SHILLONG: St Mary’s Higher Secondary School which was conceptualized way back in 1913 would be concluding its year-long centenary celebrations on Saturday.
The School was set up by the German Salvatorians Missionaries under Monsignor C Becker, the Apostolic Prefect of Assam.
While the foundation of the School and Convent was laid in 1912, the School was formally inaugurated on June 3 1913, to commemorate the birthday of King George IV.
Interestingly, the wife of the then British Commissioner, Lady Earle, was the chief guest at the inaugural function.
“With simmering global tensions at that point, the sisters faced lots of hardships in their new mission in a new place and interacting with new people. The system of education is totally different from those in their land,” St Mary’s Higher Secondary School Principal Sr. Amabel Lyngdoh said, while recalling the earlier days of the school, here on Friday.
She said that the sisters faced huge problems in bringing children to school since the parents were reluctant to send them to school in those days.
When the Salvatorian nuns decided to leave Shillong for another mission, the school made a new beginning on November 15, 1914 when the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, now popularly known as RNDM sisters, arrived in Shillong to take over St. Mary’s School, Sr. Amabel informed.
“It took a while for the RNDM sisters to console the women and children and carry forward the work of the school and other development activities. Slowly and steadily, they won the hearts of the people of this beautiful place,” she said.
Sr. Amabel said that St. Mary’s shifted to the newly premises called Merriville on February 29, 1928.
“The entire St Mary’s with convent, orphanage, lower primary, Montessori and the Higher Secondary and College are now housed at this auspicious land (Merriville),” Sr. Amabel said.
She informed that St. Mary’s Montessori School was started in February 1944 for both boys and girls with sisters trained in the Montessori system of education which had created a sensation in Shillong.
Sr. Amabel said that even till the late 60’s, the total strength of students in the school was only about 300.
“The School has really grown in the past few years with the present student strength in all the three sections of the schools (Lower Primary, Montessori and Higher Secondary) being over 2000,” she said.
Sr. Amabel said that the School has its own orphanage with 92 inmates coming from difficult backgrounds.
She further informed that during the centenary year, Purba Mazumdar, a student brought laurels to the school by securing the first position in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) Examination.
“It was really a special occasion since the school backed the first position after a gap of many years,” she said.
Sr. Amabel said the School also feels proud that many of the past pupils who are residing in various parts of the country have taken pains to come and participate in the centenary celebration.
As part of the centenary project, the School intends to start the Science stream at the Higher Secondary level.
As part of the year-long celebration, the School had organised events like debate, quiz, and inter-school basketball tournaments.
On Saturday, Shillong MP Vincent Pala would grace the concluding ceremony of the centenary celebrations.
