WHERE LEARNING IS JOY

THE CEILING’S 
No Limit

Questioned by E.J. Kalwachia about her reaction, if selected for the post of Principal, Udyachal High School, Mrs. Evangeline Ranjan stated, “I said that I believe in God. My whole life is in God’s hands. He has a plan and purpose for me. So, if I am selected, it is not that I am deserving, but it is because He has planned my future over here.”
Questioned by Mr. Jamshyd Godrej as to which quality she possessed better than other candidates, Mrs. Ranjan requested him to let her know his priorities for the School. He said, “We are looking for a person who has trust, faith, forgiveness, love for nature, we don’t want an extremely aggressive person.” Mrs. Ranjan replied, “I have been a Girl Guide all my life and you have spoken words which are in my heart!”
Small wonder, Mrs. Ranjan got the job.

Coming from a family of educationists, all teachers and principals of various schools and colleges, education is in Mrs. Evangeline Ranjan’s genes. Her paternal grandfather was a lecturer in Theology at Serempore Bible College, Calcutta. Her father, one of the pioneers of the diesel engine, retired as Dy. Director of the System Technical School, Kharagpur, West Bengal. Her mother, who is one of six sisters, all teachers, of which four retired as principals of schools and colleges, was a maths teacher for 30 years and also her teacher at the St. Agnes Mount Carmel Convent, Kharagpur. Mrs. Ranjan’s younger sister, an M.Ed. gold medalist, was Principal of Tolani Jr. College, Mumbai. Her brother is a Post-graduate teacher in English in Hyderabad Public School. Both Mrs. Ranjan’s in-laws were Head Master and Head Mistress of the same school, a mission school, of the boy’s and girl’s section respectively. Her husband, a Training Commander in the Education Dept. in INS Hamla, trains naval management trainees. And, her eldest daughter, M.Sc. in Computer Science and interested in the teaching profession, is assistant to a professor in the University of Ohio.

In this interview, Mrs. Ranjan discusses with Rashna Ardesher her plans for the School and her views on education in general.