Preparatory Schools

Ladyhill Preparatory School, Urwa, Mangaluru

In 1885, Mother Marie des Anges the First Superior General of the Apostolic Carmel, with her far sighted vision, complied with the earnest petition of the Hindus of Mangalore to open a school for their daughters.

This school was first known as St. Ann’s Kanarese School and was, from the start, conducted by the sisters and was open to all, with no distinction of class, caste or creed. Shortly afterwards a more suitable site was secured in Dongerkerry, where a new building was constructed. This school opened with 38 pupils on roll. In 1887, the year of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the school moved to its new building and was renamed Victoria Girls’ School. In 1889, it received Government recognition as a middle school.

Within a decade, the population in the area grew so dense, that sanitary conditions were not conducive to run a school in that locality. In 1920 Mother Aloysia, the second Superior General utilized the site purchased at Urwa, for the construction of a spacious building.

When an increase number of girls sought admission to the school each successive year it became evident that larger facilities were necessary. In the year 1959 once again pressure mounted from the society for a school with English as the medium of instruction. Complying with the request of the parents, a nursery section only with UKG was started in the year 1960 by Sister M. Hope, in a small hall with a small room attached to it as the office room, and class I was started in the year 1961.

Seeing the true need to begin the LKG classes and also due to the increase in number the Management felt the need to start double sections and for this a portion of the old convent parlour and the old chapel were converted into 2 classrooms and a small hall.(Old school building Photo). A lot of inconveniences were faced in this old building due to the leakage in the roof during rainy season; there were no proper toilet facilities, no sufficient light and fresh air which led to have a separate K.G. Block to provide better facilities for the children.

The land on the hill top next to Ladyhill English Primary School was the only suitable place for it. So this was to be the Golden Jubilee Memorial and the foundation stone was blessed by Rev. Fr. Peter Cyprian D’Souza OFM. Cap. who was the then Superior of St. Ann’s Friary, Bejai, and the stone was laid by Sister M. Linette A.C. the then Provincial Superior on July 31, 2015. This building was fully supervised by our Superior Sister Celine Vera A.C. and was completed in a year under her guidance. It was blessed by Rev. Fr. Stany Pereira, Parish Priest Immaculate Conception Church, Urwa and was inaugurated by Sister Carmel Rita A.C. Provincial Superior on October 22, 2016.

We shifted to this spacious new building in December 2016. (New building photo) We are now on the top of the hill enjoying the fresh air and greenery and plenty of space to roam around. We have provided better facilities in this new building and everyone is happy including the staff, students and parents.

We thank all those who have toiled hard and the fruit of their labour of love is being savoured by us. May God bless all of them.

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