A Legacy of Love and Learning: The Good Shepherd Family
How We Began: A Vision for Joyful Learning
Every great institution begins with a simple, powerful idea. For The Good Shepherd family, that idea took root in 1998, born from the shared vision of two remarkable women: Mrs. Usha Mathew and Mrs. Yvonne Fernandez.
At a time when early childhood education in our city was strictly confined to desks, textbooks, and the traditional “learning by heart” method, they dared to imagine something entirely different.
Bringing together the profound expertise of an experienced educator and the deep, intuitive passion of a mother of four, they sought to fundamentally change the way children experienced their first years of school. They believed that a child’s earliest education should be a vibrant adventure, not a rigid chore. By tearing down the old conventions, they introduced a revolutionary activity and play-based learning system. For the first time, classrooms were filled with movement, laughter, and hands-on discovery, allowing children to learn at their own pace in an environment that felt like a second home.
The White Vans That Captured a City
Innovation wasn’t just happening inside the classrooms; it extended to how we cared for our families. Recognizing the daily struggles of busy parents, our founders introduced a dedicated pick-up and drop-off service using Maruti Omni vans—a pioneering concept for a kindergarten at the time.
These pristine white vans, proudly displaying the Good Shepherd branding and emblem, zipped safely through the city streets every day. What started as a simple, heartfelt initiative to help parents quickly turned into an iconic, unintended marketing campaign. Seeing those recognizable white vans became a daily reminder of the care and joy our kindergarten provided. Word of mouth spread rapidly, and before long, Good Shepherd became one of the most beloved and sought-after early learning centres in the city.
2004: A Dream Expands
As our kindergarteners grew, so did the dreams of our parent community. They wanted the same nurturing environment, innovative teaching, and deep personal care for their children’s higher education. In 2004, a group of like-minded individuals, united by a profound passion for quality education, joined hands to form The Good Shepherd Educational Trust.
This foundational team included Dr. K.J. Mathew, Mrs. Usha Mathew, Mr. F. Abilius, Mrs. Jemma Abilius, Mr. Mel Fernandez, Mrs. Yvonne Fernandez, Mrs. Laji Chacko Tharakan, Mr. Ebin Chacko Tharakan & Mrs. Nirmala Joseph. Their collaboration marked the official birth of The School of the Good Shepherd. When it came time to build our main campus at Aakkulam, the project was kept beautifully close to the heart of our new family.
The school building was meticulously constructed under the expert supervision of Mr. Tomson Abilius—a skilled civil engineer and the son of trustees F. Abilius and Jemma Abilius.
True to the Good Shepherd spirit, the building they envisioned was designed to completely disrupt the educational norms of the day. In an era when even the most prominent schools in Trivandrum settled for basic cemented floors and placed little importance on infrastructure aesthetics, our founders demanded a higher standard. They believed that a beautiful, comfortable environment was essential to a child’s dignity and learning. From premium flooring to top-class, hygienic restroom facilities for the students, the new campus was a stark, beautiful contrast to the standards of 2004. Mr. Tomson’s expertise brought this revolutionary physical foundation to life, allowing us to guide our students from their very first alphabet all the way through their senior academic milestones.
What Makes Us Different? Our People and Our Presence
The extraordinary, accelerated growth of our main school did not happen by chance. We owe our success to the brilliant Principals and tirelessly dedicated teachers who have joined us from the very beginning. Their hard work, late nights, and unwavering commitment to student success laid a foundation of academic excellence that continues to bear fruit today.
But beyond academics, there is a distinct heartbeat to The Good Shepherd family that truly sets us apart: accessibility.
In many traditional school systems, founders and trustees remain distant figures, far removed from the daily life of the campus. At The School of The Good Shepherd, we believe the opposite is true. The active, daily presence of our founders and directors within the school has made a monumental difference.
We maintain a genuine open-door policy where any parent, teacher, or student has direct, immediate access to the school’s leadership. If a concern arises, it doesn’t get lost in administrative red tape; it is heard directly by the people who have the power to fix it. This approach has allowed us to overcome bottlenecks instantly, adapt to our students’ needs rapidly, and build an unshakable foundation of trust with our community. It is the reason we don’t just feel like a school—we feel like a family.
Building Tomorrow: Our Next Chapter
At its core, the Good Shepherd story is not just about an institution; it is about family. What began with two visionary women blossomed into a shared dream when five different families joined hands, uniting as one single, dedicated family to fulfill a profound passion for educating young minds. Today, that enduring legacy is stronger than ever, as the future generations of these founding families have proudly stepped forward to take the mantle and guide the school forward.
As we look ahead, we remain deeply committed to our roots. Currently, construction is well underway at our Aakkulam campus for a brand-new, state-of-the-art block built exclusively for our kindergarteners. This magnificent new space is being designed from the ground up with modern, child-friendly architecture, expansive indoor and outdoor play zones, and advanced learning facilities. It stands as a testament to our ongoing promise: to honor the legacy of our united families, while continually elevating the standard of care and education for the generations yet to come.
