Loreto Convent St Pierre is 90 years old but the commitment of its staff and pupils is as vigourous as ever. Last Friday, all parents and former pupils present at the ceremony could witness the fervour that inspires the pupils and staff. Despite all the difficulties LCSP has gone through, the institution has never lost heart and is still looking ahead – towards the future pupils it hopes to welcome for… the next ninety years.

“I am proud and happy to see what we have achieved during those ninety years,” the rector of LCSP, Carole Raynal, enthusiastically proclaims. Although she admits that these years have not always been easy, she insists that the whole staff – and the rectors who have been in charge of the school over the years– have always been devoted to the success of their pupils. The recent infrastructural problems the college has had to face were a part of the difficulties but “these are now practically behind us”.

What about the teaching methods? They must have changed since 1917… “The staff has changed, the pupils have changed… The world itself is completely different. So, there is no doubt that the school has had to adapt to these changes,” comments the rector. She explains that the profile of pupils has indeed changed over the years but “that makes it even more challenging for us. And what helps us a lot is the fact that we have values anchored within the school that have survived all those years,” Carole Raynal points out.

One of the values most frequently referred to by both teachers and pupils is the sense of community and belonging. Jessica, the head girl, admits, “I will really miss the great understanding we have with our teachers at school. I often used to complain that, after five years in the same school, I wanted to take a breath of fresh air else-where but I am starting to realise that I will be really sad at the end of the year when I have to go to another school for my HSC”. Estelle, in Form V as well, shares the same view and already knows she will miss “the academic and moral education she gained at the college”.

The celebration, which started with a lively religious ceremony, was also the occasion for many old girls to catch up with their former classmates. “I left school 30 years ago and I have only been back two or three times. So it has been wonderful for me to meet old friends today.” Marie enthused.

The bishop of Port-Louis, Mgr Maurice Piat, who presided the celebration, admitted, “I feel at home when I come here because the physical aspect of the building has not changed for more than 40 years.” He seized the opportunity to point out what makes a good teacher in his opinion: the teacher must listen to the child first and foremost; he/she must be creative and demanding but must leave the child free to express himself and to take his own decisions “The lessons may take some time before being acted upon but they will always remain somewhere in the children’s heads. Education is not merely academic knowledge; it should help develop the child’s personality, critical acumen and moral values.”