Origin and Growth of MEC

MEC, or what was earlier known as Model Education Centre is the story of one teacher’s struggle, commitment and passion for spreading the cause of education.

Smt. Vishalakshamma was a popular teacher in one of Bangalore’s well known schools, during the 1960s. With her subject expertise and a commitment to share knowledge, she was acknowledged as an inspiring teacher. However, hailing from rural region, Smt. Vishalakshamma was always sensitive to the needs of the village folk, with who she was in constant touch. Her priorities always lay with the needs of the rural poor and the downtrodden. The rich would anyway get the education. It is the less-cared-for-in-society who are always in danger of being marginalized, she felt.

It all started in 1972, when she took the big step of bidding goodbye to the safety of her job and set out to pursue her passion of spreading education among the needy sections of the society.

For the location, she chose Yelahanka, a then faraway suburb of Bangalore. The first MEC institution took shape as a MEC Girls High School in a humble edifice adjacent to Yelahanka Bus Stand. The first batch of students appeared for SSLC Board Examination in 1976. The combined school strength was 86.

The initial years, as in any organization, were very trying indeed. Smt. Vishalakshamma and Sri N Chandrashekar, Secretary of MEC Institutions, had to overcome stiff opposition and myriad rumours spread by doubting Thomases, to set up a respectable institution. Nothing seemed to matter. They were most optimistic about the future they were to build.

While the poor were offered free education, income that was coming from other quarters was saved, penny by penny. With the savings made and with an adventurous bent of mind, they raised a huge loan, to acquire a land of 4 acres in the jungles of Yelahanka.

The land meant little in those days. But as time went by, Smt. Vishalakshamma and Sri N Chandrashekar began to build their temple of learning. It had to be different. It had to be a cultured space. With that motto, their dream of Model Education Centre began to take shape.

As individuals, Smt Vishalakshamma and Sri N Chandrashekar lent simplicity and solidity. Smt Vishalakshamma was the inspiring teacher, whose passion for excellence in learning was undiminished all through her life. Never to see the dark side of anything, she always lent hope and encouragement to the children, who were at her school. She embraced modern practices in education and reached out to parents to impart better quality of learning to the students. Realizing the need for inclusiveness, she insisted on having schools that offered highly affordable education.

Sri Chandrashekar was the pillar who took on the onerous task of administration in the crucial growth years. He was able to project the good work done by the institution and was able to attract educationists to play a role in guiding the affairs of the group institutions. Together, they were pursuing a vision of creating an integrated edifice in education for the welfare of the local community.

With the passing away of Smt. Vishalakshamma, the founder-architect of the Model Education Centre, Ms. Vidya stepped in take charge of the affairs, to ensure that the Model Education Centre grew to serve more students and expand with more institutions.

In 2012, when Sri Chandrashekar left for heavenly abode, the responsibility of managing the institutions fell entirely on Vidya and Vinay. They understand the changing face of new India and the changing face of education. They bring the dynamism necessary to grapple with the challenges of education in the new millennium.

As we look back, we have built on the values left behind by Smt. Vishalakhamma and Sri N Chandrashekar. The MEC Institutions will uphold true Indian values and will work for the cause of education to take progressive learning to the people, who need them.

Today, the MEC Institutions are known as a values-driven group where timeless Indian traditions live on to inspire a new generation of young India towards global excellence.