When the Empress Mills started in 1877, the Parsi staff was recruited mainly from Navsari in Gujarat. Apart from other pioneering hardships, they found themselves handicapped as regards the education of their children. To fulfill this need the mills started a small school for them under the name of ‘The Empress Mills Zoroastrian Children’s School’. This school provided some religious and vernacular education up to Class V with the rudiments of the English language thrown in. After class V, the boys easily joined other institutions for higher studies, but the girls encountered numerous difficulties as regards to admission, tuition fees, dress restrictions, and sometimes a compulsory change of name.
In 1901, a very dedicated and competent Parsi lady, Miss Tehmina Karani, started a private school, which went upto Class VI. This school accommodated only forty girls and boys.
The Parsi community of Nagpur, which had for long been thinking of starting a high school for its children, approached Miss Tehmina Karani, to amalgamate her school with that of the Mills. To this, she whole-heartedly agreed, but this arrangement could hardly meet the requirement of a high school for girls for starting a high school for girls. Three members of the committee
On 23rd April 1919, Mrs. Goolbai Cama, the daughter of Sir Bejonji Mehta (General Manager of the Empress Mills) called a meeting of leading Parsi families of Nagpur. It was decided to form a committee that immediately contributed Rs. 10,000/- each and in a short while the subscription collected rose to Rs. 55,000/-. A sum of Rs. 4,50,200/- was donated by the House of Tatas and the Nagpur Parsi Anjuman contributed Rs. 90,500/-.
Having received such a magnificent response, a Trust was created and the amalgamated school, born in 1920, was named after the Founder of the House of Tatas as ‘The J. N. Tata Parsi Girls’ High School, Nagpur’. The school had twenty students on its roll and Miss Karani took over as the Headmistress till a suitable Principal was appointed. In 1923, Miss Alice West was officially declared as the 1st Principal. Under her wise and able stewardship, the school was given permanent recognition in 1927 and continued to grow in strength and reputation to date.
With the constant support and guidance from the management, Junior College was started in the year 2012 and the Nursery section form 2024.
