St. Peter's High School, Pakistan

St. Peter’s High School
Location
Mubarkabad Colony
Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, Pakistan
Information
Type High school
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic
Established 1967
Founder Fr. Bonnie Mendes
Administration Catholic Board of Education
Principal Mr. Akbar
Affiliations Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad

St. Peter’s High School was founded in July 1967 in Toba Tek Singh in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad, Pakistan. The Bishop endorsed the request of the community to found a Catholic School, and with community participation a primary school was begun in Christian Colony, Toba Tek Singh.[1]

The school was started in a small old chapel. Fr. Bonnie Mendes and some other diocesan educational staff inaugurated the school. Diocesan priests from the Gojra parish ran the school as there was no parish house in Toba Tek Singh. In 1982 a new parish was established called the Immaculate Conception Parish, Toba Tek Singh. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) took over the responsibility of the new parish and constructed a building.

When OMI priests moved on to other parishes Fr. Bonnie Mendes was transferred from Sacred Heart Parish, Jhang to Immaculate Conception Parish, Toba Tek Singh.

Fr. Mendes was alarmed at the drop-out rate of Christian students after they completed their primary education. Only about 15% graduated from High School. The community up-graded the school from Primary to Secondary level, and, in 1994, the first batch of St. Peter’s students appeared in the Secondary School certificate exams.

Misereor, a German organization, donated funds to build the first floor of the new High School building with six classrooms, principal’s office, staff room, store room, and a toilet block. Added to this were playgrounds, a science laboratory, library, and classrooms. The the new High School building opened at Mubarkabad Colony, Toba Tek Singh in September 1999.

In 2000-2001 two rooms were built on the first floor and in 2004 a large hall was added. Three classrooms and a toilet block were constructed in January 2006 under a government/community participation scheme.

From 2002-2005 the staff and faculty at St. Peter’s enhanced their professional skills through distance learning programs and skill-based classes.[2]

Mrs. Bimbla Rustam joined St. Peter's in 1970 and served as Principal till 1988. Mr. Yaqub Hameed joined St. Peter's in 1988 as Principal and continued until 2002. In 2002, Mr. Ashfaq Fateh was promoted to Principal.[3]

References

  1. ^ "AsiaNews.it 15 June 2006". http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=6711. 
  2. ^ "St. Peter’s High School". http://www.saint-mike.org/bloggers/stpeters/aboutus.asp. 
  3. ^ "Let World Peace Become a Reality". http://indiapakistanpeace.org/reports_2007.html.