added emphasis on religion.
Zahira College is undeniably a towering institution in Colombo. Since its inception in 1892, when M.C Siddi Lebe, Wapiche Marikkar and Abdul Azeez, three philanthropists from the Muslim community decided that there was a pressing need for a school catering to Muslim education in the country, and dedicated the land in Maradana, and their resources, to set up the school, Zahira College has contributed towards educating entire generations with over a hundred years of continuity.
T.B. Jayah served as a principal of the school from 1921 to 1948, a period of time where Zahira flourished with visits by eminent personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, and was renowned in the field of sports. However, the school’s history and prestige were compromised in the last few decades by conflicting interests in the running of the institution, and despite the service done to the community, Zahira College was on a downward spiral.

Three years ago, there was a turn around. A new Board of Governors, who are responsible for the management of the school appointed Old Boys’ Association President, Fouzul Hameed as Chairman of the 18 member Governing board, and the dynamic businessman spearheaded an initiative to get the school back on track and complete on a national level. The renaissance of the school had begun.
Resurrecting Zahira
With over Rs. 100 million spent in the last three years to develop the infrastructure of the school and provide it with much needed facilities, and another Rs. 100 million estimated for further development, Fouzul Hameed and his dedicated team of passionate former Zahirians who have come together to help the school reach its former glory, intend to bring back Zahira College as one of the best schools in the island by 2012.
“When we took over, the school was falling apart,” Board of Governors, Chairman Fouzul Hameed explained, as we walked around the school which is now bustling with activity. “The school had been neglected and needed a lot of work, from classrooms that were dilapidated to the grounds that were not maintained.”
In a unique example of enlisting the help of the very professionals Zahira helped shape, Hameed conveyed the need for urgent action to his fellow Zahirians, and within months work was underway to complete a stalled Science Lab project with classrooms upgraded, bathrooms renovated and Zahira’s grounds cleaned and pruned. “We now have high standards for the school,” he informed, “And we will not compromise on the quality of the school and the facilities we provide the school.”
The Rs 30 million, state-of-the-art Chemistry, Physics and Biology labs were opened on May 25, and will ensure that the students of Zahira have the facility to achieve results through proper environments for the subject.
Academic excellence, spiritual enhancement
The school which had been functioning without a Principal for three years, was given a fresh start when Attorney T.K Azoor was appointed as principal in July 2007. Leaving a 23 year career in law to serve the school, Azoor explained that there is order in the school now with academic performance improving.
“Our vision is to provide academic excellence to our students in a spiritually enriched environment,” he stated, “We have 4,000 students and 200 tutorial staff members who are now working towards improving the quality of education.” With general O/L pass rates increasing from 39% in 2007 to 53% in 2008 and a 98% pass rate for O/L students in the English medium for the first time, the reforms implemented by the school are already showing results.
“We have also implemented a screening process when we take in new students to the school,” Azoor explained. “We are focussing more on quality than quantity, and at admission the parents are interviewed and invited to seminars to keep them aware of what’s expected of them.” He added that the work done by the various groups of old Zahirians has enabled the school to leap forward.
Religion has always been an integral part of the school. Board of Governors Secretary Rizwie Niyaz explained that at a time where students are involved in many extra-curricular activities after school, the importance of spiritual enhancement has been addressed by incorporating Quran lessons to the day’s programme. “We were brought into the school because of religion, and we know that through religion, discipline is automatically inculcated.” With discipline, the school will inevitably regain its former quality in academia; Niyaz explained, adding that the development in the school led to him transferring his children to Zahira. “It’s my school and it’s where I would have ideally wanted them to study.”
Calling all Zahirians
From the Group of 60s, 80s and 90s, to the Old Boys Association and the Past Prefects Association, many former Zahirians in Sri Lanka and across the world have contributed generously towards ensuring the development of the school. “Under Fouzul Hameed’s leadership, things at Zahira College are falling into place,” Past Prefects Association President Shahey Faleel explained. “Our objective is to bring the quality back into Zahira College in terms of education, infrastructure and facilities. With a new library underway, an IT Centre with three new computer labs and over 70 computers, a swimming pool and a renovated ground on the cards, by 2012, we expect Zahira to be among the top 10 schools in Colombo.”

The proposed swimming pool with a separate entrance from Darley Road

As the workers continue to paint, build and mow away, the changes taking place in Zahira are clear to see. Bright eyed students in the primary classes with identical school bags provided by the 80s Group peer inquisitively, while older students wheel collected items to be sent to the IDPs in the North towards a room filled with provisions, other students listen attentively to a teacher explaining an Arabic lesson, while many practise their rugby and football moves on the fringes of the ground.
Zahira College with its illustrious past is definitely on the brink of a resurrection.

Pix by Rukshan Abeywansha