The Temple of Learning
ST.XAVIER’S SCHOOL, SAHIBGANJ started functioning on 21st January 1957 with Fr.Roland Ghirlandoo, S.J., as the First Principal.
A small school bus was bought from Calcutta and it arrived on 15th June 1957. The first year ended with over 70 children on the school rolls.
On 10th February 1958, under the supervision of Br.F.X.Sant, S.J., the foundations were laid for the School Hall which would also serve as classrooms. Three days later the Municipality accorded the permission to start the new SchoolBuilding. In April 1958, an Ampro 16mm Projector was bought.
In May, 1958, Fr.John Scicluna, S.J. took over as the second Principal of the school.
When the school re-opened for the third session in 1959, two new teachers were appointed: Mr.P.C.Chowdhary and Mr.S.C.Dey, who served the school till their retirement. After the Puja holidays in 1959, under the direction of Fr.Anthony Scicluna, S.J., work on the present School Building was started by Br.F.X.Sant, S.J. The school was completed in record time and in 1962 the classrooms were shifted from the bungalows to the new premises.
The advertisement for admission were discontinued in 1972 when there were more applicants than the school could cope with. In the meantime, under the direction of Br.J.M.Bonello, S.J., the Science Wing of the School was started and also the building of the Staff Quarters.
The Daughters of the Sacred Heart from Jhansi arrived in January, 1966, to teach and help in the Hostel. Br.Bonello started the foundations for the Hostel Wing in March 1966. This was completed in 1967 and the Hostel boys moved into it when the new session started in January 1968.
Till 1966 classes were only up to Class VIII. At the end of 1966, after the School was affiliated to the Council for Indian School Certificated Board, the Principal, Fr.R.Ghirlandoo, S.J., decided to continue with Class IX and the first batch of 9 boys appeared for Indian School Certificate Examination in 1969. Eight of them passed in First Division and one in Second Division.
Construction work for the Father’s Quarters was taken in hand in April 1968.
Initially the entrance to the School was near the Teacher’s Quarters along the avenue. This entrance was closed in 1971 and a new one opened just opposite the school, where it is today.
The new Principal, Fr.E.Stellini, S.J., who had taken over from Fr.R.Ghirlandoo, felt the need to build a Primary Section for the School. .Under the supervision of Br.J.M.Bonello, S.J., work started and on 15th April 1972,
Till 1966 classes were only up to Class VIII. At the end of 1966, after the School was affiliated to the Council for Indian School Certificated Board, the Principal, Fr.R.Ghirlandoo, S.J., decided to continue with Class IX and the first batch of 9 boys appeared for Indian School Certificate Examination in 1969. Eight of them passed in First Division and one in Second Division.
laid the first brick of the Primary Section. It was ready for use in January, 1974.
The School Hall, which was expanded in 1970, had become too small for the increasing number of children. In January 1980, due to the initaiative of the new Principal, Fr.A.Gatt, S.J., and under the supervision of Fr.L.Caruana, S.J., the foundation was laid for a new block: the basement would accommodate the common rooms for the boys, on the first floor there would be the science laboratories and the school library, and above these the new School Hall.
Till 1982, the school session always started in January but from 1983 the session was changed to run from June to April.
In 1975, an Out-door charitable Dispensary was built for the daily benefit of sick persons from the locality.
