URSULINE SISTERS OF TILDONK RANCHI INDIA

Centenary Celebrations
1903 - 2003

Mother Ursula, Recipient of Kaiser-I-Hind Silver Medal for public service in India

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Apostolate of Education

Starting with Ursuline Girls' School More Schools Opened Contribution of Mother Ursula Main Thrust of Education Problems of Hindi Medium Schools Boarding Facilities for Students

Tribal Girls' Hostel - Kumhartoli:

Blessing of the new building

Kumhartoli Girls' Hostel has as its main objective to promote literacy among tribal women and girls by providing hostel accommodation to such tribal girls students who are not in a position to continue their education because of poor economic condition and location of their village. As the students are facing stiff competition in their career, they are also facing problems of accommodation and moral safety in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.

The first priority of our Hostel is to fulfil the need for an accommodation and boarding in the state capital. The problem of accommodation for the students is very urgent as all the major hostels for the girls in the capital are always full. The girls are forced to live in costly lodges where they have no moral security. There is a great need of providing hostel accommodation to tribal girls coming from remote villages to Ranchi  city for higher education.

Importance of education of women and girls in Jharkhand :

The society of Jharkhand has been purely agrarian, and the women have played the role of house-wives actively participating in agrarian activities. In the last 50 years several religions, social and cultural organizations sprang up in the rural areas and inspired the women to carve out their own identities.

The conservative and orthodox householders soon understood the significance of the same and the women and girls understood that “KNOWLEDGE COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE TOOL OF EMPOWERING THEMSEVES.”

The church and parishes played an important role in inspiring them and enlightening them. Presently the tribal women can be seen in practically all the government, semi government, and private organizations and today they play a very effective role in the modernization and progress of tribal life and tribal society.

The Tribal Girls’ Hostel at Kumhartoli, Ranchi, is a crying need for young women of remote rural areas who aspire for higher studies or skill-based training available in Ranchi town. Higher Education and skills for job facilities are greatly needed for the socio- economic development of this backward area. The poor tribal girls need proper accommodation, protection and facilities to do their studies well. They have to stay in the hostel from two to six years according to their needs. Some colleges are at a walking distance from Kumhartoli. Also conveyance of different types is easily available from the proposed hostel.

Ursuline Intermediate College at Ursuline Convent, Ranchi:

With the increase of the students for Intermediate and university studies after matriculation, and the overflow of candidates in all the existing Intemediate Colleges in the city of Ranchi, seeing the felt need and with the support of the guardians of the students of Ursuline Convent Girls’ High School, Ranchi, it was decided to update the High School into Intermediate College from the academic year 2006. At present there are 478 students in the three streams: Arts, Science and Commerce.

Setu Vidyalaya (Bridge School) It is a movement   supported and sponsored by Jharkhand Government for female education. The ursulines have taken up this project in collaboration with the State Government in Maranghada, Hesag, and Ranchi. Our Sisters together with the lay teachers are preparing 50 to 100 dropout girls to join regular schools again. Maranghada especially has very good results as it is running since three years. For enrollment many children come. This shows hunger for education among the girls.  

The Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk in India, empowered by the Spirit of Jesus and led by the Spirit and charism of their founders, Saint Angela Merici and Father John Lambertz are called to play their pioneering and prophetic role in a new way in today's fragmented world of the third millennium as they joyfully and gratefully look back at the 100 grace-laden years of their dedicated and committed services to the Church and society as God's gratuitous gift to them.

In the Province Chapters of 1997 and 2000 the thrust in their Vision Statement has been to address themselves and their Mission to the ever changing need of God's people, victims of poverty, injustices, oppression and exploitation specially to women, youth and children.

Inspired by the example of their Founders they aim at leading each and everyone to an ever deepening awareness of God's active presence in their lives, allowing them to experience His love and compassion through their very presence and life of contemplation and action, strengthening and deepening their Faith in the God of love, peace and reconciliation enabling them to grow and respond to every life situation in Faith.

They base this unique call of theirs in promoting human and Christian values.  They desire the first gift of a holy life, bearing witness to the freely given love of God in return to be offered freely to millions of brothers and sisters through various works of charity, witnessing to their life of consecration, revealing to them the face of the Father and bringing them to the fullness of life in Him.

Starting with Ursuline Girls' School, Ranchi

Ranchi Ursuline Society, a Charitable Voluntary Organization was established at Ranchi, Purulia Road, Bihar, (at present Jharkhand) in 1903.  It is a Registered Society under the Registration of Societies Act XXI of 1860, No. 77 of 1957-58.  It has a very good net work in the field of education for women and girls mostly in the tribal belts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Raigarh, Orissa, Assam, West Bengal, the Andamans and even in Delhi.  The Society runs educational institutions from Nursery to Secondary School and Women's Teacher Training College, both in rural and urban areas.

Actually the School was started by the Loreto Nuns.  From the very beginning a boarding School was attached to the School for those from far off villages.  Hence the boarding School became an important ministry to regularize education also to create a Christian and family atmosphere.  At the same time students learnt diverse works of daily living useful for family and social life.  Education being the main charism of the Congregation, solid spiritual formation was the basis for a good Christian family life, without however losing sight of the academic side along with other aspects of a sound, all round education.

Mother Ursula Greinshade took charge of the School for the first time in 1904.  In 1912, Upper Primary School from Class I to Class V had 154 pupils.

In 1914, Junior Teachers' Training School was started in order to get trained teachers for the School.  In 1916, the School was known as "Vernacular Middle School" with 350 pupils of whom 200 were in the boarding.

In 1917, Class VI started with 6 pupils.  In 1923, Class VII was started.  In 1928, the School was recognized as "Middle English School", and Class VIII was started.

In 1937-1938, "Senior Teachers' Training School" started with 24 students.  The recognition of the same was granted by the then Inspectress Mrs. N. Nayak, as a First Grade Senior Teachers' Training School with effect from January 1937.

In 1938 Class IX was opened and in 1939 class X.

In 1940 Class XI had 7 students, and the School was recognized as a full fledged "High School".

In the year 1942, during World War II some of the School buildings were used by the Military for air raid patients.  So Class VIII students and the staff were sent to Ursuline Convent, Rengarih; students of Classes X, XI and Senior Teachers' Training School with the staff to Ursuline Convent, Tongo.  In June 1943 the School resumed at Ranchi.  In the year 1952 the Science section was opened and recognized.

More Schools opened

Gradually, with the passage of time, Khunti, Tongo, Rengarih, Noatoli, Samtoli and Gumla developed.  At Rengarih School children were kept in the boarding for 6 months a year, because when the rains started, the children had to go home.  It was dangerous to cross the swollen rigers.  Their eagerness to study could be understood from the fact that the punishment that cost them most was to be deprived of one hour of study.  They showed so much ardour for their studies that it was decided to have competitions among different Schools and also to award scholarships for the best pupils in the School.  By 1922 Rengarih had 6 Primary Classes.  Though the local dialect is Sadri, the teaching was done in Hindi.

The School in Noatoli was recognized as Middle School as early as 1928, and by 1930 it had 300 pupils.

The School at Khunti became a Middle School in 1936.  As in other areas of Chota Nagpur, at Khunti also the School education was making rapid progress and there were many pupils in the School.

In 1937 at the request of Msgr. Sevrin who found the School girls quite intelligent, fit to be trained as teachers, a Senior Teachers' Training was started.  Eighty Four candidates presented themselves for the entrance examination whereas the seats were only 24.

On March 21, the recognition of the new Class X in Ranchi was received from Patna.  In 1940 Class XI started with 7 students.  In all there were 700 students in 1940.

In 1949, Khunti began Class VIII with 16 Pupils.  A School in Dorma was started with a good number of children.  Maranghada also had the beginning of a School.  Both the Schools were run by the Sisters of Khunti.  Mother Philomena and Mother Celestine had a great part to play in making these Schools possible.

In July 1949 Msgr. Pius Kerketta, having requested the Ursulines repeatedly to start a University College for girls, the Intermediate class with 40 students was started in the Ursuline Convent campus, and Mother Dionyse as Principal.  In 1950 there were 84 girls in the College.  They cam from all classes of society, rich and poor whatever caste or ceed they may belong to, all intermingling happily.  One of the students said, "the College could be called the personification of the spirit of Gandhiji."  In 1951, the Ursuline College was recognized by the Government affiliated to Patna University.  The Government opened the Women's College in Ranchi and the Ursuline College was ordered to merge with Saint Xavier's College in 1952.

Contribution of Mother Ursula

Mother Ursula obtained a wonderful discipline and progress in the studies and a happy peaceful family spirit amongst both staff and students, which she managed to maintain always undisturbed.  No trouble was ever too much; she composed a much appreciated Hindi Primer and when the Classes for Basic English were in vogue there was no more ardent students than Mother Ursula in spite of her 63 years of age.

Her facility of adapting herself made her love India as her own country and she worked with a disinterested enthusiasm all this time for the spiritual, physical and intellectual welfare of the children and women of Chota Nagpur, and is up to now the soul of the institution.

On July 23, Lady Dow, wife of the Governor of Bihar visited the School to decorate Mother Ursula with the Kaiser-I-Hind Silver Medal addressing:-

"Mother Ursula, by the gracious command of His Excellency, the Viceroy, I present you with the Kaiser-I-Hind Silver Medal for public service in India."

Main Thrust of Education

Ursuline Education aims at building up of a person according to God's plan.  Hence spiritual and character formation of the pupils is the priority. Along with academic excellenc, value based education is the essence in the building up of Family, Society and Nation.  Religious and Moral Instruction have their place in the School curriculum.  One of the basic aims of Ursuline Education in all its manifestations is to prepare the pupils for adult response in Faith in all life situation.  Co-curricular activities on different levels are means towards personality gowth e.g. Youth Organizations - Y.C.S. (Young Christian Students), C.L.C. (Christian Life Community), Life Orientation Programmes, Scouts, Guides, Red Cross, Leadership Programmes, Prayer Meetings, School functions - Parents' Day, Teachers' Day, Annual School Day, Prize Distribution Day, Republic Day, Independence Day, Parent-Teacher Meeting etc. provide opportunities to blossom forth their best selves.

In this modern scientific age, intellectual competence is a must.  Participation in competitive programmes like Science Exhibition, Cultural Show, Debate, Elocution, Speech, Quiz, General Knowledge, Singing, Music, Dance, Drawing and Painting, Handicraft etc. foster creativity, self confidence and aesthetic sense in students.  Inter-class and Inter-school competitions prepare the students to face challenges in life with respect and dignity.

Social and human relationships are built up through awareness of the needs of the society and the world at large in times of war, flood, earthquake and other natural calamities by raising funds, collecting clothings, food items and other necessities of life for the victims.  Students are encouraged to be mindful of the poorer students in the School.  Literacy programmes are conducted for illiterate adults.  Computer education is introduced in the School syllabus.  Whenever and wherever feasible educational trips are organized to substantiate and deepen their theoretical knowledge.

Problems  of Hindi Medium Schools

Ursuline Primary, Middle, High and Higher Secondary Schools are in the States of Jharkhand, Bihar, Chattisgarh and Assam.  Some of those in Jharkhand and Bihar were established after 1940s.  Yet struggles in all these educational institutions continue due to problems existing in the fulfilment of conditions required by the Education Department in each State.  Minority Schools do not enjoy the privileges which the Government educational institutions do.  Teachers have been demanding their right to the salaries on par with those teaching in government Schools.  In Jharkhand the step motherly treatment of the Government is very visible.  The teachers have been struggling to obtain their salary for years.  This is a great harassment.  It is a sheer injustice to the minority.  Bribes and corruptions are deep rooted evils of today, impossible to uproot them.  This vicious circle goes on.  There is no way out of this dirty practice on the part of the officials who go on sucking the blood of the poor for selfish motives.  There is no way out of this dirty practice on the part of the officials who go on sucking the blood of the poor for selfish motives.  These and other like challenges are to be faced bravely with united efforts.  Until such corruptions remain in practice India cannot make progress in the right direction.

Boarding Facilities for Students

From the very beginning Ursuline Sisters were invited to start schools in rural areas which necessitated boarding schools or hostels.  Up to this day, on school/college levels it is a very important apostolate.  The aim of this so important an apostolate is to provide simple accommodation facilities to under privileged tribal and non tribal students of low income groups.  Hence they have at least the required academic atmosphere for studies and are secure.  They learn to live in a family of peer groups in discipline and with personal responsibility, acquiring human and social relationship, being enriched with Inter-School and Inter-College activities and others in between educational courses and programmes available for their personality development and future career.  These boarding schools or hostels provide very simple accommodation in the same campus.  Charges are also reasonable, both on university and secondary/middle/primary school levels.  Students are mostly from rural areas.  In the cities and towns there are ample opportunities for preparing oneself for future career, specially now in the age of modern science and technology.  There is a lot of competition today and without competition it is difficult to survive.

Girls students need security and a disciplined way of life for hard and serious studies.  Those in charge of the hostels are responsible for them in collaboration with their guardians.  They have opportunities for intellectual, social, and cultural developments.

All the Ursuline Hindi and English Medium Schools and Training Colleges have hostel accommodation for those in need.  The hostel ministry is very important in the service of the womenfolk and more so for security reasons specially at the present time.