St. Francis De'Sales High School (SFS School) and Junior College Nagpur is an educational institution in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Established in 1870, the school was managed by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales. SFS School is governed by the Nagpur Archdiocese. It is located Sadar, Nagpur, Maharashtra.
St. Francis De'Sales High school is currently Headed by Fr. Prashant (Principal). The school was traditionally an all-boys institution until it became a co-educational school in 2008. The school is affiliated to the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Pune, Maharashtra.[1]
House system
The School's house system was introduced by Rev. Fr. Edmond Deage around 1938–39. The houses are named in remembrance of three distinguished former principals and are used to foster competition across academic, literary, and sports fields. Each house has a designated colour and motto:[2]
- Pelvat House (Red) – Motto: "Through difficulties to the heights"
- Coppel House (Blue) – Motto: "Faithful to the end"
- Dufresne House (Green) – Motto: "Duty before pleasure"
The Junior College, which is attached to the school, has a separate house system established by former principal Maurice Fernandes. Its two houses are:
- S.F.S. House – Motto: "Sacrifice before self"
- Don Bosco Hous' – Motto: "Rise and shine".[2]
History
SFS High School was established in 1867 at Kamptee before relocating to its present location in Sadar, Nagpur in 1870.[3][4][5] The school's origins trace back to Kamptee, where Fr. Mabboux opened a school in a small room on 4 March 1867, with Br. Alick Rigley as its first Head Master and Nicholas Appao as its first enrolled student. After a new building was constructed in Nagpur by Fr. John Thevenet, Fr. Mabboux moved the institution along with 50 boarders from Kamptee. The school became fully independent in Nagpur on 21 January 1870.[2]
In its early days, the curriculum included Urdu, which was later replaced by Latin, helping to secure a government grant. Under Charles Felix Pelvat, the school was raised to a full-fledged High School, acquired a "First Art" (F.A.) course, and became affiliated with the University of Calcutta. The second floor was built in 1884 to be used as a dormitory. During the tenure of Francis Stephan Coppel in the 1890s and 1900s, the school focused on all-round development, starting a gymnasium, a printing press, science labs, a school band, and music classes.[2]
During the tenure of Ivan Lobo (1995–2007), the school underwent a period of significant renovation and technological upgrade. Through a donation from alumnus Shrikant Jichkar, the school acquired computers and internet access. In 2001–02, the school uniform was changed.[2]
Arpita Mathew took charge in 2007 as the school's first female principal. The most significant change during her tenure occurred in the 2008–09 academic year, when the school, traditionally an all-boys institution, became co-educational.[6] Other changes included introducing navy-blue blazers for staff, adding house-coloured T-shirts for the Saturday uniform. School timings were revised. The foundation stone for a new Primary School building was also laid during this period.[2]
Under Manisha Paul (2013–2017), the new Primary School building was completed and inaugurated in 2013–14 by Archbishop Abraham Viruthakulangara. The campus was further redeveloped by demolishing a fountain at the front gate to create a new parking area and cycle shed.[2]
During the tenure of Prashant Samuel (2017–present), the school continued its modernization. In January 2020, the school inaugurated its Sesquicentennial (150th) Year with a Feast Mass celebrated by Archbishop Elias Gonsalves. Major campus upgrades included replacing the second-floor asbestos roof, renovating the study hall, auditorium, chapel, and both staffrooms, and installing air conditioning.[2]
List Of principals
The following is a list of the principals of the school since its establishment in Nagpur.[2]
| No. | Principal[2] | Term[2] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rev. Fr. Francis Mabboux | 1870–1873 |
| 2 | Rev. Fr. Maurice Victor Domenge | 1873–1875 |
| 3 | Rev. Fr. Charles Felix Pelvet | 1875–1881 |
| 4 | Rev. Fr. Etieme Marie Bonaventure | 1891–1894 |
| 5 | Rev. Fr. Francis Stephan Coppel | 1894–1907 |
| 6 | Rev. Fr. Louis Dufresne | 1907–1915 & 1919–1927 |
| 7 | Rev. Fr. Carlo Casimir Fernandes | 1915–1919 |
| 8 | Rev. Fr. Joseph Gros | 1927–1937 |
| 9 | Rev. Fr. Edmond Deage | 1937–1951 |
| 10 | Rev. Fr. Francis D'Souza | 1951–1954 |
| 11 | Rev. Fr. Gerson Mascarenhas | 1954–1956 |
| 12 | Rev. Fr. Cecil De Sa | 1956–1960 |
| 13 | Rev. Fr. Mathew Fernandes | 1960–1969 & 1970–1976 |
| 14 | Rev. Fr. George Vaz | 1969 |
| 15 | Rev. Fr. Oswald D'Souza | 1976–1982 |
| 16 | Rev. Fr. Maurice Fernandes | 1982–1995 |
| 17 | Rev. Fr. Ivan Lobo | 1995–2007 |
| 18 | Rev. Sr. Arpita Mathews | 2007–2013 |
| 19 | Rev. Sr. Manisha Paul | 2013–2017 |
| 20 | Rev. Fr. Prashant Samuel | 2017–Present |
Notable alumni
A number of the school's alumni have become notable figures, achieving distinction in various national and international fields.
| Name | Notability |
|---|---|
| Col. C. K. Nayudu | First Captain Of The Indian National Cricket Team[7] |
| Jamshed Jiji Irani | Former Managing Director Of Tata Steel |
| Rajkumar Hirani | Bollywood writer and director |
| Tarun Bose | Indian film actor |
| Harish Salve | Former Solicitor General Of India |
| Shrikant Jichkar | Writer, ducationist, Politician, Former Home Minister (GoM) |
| Akash Khurana | Indian actor, screenwriter, director, and author |
| Sharad Arvind Bobde | 47th Chief Justice Of The Supreme Court Of India |
| Mukul Wasnik | General Secretary, Indian National Congress And Former Union Cabinet Minister |
| Anees Ahmed[2] | Former Minister (GoM) And Former Member Of The Maharashtra Assembly |
References
- 1."'Making SFS School co-ed was the biggest change'". The Times of India. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- 2.[2.2][2.3][2.4][2.5][2.6][2.7][2.8][2.9][2.10][2.11][2.12]"SFS School Souvenir – Tradivance". SFS High School.
- 3."Harish Salve rekindles memories at SFS High School's anniversary prog". The Times of India. 5 January 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- 4."Down Memory Lane: Salve advises students to chase dreams". The Hitavada. 4 January 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- 5."S.F.S Through the Ages".
- 6."'Making SFS School co-ed was the biggest change'". The Times of India. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- 7.Nayudu, Chandra (1995). C.K. Nayudu, a Daughter Remembers. Rupa. p. 16. ISBN 978-81-7167-283-7.