St. Francis’ School is a minority Christian School, established and administered by the Roman Catholic of Darjeeling/Sikkim. The School is under the religious jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Darjeeling/Sikkim who is also the President of the Governing Body. Article 30(1) of the Constitution of India gives Linguistic and religious minorities a fundamental right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. These rights are protected by a prohibition against their violation. The prohibition is contained in Article 13 of the Constitution which declares that any law in breach of the Fundamental Rights would be void to the extent of such violation. It is well- settled that Article 30 (1) cannot be read in a narrow and pedantic sense and being a Fundamental Right, it should be given its widest amplitude. The width of Article 30 (1) cannot be cut down by introducing in the considerations which are destructive to the substance of the right enshrined therein.
St. Francis’ School, Jorethang is a Co-Educational School which conducts classes from Lower Kinder Garten to Class X and is affiliated to the Council of the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi. The School is recognized by the Department of Education the Human Resource Department, Govt. of Sikkim; the school is situated in the town of Jorethang in South Sikkim. The school was established in 1979 and has been growing since its inception. “Light of the World” being the motto of the school, the school curriculum is designed to enlighten every child who enters in the portals of the school. The school caters to the education of the local community around and extends its service to the outstation students. The school seeks to create a spirit designed to encourage growth in the exercise of responsible freedom, respect for human personality, appreciation of values and a heightened awareness of the responsibilities of knowledge, love and service. As part of the training of the students, an endeavour is made to guide the students to choose those recreational, cultural and creative activities which will contribute to their spiritual, mental, moral and physical well being and enable the country. Following the spirit of St. Francis’ of Assisi, the patron saint of the school, special emphasis is laid on the love for nature and the environment. The medium of instruction is English at all levels. Other languages taught are Nepali and Hindi, other subjects offered for classes IX and X are History & Civics, Geography, Economic Application, Computer Applications, Physical Education, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and SUPW.
A broad programme of co-curricular activities supplements the curriculum. A student must show consistent interest in at least one of the co- curricular areas and be co-operative in House activities. Student must become a member of at least one of the following: Nature Club, SFS Quiz Club, Girl Guide, Scouts, School Choir, L.T. S Harmony Club, Debate, Elocution, Quiz Extempore speech, Mimicry, Creative Writing, Drawing , Story Telling, Singing, dance are held in the school on a regular basis as inter house competitions, As sports and games are inseparable part of education, the following facilities are provided in the school, Volleyball, Throw ball, Basketball, Table Tennis, Kho Kho, Badminton, Football, Cricket and other games.
St. Francis’ School, aims at creating individuals who are intellectually competent, morally sound, psychologically whole, imbued with the sense of the Divine, committed to the cause of Justice, Love and Peace and ever open to further growth. It aspires towards creating a human society free from prejudices, superstitions and discriminations based on sex, religion, caste, creed and economic status. It strives to inculcate respect for the dignity of the human person and concern for each other, especially the underprivileged in the society. It expects parents, guardians, teachers and well-wishers to share this mission in the spirit with the school management and co-operative wholeheartedly in all its endeavours.
The School was established in 1979 and has been growing since its inception. “ LIGHT OF THE WORLD ” being the motto of the school, the school curriculum is designed to enlighten every child. The School believes to spread the love of god in the hearts of every people and in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, by instilling in all, the values of human dignity, equality, justice and peace. In order to nurture and educate the young minds the school initiates to impart its wards a sound moral, intellectual and physical education with a view to develop and bring out the talents and potentials within them and prepare them to face the challenges of life. The school also inculcates in them the courage and initiative needed to take up their tasks and shoulder their responsibilities through the values of social service, self-discipline, self-reliance, punctuality, loyalty, politeness, respect for the elders and realising the importance of maintaining good physical and mental health.
Every Franciscan student should be kind, gentle, respectful, hardworking and enthusiastic. Firmly entrusted in their faith they shall ever be true children of god and worthy scholars of St. Francis School and shall always be sensitive to the feelings of others especially to the poor and the needy. The aim is to nurture young minds and see them grow into dynamic adults who will be at ease once they leave the protected walls of this school and enter the vast world which is so different from the textbooks they read. The School has the proud privilege that over the years it has acquired a reputation of its own by motivating their younger generations to even outperform them.
This aspect of education is given greater importance in the school. To be a true Franciscan, can only be achieved when the development of character in education is merged with discipline. Every ward is expected to observe discipline in punctuality, neatness and cleanliness in dress and appearance, respect for the elders and adherence to cooperative spirit. Misbehaviour, irregular attendance, insubordination, lack of interest, ill behaviour are detrimental to the discipline and moral tone of the school. Parents and guardians are requested to cooperate with the School Disciplinary Committee by ensuing the regular attendance and punctuality of their wards. Parents and guardians are also requested to be in touch with the above mentioned committee to keep themselves updated regarding the progress of their wards. The School also provides counselling help to those who are disoriented and those who are problematic.