About Our History
Esso Petroleum, formerly known as Stanvac, started a Kindergarten school for the children of its foreign employees at Anand Bhavan, Mumbai. Mrs.Daphne Clare Fraser Thomson, an English woman along with Mr.Lalit Gandhi bought it from the Stanvac Company in 1959. The Atomic Energy Commission wanted Anand Bhavan, and hence the school was shifted to the ground floor of the Poddar Bungalow at 6, Worli Sea Face, Mumbai.
Mr.Lalit Gandhi a practicing Chartered Accountant was also involved in the expansion of the school as it was growing from year to year. In 1965 Mrs. Daphne Clare Fraser Thomson decided to leave India and Mr.Lalit Gandhi joined his wife and close relatives as partners of the school.
Mr.Lalit Gandhi subsequently expanded the school on the second floor of the building at 6, Worli Sea Face. His vision of the rapid growth of the school and the goodwill it carried took over the ground plus three storey school building at Bomanji Petit Road, off Warden Road, Mumbai. Thus Greenlawns School has been running at two places since 1966.
After Mrs.Fraser Thomson left India in 1965 Mr.Lalit Gandhi appointed Mrs.Sara D’mello and Mrs. Amy Writer as principals to run both the schools. He visited both the schools daily and advised the school management on academic as well as other matters.
In 1974, Mr.Lalit Gandhi along with Mr.C.U. Shah, a well known philanthropist and educationist, brother-in-law of Mr.Lalit Gandhi converted both the schools into a Public Charitable Trust known as C.U. Shah Education Foundation and C.U. Shah Education Trust. Both these schools are run by Public Charitable Trusts registered under the Bombay Public Trust Act.
Mr.Lalit Gandhi actively looked after the affairs of the school from 1960 to 1983. He looked after the interest of the staff, students and parents of both schools and was instrumental in raising the standard of education at Greenlawns to the present level. He was and is still looked up to and revered and respected by all and continues to guide the school management whenever required.
His son Tushar, studied at Greenlawns School, Worli and thereafter at Warden Road, and passed the first batch of ICSE in 1975. His wife Mrs.Usha also helps the school management and administrates the requirement of both the schools since 1983.
Kushal, son of Mr Tushar and Mrs Usha Gandhi also studied at Greenlawns School, Warden Road and passed the ICSE examination with flying colours.
Mr.Lalit Gandhi’s daughter Mrs.Minal is adopted by Mr.C.U. Shah. Mr.Lalit Gandhi came into contact with “Bapuji” the spiritual leader of Jainism and of Shree Shreemad Rajchandra teachings and slowly detached himself from worldly affairs to attain religious and spiritual elevations of self realization. Mr.C.U. Shah as Chairman and Mrs.Minal Shah as Trustee were entrusted to manage both the schools.
In 2007, Mr.C.U. Shah’s health deteriorated due to old age and hence the onus of managing and developing both the schools is shared by Mrs. Minal Shah, her brother Mr.Tushar Gandhi as well as Mr Tushar’s wife Mrs.Usha Gandhi and Mrs Minal’s husband Mr.Rohit Shah. Thus the kin of Mr Lalit Gandhi’s has collectively been instrumental in bringing both the schools to a premiere position amongst the top ICSE Schools in India.