Florine Roche
Daijiworld Media Network

Mangalore, Mar 11: With the commencement of CBSE curriculum from 2012-13 at St Gonzaga School, a new unit of St Aloysius College Institutions, this celebrated organization with a rich and unmatched legacy is going to open a new chapter in its 137 year long history.   This has come as wonderful news for many who have been waiting for quite long for St Aloysius to have CBSE curriculum so that their children could study CBSE in a reputed institution like St Aloysius. 

Admissions have already begun to classes 1 to 5 and will continue till May end, which is the usual time for admissions.   Recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff is also complete.  The school has appointed Grace Noronha, Ex Principal of   Lourdes Central School, as the Principal of Gonzaga School.   Grace Noronha has the veritable experience of 14 years as Principal with and    an impeccable track record to her credit.  “In Grace Noronha we have a Principal who has a proven track record spotless credentials which will be an asset to us”, says Rev Fr Elvis Lewis, administrator of St Aloysius PU College. 

Grace Noronha

Catering to Changed Needs
 
The school has been named after St Aloysius Gonzaga, the patron of St Aloysius institutions and will function from St Aloysius Pre-University College Campus, K S Rao Road.  A new ultra modern multi-storied new school building is under construction in P U College campus and would be ready for occupation only from the next academic year. For the time being the school will operate from the modified hostel block of the college, which is near the new school building under construction. 

Rev Fr Elvis Lewis speaking to daijiworld.com says starting CBSE curriculum is a long awaited dream of St Aloysius institutions which is fructified with the establishement of Gonzaga School.  “We had thought of starting CBSE almost 40 years ago when no else had given a thought to it.  A few decades ago CBSE was meant for the elite community. Naturally many Jesuits felt their foremost concern should be to the poorer sections of the society which prevented them from pursuing their CBSE dream.  But the situation is not the same any more”, Fr Elvis said.

These days all parents want to give the best of education to their children and send them for English medium schools of repute.  The recent decision of the state government  to close 1200 schools due to lack of students is a grim pointer to the  fact that even the poorest want to provide good education to their students.  The management of Aloysius institutions felt it was the opportune time to provide affordable quality education to our children that paved the way for the establishment of Gonzaga School, said Fr Elvis Lewis in response to what prompted the management to opt for CBSE curriculum. 

Quality Education

He further adds “we have a rich tradition of 137 years of service, experience and expertise which we want to give to the Catholic community of Mangalore by providing them quality and affordable education”.   That is why the management has kept the school fee at Rs. 25,000/- per year even when other CBSE schools have been charging a much higher fee.   “We don’t charge donations or any other kind of fees from the students.  Our intent is to give qualitative education to the public of Mangalore”, declares Fr Elvis.   To achieve this intake of students per class is limited to 24 or 26 so that the teachers are able to provide individual and concentrated attention to every student. 

The management wants to make it a full-pledged school in a phased manner within the next 5 years.  Principal of the school Grace Noronha says that they have already completed the recruitment of qualified and experienced teaching and non-teaching staff required for the school.  “Our focus will be to both academics and extracurricular activities aimed at the all-round personality development our students.  Emphasis will be on research and application of skills which would help children to develop reasoning ability and analytical capacity, which finally would enable them become productive citizens of the country”, Grace Noronha pointed out.   She also stated that CBSE curriculum would provide a sturdy foundation for the students from the primary level itself to become better citizens of tomorrow.  Grace also pointed out that the school would provide concentrated efforts aimed at the total excellence of students. 

Gonzaga School with CBSE comes at a time when the state government is all set to introduce CBSE from class 5th, 8th and 11th from the coming academic year   so as to bring about uniformity in the curriculum and provide CBSE advantage to state schools.  But mere change of text books with no changes in infrastructure or lack of training to the teaching faculty, it is not going to make any impressionable difference in the quality of education. 

Gonzaga schools is sure to cater to all those who want to provide the best of the rich tradition of Aloysius institutions and quality CBSE curriculum at an affordable cost. 
 
For more information contact: 

Phone: 0824-6450434, 9480249935, 0824-2449716 / 17
Email-  principalsacgs12@gmail.com