St. Roch's Teacher Training Institute (TTI) has a rich history rooted in service, education, and social empowerment. The journey began in 1924 when Rev. Mother Marie Louise Demeester, the foundress of the Belgian Missionary Canonesses of St. Augustine, sent three devoted missionaries - Mothers Marie Henriette Nollet, Gabriela DeSpiegelaer, and Elisa - to Valiyathope, a coastal village in Thiruvananthapuram. Their mission was to serve the underprivileged, uplift women, and bring about social change through education.
In June 1925, the missionaries, affectionately known as the "Mothers," established the first educational institutions, including a Primary School and an English Middle School for Girls. Recognizing the importance of skilled teachers, they later founded a Teacher Training School for Girls in 1935, under the belief that "when we train a man, we form only an individual, but when we train a woman, we form a society." This initiative marked the birth of St. Roch's TTI, named in honor of St. Roch, whom the locals believed had healing powers against contagious diseases.
St. Roch's TTI has grown into one of India's pioneering and oldest teacher training institutions. Through a collaborative partnership with St. Roch's Lower Primary School (LPS), the institute provides its students with enhanced exposure and hands-on experience. The LPS serves as a lab school, where TTI students actively participate in various activities, gaining practical skills and real-world teaching experience.
Over the past eighty eight years, St. Roch's TTI has continued to uphold its mission, shaping generations of educators dedicated to community betterment and rendering exemplary service to society.
ST. ROCH
Mother MARIE LOUISE DE MEESTER
Rev Sr Annamma Antony ICM
Smt Sindhu Innocent