സെന്റ് മൈക്കിൾസ് എച്ച്. എസ്. എസ് വെസ്റ്റ്ഹിൽ/എന്റെ ഗ്രാമം

'St Michael’s Girls’ High School, West Hill, Kozhikode, Kerala (Estd: 1927)'

One could imagine the educational bankruptcy in Malabar Coast during the colonial period. St Michael’s began as a lower primary school, started by Fr Banfi SJ in 1927 to give education to the children of the locality who were very poor. The Bethany Sisters under the leadership of Mgr R.F.C. Mascarenhas landed in Calicut at the invitation of Fr Sebastian Noronha, the parish priest. Sr Dulcis was the first headmistress, followed by Srs Adeline, Bibiana, Beatrice and Celia who made the tracks straight for further development of St Michael’s.

There was a steady and rapid growth, as the School was upgraded to high school in 1966 with Sr Remegia as the headmistress. It developed further under the able guidance of Srs Bernice and Theresild. Sr Vinaya who assumed the charge of the School in 1998 strives to live up to the vision of the Founder.

The target group is the poor and the other underprivileged of the area. As the years rolled by, the name and fame of St Michael’s Girls’ High School reached far and wide. Consequently pressure for admissions mounted. Currently the strength is 2875 students and 75 teachers. At the time of admissions, preference is given to the poor and the neglected, especially the fishing community. They are helped with free uniforms, mid-day meals and fee concessions.

The students have bagged prizes at the national level in basketball, hockey and shuttle badminton. Aparna Balan of Std VIII secured second position in badminton (under 13 years) at the national level. Noreen Shanet John, an ex-student, has become the first woman officer in the Indian Army. The school has N.C.C., Girl Guides and Junior Red Cross units in addition to a house system and Literary Association. The students have joined the Government saving scheme, called ‘Sanchyika’. They have won the first prize in the State for the past eleven years for the highest collection. They also excel in the State Youth Festival Competitions.

The PTA is very active and co-operative in all the activities of the School. Up to now 32 batches have answered SSLC examination obtaining remarkable results and state-level ranks. In this Golden Jubilee year the result was praiseworthy – 99.3% and Aiswarya B securing the tenth rank in the State. Besides academics, we instil in the students, a sense of social justice and social awareness and raise funds to help the less fortunate, to construct houses and meet the expenses of higher studies. We are happy that our students testify to the quality of education we impart. They are praised and appreciated for refined and benevolent behaviour especially by the principals of colleges. Many of our alumni are placed in high positions in society.

It gives us joy and pleasure to recount the marvellous services done by Bethany in this part of Malabar Coast through the bountiful blessings of God. Thus the light lit by our Founder in 1938 has illuminated the dark recesses of Calicut. In profound gratitude to God we continue to spread the values of the kingdom in line with Bethany charism.