Located on Murree Road in Saddar, Saint John’s High School stands out as an institution that welcomes children of all religions and castes, including Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs, and provides education without any discrimination or prejudice.

Established in 1961 with nine students, St. John’s High School has served the country by not only providing a good education but also grooming students. Dr M.A.Q. Daskawie, a former principal of Gordon College and an American national Dorthy Cummings, along with her husband Prof Dr J.B. Cummings (also a former principal of Gordon College) founded the school.

The school has an interesting history, as in 1962, both foreign and native professors of Gordon College realised that students needed to work hard to cope with the English medium syllabus because their basic education was insufficient.

At that time, few English-medium schools existed, and those that did were only affordable for the privileged classes. Children of ordinary families felt deprived of a bright future.

This situation motivated Dr Daskawie, then principal of Gordon College, to establish an English medium school accessible to the general public. He shared his idea with like-minded friends, mainly Ms Dorthy Cummings, wife of Prof Dr J.B. Cummings, who supported him. Dr Daskawie also persuaded Ms Cummings to lead this institution, and she accepted.

Thus, on 16 January 1961, Saint John’s High School was founded in an old bungalow with nine students. In the early days, Dr Daskawie funded the school through resources from Gordon College. Ms V. Peter John, Ms H. Robert, Ms S. Benjamin, Ms S. Foster, Raja Aziz Kiyani, and Ms Worsley were among the staff members who served in the beginning.

Ms Dorthy Cummings utilised all her sources to raise funds for the school, approaching friends and individuals within the country and abroad for donations. She also sold used Christmas and greeting cards to students to generate additional funds.

The current school building was constructed in 1962 with the foundation stone laid by then secretary Food and Agriculture Muhammad Khursheed. Ms Cummings served the institution from 1961 until 1967 after which she left for the USA when the school became fully operational.

Azeem Kanwal, the principal of Saint John’s High School, said Ms Cummings also established a hostel in her bungalow next to the school, where underprivileged students from nearby villages lived and learned about society.

“We continue to follow her footsteps by teaching students how to behave in society,” he stated.

Prof S.J. Imamud Din, a former professor at Gordon College, served at the school from 1967 to 1973, earning repute through his dedication to its development. Edward Parshad served from 1973 to 1975, and Mr S.K. Dass from 1976 to 1981.

“We provide education to the children regardless of their religion and caste, but to groom them to face the challenges of the modern world,” said Azeem Kanwal while speaking to Dawn.

He noted that over 500 students are currently enrolled and that plans are underway to further improve enrolment. “We charge lower fees compared to private institutions, as our mission is to develop the whole, being the students, preparing each student for a successful future life,” he said.

He said that after the Covid pandemic, the number of students reduced otherwise there were more than 1,000 students enrolled in the school.

He said that at present, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikh students are enrolled in the school and all they get is education. The majority are Muslims and Christians, with five Hindu students.

The school management is working on establishing a hostel for students from villages and remote areas so they can come and receive education, just as Ms Cummings did in 1962.

He said that the school produced a large number of educated people in the country, and many of them are serving in the army, the medical, journalism, civil bureaucracy and the private sector.

“Many students who lived abroad came to school and recalled their memories and appreciated the role of teachers to give them education,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2025