S.P.J. SADHANA SCHOOL
S.P.J. SADHANA SCHOOL
S.P.J. Sadhana School has a prior history, in the form of the Tinker Bell School which was started by Mrs. Durga Jain in 1968 and located at 79 Pedder Road, before it came to be established in Sophia Campus. From 1970 onwards the Tinker Bell School was housed in the basement of Sophia College. In June 1973, the Trustees of Tinker Bell School, namely Mrs. Durga Jain, Lady S. Jeejeebhoy, Mrs. Kotawalla and Mrs. Shapoorji, signed an agreement with the Society for Higher Education of Women in India (SHEWI) whereby the former transferred all its properties and funds to the Society for Higher Education of Women in India. As per this agreement, it was decided that the school shall be named 'Shriyans Prasad Jain Sadhana School (for Special Education)'.
In June 1992, Sadhana School moved into the top two floors of the newly built Dr. Rozendo Ribeiro Children's Complex. Its construction was funded by Caritas Sweden and Misereor of Germany. Mrs. Esther D'Souza (daughter of the late Dr. Rozendo Ribeiro after whom the complex is named) gave a generous endowment fund. With additional space, it was possible to expand the activities of the School. A five-year polytechnic training programme was started for the older children, with four areas of specialization, namely, Office Procedures, Hospitality and Catering, Visual Arts and Crafts, and World Work Skills. The first batch of the polytechnic courses graduated in 1995. In 2011 the Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust ( NRTT ) gave a substantial donation towards the building of the fourth and fifth floor. This made it possible for the school to include in its educational facilities various therapeutic experiences that has placed the school on the map of outstanding special schools in the country.
The school has had qualified Principals like Mrs. Dina Guha (1973-1977), Mrs. Rukmini Krishnaswamy (1977-1990), and Sr. E. Gaitonde (1990-2017) who, along with Dr. Radhike Khanna (Vice Principal for very many years) and a very qualified staff, have put the school on a sound foundation making it an internationally recognised resource centre for the training of persons with special needs and for updating the teachers in special methodologies. The school is a nurturing space for individuals with a developmental handicap. The school is a one of its kind in the country with a five year polytechnic course for mentally disabled young adults. To its immense credit the school has guaranteed employment to most of the graduates of the polytechnic course.