LOYOLA HIGH SCHOOL, Mt. St. Joseph, Bannerghatta Road
Inception and Expansion
BANGALORE JESUIT EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY runs many educational institutions. Loyola High School is one of them. The birth of LOYOLA SCHOOL in 1982 (at Mount Saint Joseph, Kalena Agrahara village) was a result of BJES’ policy of option for the poor. This is the first fully Kannada Medium School run by the BJES in a rural area. It had a humble beginning. It was started in a shed near Kalena Agrahara – to serve the need of so many villages in this vast area just outside the city in Bangalore South where there was no high school in a radius of more than 10 kms. There wasn't a necessity of starting a Primary School because there were already 03 Higher Primary schools in neighbouring villages.
Fr Alexis Menezes, the then Rector of Mt. St. Joseph, has left behind a manuscript in which he writes thus “The decision to open the School was taken at the Province Sammelan of May 1982. The permission to open a High School at Mount Saint Joseph was announced by the Govt in its gazette notification of July 7, 1982. In the application, the name of the school was proposed as Mount Saint Joseph High School, but soon after the school started, it was realised that for the students as well as the people of the area MSJ was a mouthful, too difficult to utter. A proposal was therefore made to the Department to change the name to Loyola high school. The proposal was approved and hence all documents pertaining to the school are under this name...... The 17 students who were admitted were....pulled out from their homes to have a sizable group to start with........The school began functioning from July 12, 1983..... besides special fee no other fees were charged”)
EXPANSION
Kannada medium Primary School: Since serving the poor was the priority, the school did not even think of introducing uniform to children. The poor deserve the best- so a beautiful building was constructed for the school in 1984. Soon the Jesuits discovered that the really poor did not come to our High School because they were not in a position to complete even the Primary School. Even from our own village of Kalena Agrahara very few reached the high school stage because quality education was not imparted in existing Primary schools around. Hence the Jesuits felt the need to start their own Kannada Medium Primary school. Accordingly, the Primary School was started in 1989. Got permission from the department for Kannada medium Highschool in 1982. Brought under Grant - In - Aid in 1989. There are 6 class rooms in Kannada medium High School 8A, B, 9A, B, 10A, B. All except 10B are under grant - in- aid. Though 10B was a natural growth then, till date it doesn't have even the permission. Hence for the govt purpose 10th std has only one section. Till date there has been a heavy rush for admissions for both the mediums. Only the poorest (urban poor, middle class and lower middle class) seek admission here. Because they are poor, as a policy we don't charge much fees. So far BJES is generously giving partial subsidy every year.
- English Medium School: English Medium unaided 1st to 5th std: started in 2022.
- Primary School: 6th and 7th Std: Started in 2012, 2013 respectively.
- English medium High school: 8th, 9th & 10th std started in 2014, 2015, 2016 respectively.
- PU College: Stated in 2008
- Degree College: Stated in 2017
Presently, all the above units except Kannada medium Primary school, are functioning in one building, under one roof.
Managers of the School
- Rev. Fr. A P Menezes SJ (1982-1988)
- Rev. Fr Ronald Prabhu SJ (1988-1992)
- Rev. Fr. Robert Cutinho SJ (1992-1993)
- Rev. Fr. Anand Prabhu SJ (1993-2000)
- Rev. Fr. Maxim Rasquinha SJ (2000-2001)
- Rev. Fr. Fredrick D'Silva SJ (2001-2002)
- Rev. Fr. Terrence Farias SJ (2002-2004)
- Rev. Fr. Mohan SJ (2004-2006)
- Rev. Fr. John D'souza SJ (2006-2008)
- Rev. Fr. Henry Saldanha SJ (2008-2017)
- Rev. Fr. Edward Rodrigues SJ (2017-2024)
- Rev. Fr.
Headmasters of the School
- Rev. Sr. Jone of Arc (1982-1983)
- Rev. Sr. Mary Celina SSpS (1983-1998)
- Rev. Sr. Therasa Rebello SSpS (1998-2008)
- Rev Fr. Henry Saldanha S J (2008-2017)
- Rev. Fr. Edward Rodrigues S J (2017- 2024)
- Rev. Fr. Gerald Furtado SJ (2024-)
Message from the Provincial on Ruby Jubilee
Loyola High School, Bengaluru is in the 40th year of its existence and celebrating its Ruby Jubilee. A Jubilee is a celebration of not just a promise but also fulfilment, not only a sense of achievement and success, but the celebration of competence, compassion, creativity and commitment. Our stalwarts, Fr Julian Fernandes, the then Provincial and Late Fr Alexis Menezes, the then Rector, planted a small sapling of a High School on this Holy Ground in the year 1982 and it has now blossomed into a huge tree bearing a rich variety of fruits. It was a mission of mercy, a carriage of compassion, to reach out to the urban poor such as the children of agricultural labourers, quarry workers, weavers, garment industry workers, hotel waiters, maids, painters, coolies, garage workers and auto drivers who were pushed to the margins because of their poor economic and social situations.
As a mother cares for her child, this school has nurtured the lives of scores of students helping them to move forward as responsible persons in society. What delights me in the Management, Principal and teachers of Loyola High School is their unceasing enthusiasm, their love for those students from the periphery of society. What inspires me is the motivation of the students coming to the school with a dream on the horizon and becoming men and women for others. A Jubilee is a time to remember and be grateful to God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us over the years. It is also a time to recall and cherish the fond memories as we journey through the corridors of its past. It is a time to remind ourselves that God is in-charge and we are his instruments of love and service. As we celebrate the Ruby Jubilee of Loyola High School, let’s look back and assess what has been accomplished and see the signs of the times and see what more can be done for the urban poor in the area. I wish the Management, Principal, staff and students every success.
