Carmel Convent, Bokaro Thermal

Lack of educational facilities was greatly felt for the daughters of those working in the coal mines and the Fuel Research Institute, Digwadih and so the Directors of FRI did all they could to start a school in the area. With the help of the Jesuit Fathers Jacques and Sharp they approached the Superior of St. Joseph’s, Convent, Hazaribag. Sister Clarissa in turn got the consent of the Superior General, Mother Sylvia, to start a school for the girls of the area.

The school was started on 7 Jan. 1955, in a small house called ‘The Bungalow’, with just 4 sisters, with Sister Violette the Superior. The existing school in the colony, with classes from I to V, managed by the FRI, with the help of 4 lay teachers was taken over by the sisters. The strength of the school was 120. As the numbers increased the FRI laid the foundation for the school building on their own land within the colony and completed the school building in 1957. Classes I to VII were held there. The strength was 400 and Sister Violette was the Principal.

As the strength of the school rose, the religious staff too increased. The sisters needed space for a convent building so five and half acres of land was bought outside the colony for the new convent building. In 1960 a Boarding House was started with 2 girls and another one for 2 boys.

In 1961, the school gained popularity as the first batch of eleven matriculation students who appeared for the Bihar Secondary School Examination obtained cent per cent results. ‘An Open Afternoon “displaying the all round training given to the students raised the strength to 500 at this time. The school had good prospects- children from important industrial centers like Dhanbad, Sindri, Jamadoba, Sijua, Sudamdih and Jharia took admission in the school. As the students in the FRI school kept increasing there was need for a primary school on the convent grounds with a gymnasium and a convent attached. On 25 June, 1967 the foundation stone was laid.

All important terms, conditions and finalizations of the school were completed and finalized. The spiritual needs were fulfilled by the Jesuits of the Jamshedpur Province.