St Mary's Convent High School (Hyderabad)

Infobox School Pakistan
name = St Mary's Convent High School

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size = 180px
latitude =
longitude =
dms =
motto =
motto_pl =
established = 1920s–1930s
approx =
closed =
c_approx =
type = High school
religion = Roman Catholic
Church of Pakistan
president =
head_label = Principal
head = Sr Catherine Gill
r_head_label =
r_head =
chair_label = Administration
chair = Catholic Board of Education
founder = Archilles Meersman
founder_pl =
specialist =
street = Foujdari Road, Saddar
city = Hyderabad
county = Sindh
country = Pakistan
postcode = 71000
LEA = Catholic Board of Education
Hyderabad Board of Education
ofsted =
staff = 170
enrollment = 240 (approx.) per year
gender = Girls
lower_age = 4
upper_age = 16
houses = 4 houses
color box|#008000 Unity
color box|#00CCFF Faith
color box|#FF7F2A Discipline
color box|#D40000 Truth
colours = Green and White color box|#5FD35F color box|#FFF
publication =
free_label_1 = Affiliations
free_1 = St Bonaventure's High School
free_label_2 = Area
free_2 = convert|51728|sqft|m2|abbr=on
free_label_3 =
free_3 =
website =
website_name =

St Mary's Convent High School (alternatively St Mary's Convent Girl's High School) is a school located on Foujdari Road in Hyderabad in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It was founded as a part of St Bonaventure's High School specifically aimed at the educational needs of girls in the city. The convent is run by resident nuns of the Catholic diocese of Hyderabad, part of the Diocese of Hyderabad, Church of Pakistan.

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History

: "For a history of the parent school, see History of St Bonaventure's High School"During 1920s and early 1930s the missionary establishments in southern Indian subcontinent laid foundations for a school in Hyderabad directly run under the church to provide education on the local people and impart religious teachings.cite web
url=http://www.webjournal.unior.it/Dati/19/72/Web%20Journal%203,%20Hyderabad.pdf
title=The Vanishing Glory of Hyderabad (Sindh, Pakistan)
publisher=Unior.it
accessdate=2008-05-25] At the time the school was established, there were about 50 schools for boys and 6 for girls.cite web
url=http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V13_327.gif
title=Hyderābād City - Imperial Gazetteer of India v. 13, p. 321
publisher=Imperial Gazetteer of India
accessdate=2008-05-26] A parish priest named Archilles Meersman, principal of Saint Patrick's High School, Karachi,cite book
url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/2054372?seq=2
title=The Journal of Asian Studies
first=Katharine Smith
last=Diehl
date=August 1978
pages=pp.699-711
chapter=Review: Catholic Religious Orders in South Asia (1500-1835)
publisher=Association for Asian Studies
accessdate=2008-05-25] revived the state of the school in the years of the partition and introduced better curricula, revised under the Catholic Board of Education. This new school was named St Bonaventure's High School after the Rt Rev [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bpaulbp.html Bonaventure Patrick Paul] , former bishop of Hyderabad.cite web
url=http://www.goacom.com/village/colvale/
title=Colvale: Village with a view
publisher=Goacom
accessdate=2008-05-25]

Once Pakistan acquired independence, it was clear that the nation would be an Islamic sovereign state, so a need arose for the separation of gender-based classification of the coeducational school. The new wing founded for girls was named St Mary's Convent High School after Mary, the mother of Christ.

The Catholic Board of Education took charge of the development and running of the school and erected a church in the memory of Saint Francis Xavier for his services in central Asia and India. The church and the school buildings are regarded as cultural heritage monuments in Hyderabad.cite web
url=http://hyderabad.gov.pk/hydweb/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=9&limit=1&limitstart=1
title=List of old historical building
publisher=Hyderabad District Government
accessdate=2008-05-25]

Running under the Christian administration, the schools imparted very high standards of education to upper and middle class students until 1972, when these were nationalised and taken over by the socialist government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. They lost their quality and charm as the government administration failed to deliver quality education through these schools. It was not until 1992 that with the change of government the schools were denationalised and the rightful ownership was returned to the Catholic diocese. Most Christian institutions in other parts of the nation were denationalised later on in June 2001.cite web
url=http://www.mail-archive.com/[e-mail]/msg02415.html
title=News from Pakistani missionary schools
publisher=Goanet USENET forum
accessdate=2008-05-25] Privatized again in 1990s, the schools could not retain the quality levels they once imparted towards education before the nationalization and have not recovered yet.

Organisation

Administration

The school is administered by the Catholic diocese, part of the Diocese of Hyderabad that comes under the Church of Pakistan. The day-to-day affairs and the running of the school is headed by the principal (currently Sr Catherine Gill) while the administrative posts are usually overseen by lay members of the Church.

Teaching and Facilities

The campus consists of three buildings with two paved playgrounds. It has biology, chemistry, physics laboratories and computer science teaching rooms which are all well furnished. The school provides for the needs of the of students from the religious minorities and has separate classes for non-Muslims and Muslims in order to equip them with knowledge of their respective religions. However, prior to the Islamisation of the country (during the term of Zia-ul-Haq), Christianity was taught as a compulsory subject.

The teaching standards accepted a blow during its nationalisation but acquired another setback when Islamic reforms were introduced in December 1982.cite book
title=Pakistan at the Crosscurrent of History
first=Lawrence
last=Ziring
publisher=Oneworld Oxford
isbn=1-85168-327-5
page=p.171
accessdate=2008-05-26] The Christian administration was unsure how to go ahead with the new teaching curriculum but gathered teachers who could provide religious studies like Islamiyat. The school is an English-medium school, but had to incorporate teachings in both English and Urdu so that students from all walks of life are able to obtain education.

tudent body

The school caters students ranging from nursery up to the 10th grade, with each grade having three sections (A, B, and C). While the students are initially given places in the sections, they are further divided into four different houses namely Unity, Faith, Discipline and Truth after the pillars of Quaid-e-Azam. The house classification is mainly for sporting activities that include netball, table tennis, volleyball and athletics, and other extracurricular activities such as elocution, singing and debate competitions. Twelve office bearers are allocated every year from year ten who assist the principal and teachers in maintaining the day to day discipline of the school. These include a president and vice president who represent as spokespersons of the student body as a whole and are assisted by the other ten office bearers. The remaining office bearers serve as presidents and vice presidents of the four houses, with two serving as president and vice president of sports. Each house also assigns 45 prefects based on academic and sporting excellence, who help maintain order in the school.

tudent life

The school has affiliations with the Pakistan Girl Guides Association and enrols students to become girl guides who would indulge in activities like first aid trainings and organising rallies. Girl guides are awarded with honorary shields for valour at the end of their school terms.

The curricula includes sciences, mathematics, English, Urdu, Sindhi, religious education,social studies of Pakistan, computer sciences, physical training, home economics and arts as compulsory subjects till year eight. In years nine and ten, preference is given to science subject, where as arts and humanities options are not available to students who may wish to opt for them. Non-Muslim Students are given the option to either take ethics and civics, whereas Muslim students are chosen for Islamic studies classes by default.

Recreational activities include dramatics and music. The school does not have a dramatics club, however students take part in many plays organised by various teachers. The performances take place on either of the two stages on the school campus, one of which is indoors and the other outdoors. The school also has a marching band, which plays daily at the assembly and takes part in various competitions on a district and national level.

Two annual awards functions take place usually in January to award students and recognise them for achievements in academics and sports.

Recognition

Notable Alumni

* Fehmida Mirza

Citations