Vocational / Community Colleges

Vocational Training Centre, Mangaluru

The year 1970 was a landmark in the history of the Apostolic Carmel. It was the centenary of the establishment of the Apostolic Carmel Congregation in India.  When the Congregation celebrated with great joy and jubilation the centenary of its ministry in the field of education in India, Mother M. Theodosia, the then Superior General and Sister Fidelis, the Secretary, Apostolic Carmel Educational Society of Karnataka found a void in the scheme of education – the education of the Mentally Challenged Children.  So, it was decided to start a school for these children, as a Centenary Memorial of the Apostolic Carmel.

The school began with five children under the efficient leadership of Sister Maria Jyothi as the service project of the Psychology Department of St. Agnes College, on St. Agnes Convent premises in “The Rest” a cosy house on 4th August, 1970.  It was the first school for the Mentally Challenged Children in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District.  The motto chosen for the school was “IN LOVE WE GROW”.  It helped in drawing out the children with special needs from cold isolation and neglect, to the warmer atmosphere of love and understanding and provided them with the training necessary for their growth and development.
 
The school building was shifted to its new building in the year 1973 and in 1977 the school was officially separated from St. Agnes College and became an independent unit of St. Agnes Convent.  The St. Agnes College service project was renamed as St. Agnes Special School.  At present there are 200 children studying under the school section till they are 18 years of age. Those who are not able to go to the regular school and the dropouts from schools are given opportunity to study through the National Institute of Open Schooling and Karnataka Open School, Bangalore, secondary and senior secondary courses.

To help the adult mentally and physically challenged persons to earn while they learn and to prepare them for their future employment, a Vocational Training Centre was constructed on 1st June 1990. The mentally challenged adults are taught vocational skills like book binding, carpentry, chalk making, drawing, painting, stitching, flower making and other crafts; while some earn and others spend their time usefully contributing their best in the production unit of St. Agnes Vocational Training Centre.

Principals: