St. Joseph Higher Secondary School

Early history On 19 March 1954, Brother Jude Costello, an American missionary member of Congregation of Holy Cross working under the Catholic Archdiocese of Dhaka, who was also headmaster of St. Gregory's High School then, founded the school as the "St. Joseph English Medium School" at Monir Hossain Lane, Narinda, in the current old part of Dhaka. The institution had a General Certificate of Education (GCE) based education structure. Liberation War and ensuing history in 1971 Following the War of Independence, Principal Br. Ralph Baird departed from his teaching role, engaging actively in the nation's reconstruction efforts. He contributed significantly to the country's relief, and rehabilitation, and championed human rights initiatives through non-governmental development organizations. Concurrently, students from St. Joseph College, accompanied by teachers, ventured to remote regions in support of relief and rehabilitation endeavours on behalf of the institution. After the liberation and independence of Bangladesh, the school grew and developed with the new country. The medium of instruction changed to Bangla, and the school registered with the Dhaka education board. In 1973, the last of the Cambridge groups took their examinations. During the ten years of Cambridge, 233 boys took the overseas examination and 98% passed with over 60% in the first division. Current status The school was initially named "St. Joseph High School". In 2001, Higher Secondary Education (equivalent to college) was introduced in Saint Joseph, and the name of the institution was changed to "Saint Joseph Higher Secondary School". The institution celebrated its Golden Jubilee at the campus in 2004, and on 19 March 2024, it celebrated its 70th anniversary of establishment. In the later 21st century, St. Joseph has continued to expand in student body and faculty size, and has seen the establishment of several research centers and programs. == Religious affiliation and ethos ==

, after whom the college is named The college is Roman Catholic and the Congregation of Holy Cross exercises responsibility over it through a Governing Body whose chairman is the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dhaka, His Grace Most Rev. Msgr Bejoy N. D. Cruze, OMI. The institution is named after Saint Joseph, a Christian saint and the legal father of Jesus. The college seeks to give an all-round formation, inculcating both human and spiritual values. It gives special consideration to Roman Catholics and also Buddhists and Ethnic minority (under the minority rights enshrined in the Constitution of Bangladesh) for whose education the college was founded. ==Academic identification==

Providing both primary and secondary education levels, since 2001 this institution has also offered higher secondary education. The secondary level has both science and commerce curriculum. The higher secondary level includes humanities too. All levels have both Bengali and English language versions, with each class having two Bengali and one English version sections. Since 2017, it has rebooted the English medium section of the school named St. Joseph International School following the Cambridge Curriculum. Admission The school section admission goes through three levels: an interview, a written test and a final selection. Admission into class 3 is held officially, with around 2500-6000 students competing for only 180 seats. Other classes (4–9) may offer admissions if vacant seats are available. Curriculum The school follows the National Curriculum of studies. Upon establishment, it was an English Medium Cambridge school. Following the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the school adapted alongside the national curriculum. In 2004, it introduced the English version first in grade 6, gradually adding one English version section to each grade. Uniform The school uniform consists of a white shirt (school logo on the left side for school students and right side for the college students), dark grey pants, and black shoes. The school also encourages proper hair cut. ==Campus==

Outdoors The school has a 3.5-acre campus. It has grounds for association football, basketball, cricket, and volleyball, amidst other sports. The school basketball court, built in the 1960s and updated in 2008, also serves as a multipurpose auditorium. The main field is used as the football pitch and beside the main ground, the mini field is used as a volleyball court, with badminton courts to the side. Infrastructure and buildings A composite of two four-story buildings with a two-story building in the annex for teachers and office is located in Dhaka City. The campus is designed by renowned architect Robert G. Boughey. The four-story buildings are known as the north and south building. The ground floor of the south building serves as a table tennis court. The school has three main entrances. The first and the second serve as the entry for students and teachers, the third one is for official purposes. The 3rd canteen is located there. Furthermore, a water bottle refilling station has been added for students, which is really beneficial especially in this hot summer. Canteens There are a total of three cafeterias on campus. The North Building has a modern food court for its students. While the main canteen offers various nutritious foods for the students. Purposes of the campus The southwest corner of the school holds a small hostel for the Brothers of Holy Cross. Since 2004, the school has hosted the national occurrence of the Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad. ==Academic results and records==

• Ranked as A+ category college in the country. • Introduction of Basketball in Bangladesh. • In 2023, Dhaka Education Board ranked the institution in A+ category. • Formed the first High School Level Debating Club in Bangladesh in 1969. • Venue partner of first ever All-Asians university debate competition held in Bangladesh in 2008. • 13 Gold medals won in the 2007 IAS exam held by University of New South Wales, highest in the country. • In 2018, Josephite Math Club won the Best Math Club Award. ==Past and current faculties==

Starting with a handful of American Brothers from Congregation of Holy Cross, the school received the services of a large number of teachers both before and after integrating itself with the secondary education system in Bangladesh. The current faculty consists of 50 secondary teachers, 25 higher secondary teachers, two counsellors, two prefects of discipline, two librarians, office staffs, two sports instructors, and individual coaches for the soccer, basketball and cricket teams. Leo James Pereira is the current principal of the school. ==Extracurricular activities==

St. Joseph has numerous extracurricular programs. Joseph's students, "Josephites", maintain relationships with peers from other colleges by participating in inter-college competitions and college festivals. Scintilla Science Club The Scintilla Science Club was established in 1957 which is the Bangladesh's first High School Science Club. It organizes an annual science fair. In 2023, the event drew 700 participants from 60 institutions. In addition to science projects displays, it featured Olympiads, quizzes, and other contests. Reindev is the first ever High-school based research wing in Bangladesh. It provides mentorship to youth prospects and facilicate them with requsites to flourish in STEM research. Josephite Reading and Language Club The Josephite Language and Reading Club (JLRC) was founded in 2004. It organises an annual inter-school literature festival that features such events as a story writing contest, spelling bee, English Olympiad, quizzes, and extempore speaking competition. == Notable alumni ==

The school's alumni include sportspeople, business executives, musicians, academics, politicians, military officers, and entertainers. Warfaze, one of the first heavy metal bands in Bangladesh, was started in 1984 by Ibrahim Ahmed Kamal and other boys from St. Joseph. Three of the five (as of 2017) Bangladeshi chess grandmasters, including the first South Asian grandmaster, Niaz Murshed, attended St Joseph. Academia • Mushfiq Mobarak, professor of economics, Yale University • Imran Rahman, vice-chancellor of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) • Fakrul Alam, professor of English, Dhaka University Business • Asif Saleh, development professional, executive director of BRAC, Bangladesh • Omar Ishrak, chairman of Intel, chairman and CEO of Medtronic • Kazi Anis Ahmed, writer, co-founder and publisher of the Dhaka Tribune and Bangla Tribune • , president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS). Entertainment • Arun Saha, actor and musician • Jeetu Ahsan, actor Military • Abu Mayeen Ashfakus Samad, Bangladeshi Army officer killed in the Bangladesh Liberation War • Sayed Farooq-ur-Rahman, Lt. Col., led 15 August 1975 Bangladeshi coup d'état against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Music • Shafin Ahmed, rock bassist, singer-songwriter, record producer • George Lincoln D'Costa, singer and vocalist • Ibrahim Ahmed Kamal, singer and member of Warfaze Politics • Tarique Rahman, prime minister of Bangladesh (2026–present), son of former president Ziaur Rahman and the first female prime minister of Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia • Andaleeve Rahman, member of parliament: Bhola-1, chairman of Bangladesh Jatiya Party. • Anisul Huq, minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs (2014–2024) Sports and games • Niaz Murshed, first South Asian chess grandmaster ==References==