St Francis Grammar School
For the school of the same name in Hartlepool, England, see St Francis RC Grammar School.
| St. Francis' Grammar School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
Zarghoon Road Quetta, Baluchistan Pakistan | |
| Information | |
| Type | High school |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1946 |
| Administration | Catholic Board of Education |
| Principal | Sylvia Nathaniel |
| Affiliations | Roman Catholic Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta |
St. Francis' Grammar School is one of the oldest schools of Baluchistan, Pakistan. It was founded by Msgr. Salesius Lemmens OFM, Apostolic Prefect of Sind and Baluchistan.[1] It belongs to the Roman Catholic Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta and was established in 1946 to provide education to the elite of Baluchistan and Sindh. The children of army officers from the Army Staff College Quetta also attended the school. The school has playgrounds, hostel facilities and a children's library. Former teachers include Mr. Allahyar Malik, Ms. Kaneez Fatima, Ms. Khushnud Akhter, Mrs Hadees Zaidi, Mrs. Rouf, Mrs. Callaghan, Mr. Quader, Mr. Butt, Mr. Qadir, Mr. Choudhry Ata Mohammad, Ms. Gul Walters, Mr. Behram, Mr. Khizr Hayat, Flt. Lt. H J Cardeaux (RAF Malta), Fr. J. B. Todd, Cardinal Joseph Cordeiro and Archbishop Armando Trindade.[2]
From 1937-1939 the school had the distinction of having as Assistant Principal Fr. Liberius Pieterse, who translated the Bible into Urdu.
The school is situated on the Zarghoon Road of Quetta (formerly Lytton Road). Due to its good reputation, admission to the school is highly sought by people of Quetta and other parts of Pakistan.
The school received a grant of 1 million rupees (US$40,000) in August 1992 from a former student, now education minister of Baluchistan province, Jaffar Khan Mandokhael.[3]
On April 29, 1998, gunmen allegedly hired by a local politician abducted Clarence Kandawela, principal of St Francis School, and two Christian staff members.[4]
On October 31, 2003, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali told an estimated 6,000 Catholics at St. Joseph’s Church, Lahore, that he appreciated the work of the Catholic Church. He recalled attending St Francis Grammar School more than 50 years ago.[5]
In 2011 the Principal was Sylvia Nathaniel. Currently the school head is Sir Younus Barkat.
Alumni
- Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, former Prime Minister of Pakistan[5]
- Major General Shakil Ahmed, Bangladesh Rifles[6]
- Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Pakistani diplomat;
- Muzaffar Hussain Shah, former Chief Minister of Sind and Speaker of Sind Assembly;
- Jaffar Khan Mandokhael, former education minister of Baluchistan[3]
References
- ↑ "Msgr. S. Lemmens, OFM" New Venlo Courant, May 1, 1942
- ↑ "UCANews.com August 1, 2000".
- 1 2 "UCANews.com October 13, 1992".
- ↑ "UCANews.com May 7, 1998".
- 1 2 "UCANews.com November 7, 2003".
- ↑ "thedailystar.net 6 March 2009".
External links
- School photograph by Dr Irfan Ahmed Khan, student (1961-1969)
