St. Joseph International School

“We shall always place education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart. While we prepare useful citizens for society, we shall likewise do our utmost to prepare citizens for Heaven.”-Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, CSC (Founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross)

Introduction:

We continue to carry forward the vision of our founder, Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., by educating both the hearts and minds of our students. At St. Joseph International School, the Holy Cross Brothers dedicate themselves to shaping faithful citizens who will go forth to inspire, lead, and transform the world for the better.

“Educating the minds and hearts of the youth,” as emphasized by our founder, is the mission we Brothers of St. Joseph Province in Bangladesh strive to live out daily. Through our institutions, we seek not only to nurture intellectual growth and moral character but also to prepare young people for their future with commitment, devotion, and a deep sense of humanity.

A brief background:

Under the guidance and leadership of the Brothers of Holy Cross, a Roman Catholic religious congregation devoted to promoting education among the common people, St. Joseph Higher Secondary School came into being on 19 March 1954 as St. Joseph High School at 16, Monir Hossain Lane, Narinda, in the heart of Dhaka City. The school opened its doors with only four students and was founded by the late Brother Jude Costello, C.S.C., then Headmaster of St. Gregory’s High School.

As the first Headmaster of St. Joseph’s, Brother Jude led the school in its formative years and oversaw its initial expansion. The steady growth in student enrollment soon made it necessary to relocate the school to a larger premises at 32, Shah Sahib Lane, Narinda. A visionary scholar and a strong advocate of educational development, Brother Jude later secured property in the Mohammadpur area to accommodate the school’s future growth.

His mission was soon carried forward by Brother Fulgence Dougherty, C.S.C., who undertook the responsibility of constructing new buildings on the acquired site at Asad Gate. Later, Brother Gerald Kraeger, C.S.C. assumed the role of Headmaster and successfully completed the remaining construction and organizational work. The new location, with its spacious playground, easy accessibility, and steady progress in infrastructure, quickly drew the attention of the student community in Dhaka. In 1965, the school was formally shifted to its newly built campus at 97 Asad Avenue, Mohammadpur, Dhaka 1207.

In its early years, the institution functioned as an English-medium international school, following the curriculum of the University of Cambridge. However, in 1972, in compliance with government directives, it was transformed into a Bengali-medium secondary school under the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka. (Collected from the History)

Our emphasis depends on Growth, development, quality, virtue, responsibility:

“We are committed to fostering growth and development in every individual, upholding the highest standards of quality in all that we do. Guided by virtue and anchored in responsibility, we strive to shape the students where excellence, integrity, and accountability lead the way toward a better future.”

Brother Bikash Victor D’Rozario, CSC