SHORT HISTORY

ST JOSEPH’S HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL PAVARATTY, THRISSUR, KERALA

A SHORT HISTORY OF ST.JOSEPH’S HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL, PAVARATTY,THRISSUR.

Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara founded C.M.I Congregation in the year1831 at Mannanam. Following the vision of Blessed Chavara the CMI fathers started a secondary school at Pavaratty, being the first one in the South Malabar area, under Madras Presidency. The C.M.I. Congregation has thirteen provinces all over India. This institution is under Devamatha Province , Thrissur.

The history of an institution is often the story of the impact of certain personalities on it.The institution had its origin not out of any desire for personal glory , but out of the genuine thought of serving God and His people.

It was this principle that produced in them the idea of starting a school almost simultaneously with the staring of the monastery by Rev. Fr. Varunny T.O.C.D ( C.M.I ) in the year 1890.The idea did not take real shape due to lack of funds until after fifteen years when Mr. Eddington I.C.S, Sub- Divisional Officer,Palghat,laid the foundation stone for the High School building on 18th May 1905. The person then at the helm of affairs was Rev. Fr.Celestine Kodankandath, a man of marvelous resourcefulness and dauntless courage.

The actual construction of the building started on 18thJuly,1905. The new school building was blessed on 2nd May 1906 and dedicated to St.Joseph,the Patron Saint. 5thMay, 1908 was a red - letter day in the annals of the institution , for , it was on that day that the government passed orders recognizing all the sections of the school through the untiring efforts and perseverence of Rev. Fr. Celestine.

On 21st February ,1912,the Director Public Instruction ,Madras visited the school and was highly pleased to see the arrangements made here to instruct the students . In 1913 Rev. Fr. Athanatius was appointed to take charge of the school.During this period the school became highly popular.He started a hostel for Hindu pupils in 1913. Rev. Fr. Athanatius went abroad to raise funds for the completion of the construction of the new school building.

The SILVER JUBILEE of the school was celebrated on a grand scale in December 1933. By 1940 plans were made to start a training section to cater the needs of the number of elementary schools near by and the sanction was obtained that year itself.Later the training sections were completely closed down in June 1949 and it was converted into LITTLE FLOWER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.In 1950,again the teachers’ training reappeared in the school in another form as the bifurcated course in the recognized scheme of the secondary education.The first batch of the teacher trainees of the bifurcated course of the new scheme appeared for the T.T.C. examination in March 1953.With the change of syllabus of the Kerala government this bifurcated course with the teaching practice as an optional ,was discontinued from June,1959.In1955 the institution got another old boy Rev. Fr. Alypius ,to guide its destinies . Under him the institution had a new birth along the lines of the modern child- centered education. He got the fortune to celebrate the GOLDEN JUBILEE OF THE INSTITUTION in the most colourful and splendid manner in the year 1960