History

This page is dedicated to History of NJV School.

The NJV School established by Sir Bartle Frere in 1855 and was named after Maharaj Narayan Jagannath Vaidya. The NJV High School at Karachi was the first government school established in Sindh. It was opened in October 1855 with 68 boys. The original buildings were replaced by the present ones in 1876. Narain Jagan Nath was an educated resident of Mumbai. He is said to be a well-known educationist of his days. That, too, at a time when books and teachers were a rarity in Sindh.

In 1910, another high school was established in Sindh. It accommodated 250 students. The school received a monthly grant of 4,020 rupees. On November 16, 1987, Department of Education, Government of Sindh received a letter. It had recommendations for improvement of the educational facilities in the NJV Government Higher Secondary School (Sindhi Medium) Karachi. Following are the contents of that letter:

“NJV Government Higher Secondary School (Sindhi Medium) is the first and oldest public educational institute in the province. It was founded in 1855 with only 68 students. In 1945-46, the school was shifted to the kotwaal building for some time. It was finally moved to its current building, the previous Sindh Assembly building.

“Being the first educational institute of the province, the school has certainly played a vital role in providing the people of Sindh with the services of education. It has remained a centre of learning and curricular activities. The school has seen its days of glory and fame. Many renowned and successful politicians and scholars have acquired their higher secondary education from this school. No doubt that the school has lost its charm due to encroachments. Its front yard houses government offices. The time will come when the school will regain its lost glory and recognition. What is needed is the education department’s attention.”

It was also mentioned in this letter that if the government offices located in the school premises were moved elsewhere, the school's strength could exceed 300.

The school also has historical importance owing to the fact that after partition, the Sindh provincial assembly convened in its building. Syed Mustafa Barelvi writes about the NJV School on page 105 of his book Musalmaanan-e-Karachi-o-Sindh Kee Taalem (Az Ahd-e-Qadeem Taa Qayaam-e-Pakistan): “In March 1917, 477 students were receiving an education in this school. The number of Muslim students was only 12. The number highlights the weak situation of the Muslims of Karachi and Sindh in higher education.”

Up until 1946, all the headmasters of the school were non-Muslims, whereas afterwards, it has only been Muslims.

Akhuwat adopted the school in 2015 with a mission to restore NJV to its former glory and preserve its heritage. The secure campus contains one main building, a primary building, a student dormitory, staff housing, along with various peripheral buildings such as garages, a canteen, post office and a guardhouse. The 3-story main building has full internet coverage and houses 8 laboratories, 3 IT rooms, multiple auditoriums, and over 40 classrooms to deliver world-class education to our students. New construction and works are ongoing; slated projects include a gymnasium, new IT rooms, a state of the art library, cafeteria, a renovated primary school building, art department and arts college.