Page 7 - Dr P C Thomas

DR. P.C. THOMAS

Founder-principal, Good Shepherd Group of

Institutions, Ooty (1943-2020)

T he picturesque hill station of Ootacamund, aka Ooty (pop. 125,000), set high (7,000 ft
above mean sea level) in the Nilgiri hills, is nationally famous for its lakes, green meadows,
verdant tea estates and cool climate. It is also one of India’s major K-12 education hubs and has
become nationally — and even internationally — famous for its boarding schools. In this cool edu-
cation hub, Dr. P.C. Thomas has acquired legendary status for conceptualising and constructing this
salubrious hill station's premier internationally benchmarked, superbly equipped wholly residential
Good Shepherd International School (GSIS, estb.1977). Sprawled across two green and meticulously
landscaped campuses aggregating 180 acres, this CISCE, Cambridge International and IB-affiliated
K-12 school’s 800-strong students cohort (including 290 girl children) from 26 countries is provid-
ed a mix of high-quality academic, co-curricular and sports education comparable with the best
worldwide.

GSIS which sprawls across Ooty, also includes the Good Shepherd Finishing School (estb.2003) for
young women which in the vintage tradition of finishing schools, promises to transform young girls
into refined socially accomplished ladies.

“From a young age I dreamt of promoting a world-class boarding school to provide the most mod-
ern pedagogies, international curricula, high-quality faculty and excellent facilities for co-curricular
and sports education which would attract students from across the country and children of the Indi-
an diaspora. Four decades after I embarked on this mission, I believe that we have built, developed
and nurtured a K-12 school which compares with the best worldwide,” says Dr. Thomas.

In 2013 GSIS was accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and became the first school
in India/Asia to be awarded the International Certification of CIS. GSIS is also an accredited member
of the NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges).