CHENNAI: Stella Maris College, one of the oldest women’s colleges in India, was conferred the ‘Pride of the Catholic Church Award’ by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Office for Education and Culture, New Delhi, for being the ‘first and best’ in the country in implementing the National Catholic Education Policy-2007.
The Principal of the institution, Jasintha Quadras, received the award on October 15 at the meeting of the Catholic Colleges & Institutions at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre in the city.
According to the institution, the award was given after assessing various criteria that included infrastructure, courses offered, co-curricular activities, student support systems and operational quality data.
This, coupled with ‘popular opinion’, tipped the scales in favour of the institution for the award.
In a letter addressed to the institution, the CBCI had stated that Stella Maris was the ‘ first and best’ in implementing the National Catholic Education Policy-2007 promulgated by the Catholic Bishops of India, also commending the college for the concern shown for the Catholic students and the “Catholic holistic formation”.
Jasintha Quadras said, “Empowerment is a critical aspect of the process of education, and the college seeks to form women of character and courage who will, through the whole person education they receive here, strive to live lives that will reflect the values and principles they have imbibed.”
On why the award stood out, she said, “As an institution that strives to provide value-based education than just focusing on academic excellence, we are glad that this aspect of integrating values with the curriculum has been recognised.”