From under a neem tree to 1,400 students: The 165-year journey of Holy Family Girls’ School, West Bengal

Holy Family Girls’ High School, Krishnanagar, in West Bengal’s Nadia district, began with 20 students gathered under a neem tree in 1860. Now it teaches close to 1,400 students in a year. Sister Daisy Mathew, headmistress of the school, speaks to Academia360, about the school’s origins, its journey through the decades, commitment to value-based learning and the school’s heritage structure, now under repairs. Edited excerpts:

How did the school start?

The school was founded in 1860 by four Italian Catholic sisters who came from Italy to Krishnanagar. The school began very humbly, under a neem tree, with just 20 students. There was a language barrier, neither the sisters nor the students understood each other’s language. But they connected through compassion, care, and commitment to the service.

In those early years, education went hand in hand with social upliftment. The sisters taught basic hygiene, dignity, and confidence to young girls at a time when formal education for them was extremely rare. The sisters focused on teaching basic practices, including proper clothing

When did the school receive formal recognition?

For nearly 80 years, from 1860 to 1940, the school functioned through voluntary service and internal resources from the Sisters of Charity. In 1940, the school received official recognition and became a government-aided institution, which helped strengthen its academic structure and outreach.

What does the school look like today, in terms of academics and student strength?

Today, Holy Family Girls High School offers education from Class 5 to Class 12, following the West Bengal Board curriculum for Class 10 (Madhyamik) and higher secondary (Uccha Madhyamik). The medium of instruction is Bengali.

We have three sections per class, with around 60 to 62 students per section. At present, the total number of students in Classes 5 to 12 is approximately 1,400. The pre-primary and primary sections up to Class 5 function in an adjacent campus.

What is the admission process?

Admissions to pre-primary and Class 1 involve a simple written and oral test. Students from our own primary section are automatically promoted to Class 5.

Occasionally, when two to five seats fall vacant in Class 5, we conduct an admission test. This is because the demand is very high and sometimes there are 200 to 300 applicants for a few seats. Generally, admission to higher classes is not possible.

Has the school faced major challenges over the years?

While we do not have surplus teaching staff, we continue to manage with the available resources. At times, however, challenges arise when six-to-seven of our teachers are assigned official duties as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) or engaged in government-related surveys such as SIR. During such periods, their absence creates temporary staffing constraints, as we do not have additional teachers available for substitution. These are the operational challenges, which we handle internally to ensure that students’ learning remains uninterrupted.

We have 33 permanent teachers, two para teachers, and one contractual teacher who teaches mathematics at the higher secondary level.

Overall, we have been fortunate. The government has been supportive, especially after recognition. Teachers receive government salaries and the system functions smoothly.

The school has expanded – do you have enough space, facilities?

Yes, the building was purchased in the 1940s from Pal Chowdhury, a well-known landlord of Krishnanagar, using the personal funding of the Italian sisters. Over the years, the former residential house was thoughtfully repurposed to serve the school as a computer lab, library, additional classrooms, and an assembly hall. Later, a small adjoining hall was constructed to host students’ cultural programmes. At present, this historic building is undergoing much-needed repairs.

How are you funding these repairs?

We are approaching various sources — government departments, MLAs, MPs, and our congregation, the Sisters of Charity. Recently, on January 21, we organised a small fundraising event with the support of students and parents, which helped us raise Rs 1,98,983. Whereas the total cost required for proper renovation is approximately Rs 40 lakh. Apart from this limited fundraising, we do not collect additional fees, we take development fees at the beginning of the year, which is nominal. The government has consistently been supportive, and we continue to manage our responsibilities with their cooperation. While this is only a small part of what we need, we remain hopeful and are continuing our efforts through multiple channels.

What role does the Sisters of Charity play in running the school today?

The school is managed by the Sisters of Charity, who own and maintain the property. While teachers’ salaries are government-funded, infrastructure and development are our responsibility. The congregation continues to guide the school with a strong emphasis on discipline, service, and value-based education.