History of Holy Cross Girls Highs School

Responding to the needs of the time year 1951, Sister Augustine Marie, CSC, founder and the first Headmistress, along with 3 other Holy Cross Sisters, opened kindergarten (English medium) with onlytwo students. This kindergartenwas extended to a primary school up to class 3 in November, 1951. By 1955 there were 133 boys and the same number of girls. A class 4 was added only for girls and Sister Carmen Davy was appointed as the Headmistress of the Primary School. Admission for boys in the regular sessions of Holy Cross School was closed and the school became a fully girls high school in 1979.

The first group of students from Holy Cross Girls High School took the Secondary School Certificate examination in April, 1966. The group consisted of 13 girls of whom 2 secured first division and the rest second division. Nilufar Ahmed stood second and Simeen Huda fifth among all the girls students of the then East Pakistan.

The Science section of Holy Cross School was opened in 1970. 1971 was the year of the Liberation War and Bangladesh became an independent country. As a result, Holy Cross School became a Bengali medium school from 1972 onwards. In 1996 Day shift from class 6 to 10 was opened. The year when the Commerce group of the School appeared for the SSC exams for the first time was the year 2000.

The first Science Fair and the Sewing and Art Exhibition, both opened to the public, were held in October of 1979 followed by a week-long cultural programme in December.

In 1983, a new subject- Home Economics was added to the general choice of curriculum from classes 9 and 10.A computer course for Classes 5 to 10 was opened in July, 1992 by the Ribbani Computer Center in the school. The course was replaced by making Computer Science a part of the regular curriculum for Classes 9 and 10, three years later.

The following year 1994 Caritas Bangladesh started an out-reach program in the school with students of Class 8. Under the supervision of Holy Cross Sisters those who were working in the school,the students went and taught the women workers of Comtrade Factory in Shantibagh and Style Craft in Monipuripara.

The Holy Cross Girls High School Debating Club won the championship, receiving the “Prime Minister Gold Cup 1995” at the National Television Debate Competition in 1996.

The year, 2001, will be remembered as the year when the grading system of the SSC exams underwent a complete change. In order to score A+, a student had to score A+ in each of the subject areas. Out of 76 who received A+ in all seven boards: Dhaka, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Comilla, Chittagong, Barisal, and Jessore, six were from the Day Shift of Holy Cross Girls` High School.

We are proud of our school and its history assures us that the roots of Holy Cross are strong and deep enough to ensure, God Willing, that its future will be bright and promising. We thank each one of you who has been a part of the making of this history which we celebrate now with joy and thanksgiving.

Source: Holy Cross Sisters in Dhaka and yearly magazine, Mondira, and from official reports of Holy Cross Girls` High School.