In India, a new Marist school has opened in the rural village of Vizhalanmedu thanks to the generous support received from Marist schools in Australia, especially St Patrick’s Marist College in western Sydney.
The new Marist Nursery and Primary School opened its doors at the start of the new school year in mid-2015 and caters for 70 young people.
Previously, the very under-privileged young children of Vizhalanmedu would have to travel long distances at great expense on dangerous roads to access a so-called matriculation school to give them an opportunity to enrol in higher education. In India, a matriculation school is one where the teaching language is English.
Plans for the new school have been developed by the Marist Brothers working in India, in consultation with the local community.
The community expressed their desire to provide students with quality education in a suitable learning environment.
Marist Solidarity in Australia has funded the construction costs of the school building’s ground floor, which includes five classrooms, a library, staff room and school office.
Our partners in India, including the Province of South Asia, have funded the project’s second stage on the first floor, which has six classrooms and an audio-visual room. The first floor will be ready for the new school year in June and will double the school’s current enrolments.
Two Indian Marist Brothers are among the teaching staff working full-time in the school.
Marist Brothers in South Asia Provincial Brother Shanthi Liyanage visited the new school last December and says he was pleased to see how much progress the students and staff had made “in such a short period since the school began.”
He says that members of staff, students, the Brothers at the school and others in the sector are very grateful for “the timely help and generosity of heart” received from Marist Solidarity, its donors and Australian visitors to the school.
“I am confident that the Brothers do a great service to the children who attend the Marist school,” says Brother Shanthi.
“They have provided the necessary facilities to impart quality education.”