St. Mary’s Educational Society was registered as a non-profit organization in 1997, and subsequently established Mary’s Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Tindivanam, Tamil Nadu with the revolutionary motto: “Every child deserves an education, regardless of their social status, religion, caste or color.”
THE HISTORY
The St. Mary’s Educational Society was founded by the late Mr. Thomas Bunyan in 1972. At a time when very few schools existed in the town, he was moved with compassion at the plight of the poor and down-trodden children of the nearby slums who lacked even a basic education. So he threw himself tirelessly into mobilizing the resources needed to start an institution for the care & education of these needy children, irrespective of religion, caste, and creed. He constructed thatched sheds and started an English-Medium Kindergarten school of only fifteen students.
In his next steps, Mr. Bunyan constructed concrete school buildings and began developmental planning for the expansion of the school, hoping to be able to effect a larger group of local children. A section of deserving poor students was offered free education, and many dedicated members and volunteers came forward and offered their skills to help the institution in its mission to uplift the rural children. And, thus, the school slowly developed into a Primary, High school and Higher Secondary school.
TODAY
42 years later, Mary's Matriculation has remained in the family and is now headed by Mrs. Sharmila Anand and Mr. STB Anand. The school's primary focus is still to provide education to the poor children and adolescents of the city and surrounding villages. At present there are approximately 900 students attending the school; out of those Mary’s provides free education to 55 of the them, and 30 percent have defaults on their payments. Because Mary’s NGO receives no monetary assistance from the government, it becomes difficult to pay back loans from land purchase, compensate our staff, and provide basic amenities and maintenance to the school.
THE HISTORY
The St. Mary’s Educational Society was founded by the late Mr. Thomas Bunyan in 1972. At a time when very few schools existed in the town, he was moved with compassion at the plight of the poor and down-trodden children of the nearby slums who lacked even a basic education. So he threw himself tirelessly into mobilizing the resources needed to start an institution for the care & education of these needy children, irrespective of religion, caste, and creed. He constructed thatched sheds and started an English-Medium Kindergarten school of only fifteen students.
In his next steps, Mr. Bunyan constructed concrete school buildings and began developmental planning for the expansion of the school, hoping to be able to effect a larger group of local children. A section of deserving poor students was offered free education, and many dedicated members and volunteers came forward and offered their skills to help the institution in its mission to uplift the rural children. And, thus, the school slowly developed into a Primary, High school and Higher Secondary school.
TODAY
42 years later, Mary's Matriculation has remained in the family and is now headed by Mrs. Sharmila Anand and Mr. STB Anand. The school's primary focus is still to provide education to the poor children and adolescents of the city and surrounding villages. At present there are approximately 900 students attending the school; out of those Mary’s provides free education to 55 of the them, and 30 percent have defaults on their payments. Because Mary’s NGO receives no monetary assistance from the government, it becomes difficult to pay back loans from land purchase, compensate our staff, and provide basic amenities and maintenance to the school.
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Our hope is that St. Mary’s may be an oasis for those children and their parents who have lost hope in ever achieving anything more than simply surviving. At the completion of the 2013-14 school year, of the 65 students who graduated, 55 went on to attend universities. By providing our students a solid educational background, they may proceed into their futures to obtain the further education and reliable jobs that were previously unreachable.
Our school's focus, which we hope to strengthen in the coming years, is a thorough education of the English language. English is invaluable to our students, as it is the language of higher education and the ever-developing business world. Please consider assisting us in our mission. By volunteering or donating to Mary's Matriculation you will be giving a chance to children who have been dealt so few. |
