Karmela Rani Training College, Kollam

About Karmela Rani Training College, Kollam

Founded in 1960 by the late Rt. Rev. Dr. Jerome M. Fernandez, Karmela Rani Training College is a Teacher Education institution offering Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.) Degree course in seven disciplines and Master of Education (M.Ed.) Degree. The college is affiliated to University of Kerala and is recognized by National Council for teacher Education (NCTE). It is one of the six aided training colleges within the jurisdiction of University of Kerala.

Karmela Rani Training College, Kollam, founded in 1960 by the late Bishop of Quilon Rt. Rev. Dr. Jerome M. Fernandez, is a Teacher Education institution offering Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree course in 7 disciplines and Post Graduate Degree Course in Education (M.Ed.).

On July 16 every year, Catholics across the globe celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Karmela Rani. And it was on 16th of July, 1960 that the intimation from the Registrar regarding the approval of application for starting the college was received. Hence Bishop Jerome, the founder chose this name for the College.

The considerable provision for educational expansion in the second and third plan required for their implementation a large army of well trained teachers. The steady increase in the number of high schools and the Government’s insistence on the pre-service training created a need for further increasing the number of training colleges. The corporate managements like that of the Diocese of Quilon, with a large number of middle and High schools under them felt the need to make their own provision for training teachers for their institutions.

Till 1957 there existed fifteen training colleges in the whole of Kerala. Owing to the unprecedented increase in the number of applications received in training colleges, the existing policy of the University not to sanction the opening of any more training colleges came for reconsideration early in 1960. Accordingly, University entertained a few applications for opening new training colleges in areas not adequately served by the existing institutions.

H.E. Rt. Rev. Dr. Jerome Fernandez, with his unending academic zeal and indomitable courage took the historic step to obtain sanction for starting a training college in Quilon. The Bishop, the great visionary felt that it is not enough to have a number of schools and higher education institution like Fatima Mata National college but it was more urgent to have well qualified teachers from among the members of the community to run these institutions and improve their academic climate. Thus was born Karmela Rani Training College which started working on August 1, 1960. It was opened with a prayer service and blessing by his Lordship with the presence of a large number of the citizens of Quilon.

The college was housed in the eastern wing of the F.M.N college building. Dr. P. S. Abraham, the retired registrar of the University of Kerala, was its first principal. After 12 years of dependency within the portals of Fatima Mata National College, the Karmela Rani training college was established independently in the Jyothi Nikethan campus on August 18th, 1972 in the beginning of the academic year.

The proximity to the railway station put the college in an advantageous position. However there were restrictions to undertake major construction in the campus for infrastructural development owing to the proximity of the railways. The considerable distance of the model school from the college also prompted the management to find a new place for the college so as to comply with the stipulation of the National Council for Teacher Education. All these paved the way for reestablishing the college in this new campus close to St. Aloysius Higher Secondary School, Kollam.

Thus in the year 2003, the college was shifted to this campus. The present campus close to St. Aloysius school was chosen on account of its proximity to the school and the conducive academic climate prevailing here. The new campus and college building were blessed and declared open by Rt. Rev. Dr. Stanley Roman, the Bishop of Quilon and Manager of Karmela Rani Training College on 16th July 2004, the feast day of Karmela Rani.

The college received approval to conduct M.Ed. Programme in 2005. M.Ed. Programme was formally inaugurated by Shri. E. T. Mohammed Basheer, Hon’ble Minister for Education on 30th January, 2006.

The new Academic block of Karmela Rani Training College was blessed on 11th June, 2007 by Rt. Rev. Dr. Stanley Roman, the Bishop of Quilon and it was inaugurated by Dr. K. K. Ramachandran, the Vice-chancellor of the University of Kerala.

The college is a Christian backward minority institution run by the Latin Catholic Diocese of Quilon governed by the memorandum of understanding of Quilon Latin Catholic Diocese Educational Development Council. The members of the Managing Board assist the Manager in promoting the interests of the institution.

The college is affiliated to the University of Kerala and is recognized by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). The aim of the college is to send into the field of Education in India, teachers who are intelligent, spiritually vigorous, cultured, healthy, vocationally prepared, social minded and committed to the cause of Indian Education in whatever sphere they may serve God and Country. The motto of our college is “True Light Enlighteneth”.