Special Correspondent
Pics by Dayananda Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Mar 1 : The Apostolic Carmel Sisters have played a dynamic role in the social change through education since its pioneering efforts that began in Mangalore way back in 1870. Even today, nearly after a century and half, they continue to inculcate value based education at various levels with the same zeal, dedication and passion through the various educational institutions they manage.

The recent addition to the existing group of institutions managed by the Apostolic Carmel Sisters, Karnataka Province, is Mount Carmel Central School (MCCS) in Bondel, Mangalore. With Mangalore witnessing a sharp rise in demand for CBSE syllabus the congregation decided to respond by establishing a new institution in 2008 offering CBSE syllabus. This paved the way for the setting up of MCCS in the suburbs of Mangalore in Maryhill.

This co-ed school had a humble beginning with only 136 students on roll starting from kindergarten to class V in 2008. Though the school was housed in a small building to start with, it did not deter parents from enrolling their children to the new school mainly because of the reputation and goodwill the congregation enjoys in the field of education. Today within a span of just 8 years, this institution located in the serene and picturesque milieu of Maryhill, on Airport road, Bondel, has metamorphosed into a full-scale centre of education offering value based quality education up to senior secondary level. With 1496 students on its roll in 2015-2016, the institution is now bustling with activities providing an idyllic atmosphere for the personal and academic growth of students.

Holistic education

The administrator of the school Sr. Carissima together with Principal Sr. Melissa are quite upbeat about the progress made by the school and they attribute it to the all-round academic environment provided to the students, the efforts of qualified and committed faculty, state-of the art infrastructure and the support and encouragement given by the management and parents. “Our primary concern is to provide holistic education and empower the youth of this country and to create a society filled with love and compassion”, Sr. Melissa pointed out. With the school motto “Higher and Nobler”, the school has created a conducive atmosphere for the students to excel and reach their goals by aiming for the highest.

She further adds: “Along with the desire to achieve greater heights we also inculcate noble qualities and values among the students throughout their academic association with us. It is these values which go a long way in creating good human beings and thereby a better society to live in”.

The school prides itself for its experienced, qualified, trained and enthusiastic faculty of 65 teaching and 15 non teaching staff who form the backbone of the institution. Their professionalism, experience, motivation, approach to teaching and maturity in dealing with students is an asset to the institution and is key to MCCS emerging as a reputed educational institution in Mangalore.

The initial two years were spent in great hardship as the school had to manage in a small building to start with. However, with the support of the management a new structure was built to cope with the increased flow of students and the new and spacious block was inaugurated in 2010. As a result, today the students of this school enjoy spacious and airy classrooms with smart boards in every classroom. In the same year the school acquired the long awaited valuation from CBSE and the affiliation up to secondary level was granted. Subsequently, the school was upgraded to Senior Secondary in 2013 providing Science and Commerce streams.

Unfortunately for the students and parents, though the demand for commerce is on the rise in the recent past, MCCS has been forced to discontinue the Commerce stream. 2016 will see the last batch of Commerce students because the CBSE syllabus of Commerce does not include core subjects like Basic Mathematics and Statistics and hence there are no takers for CBSE commerce for plus two.

With the objective of providing holistic approach to education MCCS gives priority to curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities to ensure academic excellence and personality development of their students. The academic excellence of the students can be gauged from the fact that all the four batches of class X in the last four years have secured 100% quality result. The first batch of class XII which passed out in 2015 has also secured 100% result. This exemplifies the quality of education imparted at MCCS and the institution is single-mindedly working to better its own academic achievements.

Wide Exposure

Academic excellence apart, the school has excelled in co-curricular activities and has won the ISA award for 2010-2013. The school had signed a partnership programme with the British Council in 2010 to work with a UK based Green Bank School, Rochdale, Manchester. As part of this partnership, there was a staff exchange programme between MCCS and Green Bank School in 2011. The school won the re-accreditation for ISA in 2014 for another three years.

Involving students in various projects is also another important co-curricular activity fostered at MCCS. The school also partnered with Microsoft India Limited through EZ Vidya to be part of the “Microsoft Create to Inspire School Programme”. As part of this activity, the students had collected e-waste of gadgets, gave petitions on social concerns to responsible authorities etc. They also enacted street plays on preserving water. These activities have enabled the students to get an idea about the problems we face and helped develop modern communication skills like problem solving, self direction management and conflict solving so as to prepare them well in advance for higher education.

To encourage interest in extra-curricular activities students are provided with plethora of fields to choose from. Depending on their inclination they can choose instrumental music, martial arts, arts and crafts, yoga, music bands, drawing, dance both folk and contemporary, communicative English and chess class. Skilled coaches are appointed to teach all these skills to students who opt for such activities. The school encourages sports and games a great deal and as a result a few students of the school have been able to excel in athletics and skating both in state and at national level brining laurels to the institution. The school boasts of a spacious playground with facilities to play games like basket ball, football, volleyball, throw ball and ball badminton.

Students of MCCS also have a choice to join any of the clubs at the school - such as science club, fine arts club, health and wellness club, eco club, literary club and young global citizens club depending on their interest and aptitude. These clubs would help the students expand their horizon and think creatively, critically and beyond the box. MCCS has some of the best infrastructure facilities such as well equipped laboratories, spacious and updated library, fully equipped audio visual hall, spacious multi-purpose auditorium with a seating capacity of 1200. The school also provides its own transport facility.

The Principal Sr. Melissa declares that the school has a regular rapport with the parents of the wards and they are kept informed about their grades and the progress they make. “We take into confidence the parents of the wards so that they are kept informed about the performance of their child and about other developments”, she asserts.

Secondary and Senior Secondary education is an important milestone in the life of a student. Realizing its importance MCCS has arranged coaching facility to its students to prepare them for CET, JEE and other competitive exams. It has tied up with Dakshina Kannada IIT Academy, for providing coaching to students of Class XI and XII on a regular basis.

With such accomplishments in a period of just 8 years, Mount Carmel Central School has certainly made its presence felt as an educational institution of great standing keeping in tune with the contributions of the Apostolic Carmelites in the field of education. Getting good education is considered to be the best gift anyone can have. Over the years, Dakshina Kannada district has become the most sought after educational destinations of the coastal region and educational institutions like MCCS who have gifted education to thousands have contributed their mite in their own way in making Mangalore an educational hub.

Contact:

Mount Carmel Central School
Maryhill, Konchady Post,
Mangalore – 575 008.
Karnataka, India.

91 824 221 4030
91 824 221 9030

Email:

office@mtcarmelcs.org

principal@mtcarmelcs.org