St Francis de Sales School, Dhemaji

St. Francis de Sales School, also known as Francis de Sales or SFS, is a co-educational private English Medium school in Dhemaji, Assam. Privately funded and independent, it was founded in 1979, by Fr Verketh Veliadeth. The school is a recognized Christian minority private institution run by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales and affiliated to the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) .The school also topped the list of schools in Assam particularly Dhemaji for its academic excellence .^[1]

History

In 1978 the principal cum spiritual head of SFS School Dhemaji, Fr Verketh Veliadeth, invited leading citizens of Dhemaji for tea at his residence. There he told them that he had been deputed by his provincial to start an English medium school at Dhemaji and he asked for their co-operation. Thus the school began in 1979.

It started with a few children in a small Assam type building. The principal Fr. Verkey took the classes.

The school faced difficulties in the early years from the ASSU movement. The ASSU activists opposed the establishment of the SFS School at Dhemaji. The leaders of the ASSU submitted a memorandum to the then SDO(C), Dhemaji requesting him not to allow such an English medium school to locate at Dhemaji.

The effort to prevent the birth of S.F.S. School in Dhemaji was a failure because the majority of the people in Dhemaji felt the existence of an English medium school at Dhemaji was necessary to educate their children. Also some government servants posted at Dhemaji did not remain in the place because there was no good facility to educate their children.

The school began on a plot purchased from Mr. Hiralal Sharma. When the school began to grow towards prominence some people tried to obstruct progress on religious lines. Nevertheless, they failed.

Today the school four ranks. During the Assam Agitation in 1984–85 it gave shelter to riot victims with free food and medicine. During that period nobody ventured to assist the Government in bringing peace and harmony among the people but this institution directly worked for peace and harmony along with Government agencies. It has also provided shelter to the flood-affected victims.

References

Sources

• Konwar, Chuchen, Gohain, Narendra Nath; Doley, Dimbeswar; Golden Rainbow 2004 Edition, The annual School magazine of S.F.S School,