The story of Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan began way back in 1953 at King Edward Road, now Maulana Azad Road (MAR). In the MAR Officers’ Hostel, a group of enterprising officers’ wives decided to start a school with 35 students in Nursery and KG. Mrs. Mercy Benjamin was its first Principal. In 1962, Mr AET Barrow inspected the school and accorded it recognition for affiliation to ISC. The school now, has around 5000 students and 200 teachers on its roll. The school is run under the aegis of the Army Welfare Education Society. More than 67 years have elapsed since the school was initially raised, and 49 years since it moved to its present location.
The foundation of the school at Dhaula Kuan was laid in 1964 by Shri YB Chavan, the then Defence Minister. In 1966 the school was renamed Defence Services Public School and by 1971 it had 600 students, 32 teachers, and Lt Col AW Shaw (Retd) was its Principal. The school shifted to its present location in 1971. The main block, as we know it today, was the only building at that time, and the school had 16 staff quarters and a girls’ hostel, which now functions as the Ridgewood Boys’ Hostel.
Initially, the school was run by the three services. However, from 1976, the name was changed to Army Public School, with the Army running the school. Another change that occurred was the change in the school motto from ‘Learn to obey’ to ‘Truth is God.’ As we take you through a brief tour via the portals of APS, DK it must suffice to say that we march ahead on the straight but narrow path that will give India worthy citizens, with our feet firmly on the ground, our heads held high and our hearts beating with patriotic fervour.
Jai Hind!