Page 8 - Grace Pinto

HISTORY

milestones

n alumna of Mumbai University, Grace married fellow teacher Dr. Augustine F. Pin-
A to, a graduate of Loyola College, Chennai, in 1974. Two years later in 1976, the
couple promoted the Fr. Agnelo Primary School in Malad West, Mumbai, with modest
capital of Rs.10,000 from personal savings. Seven years later in 1983, they promoted
their second school — St. Xavier’s High, Borivali East, a Maharashtra state board affili-
ated co-ed day school — the first successful initiative which laid the foundation of the
transnational RIGI.

“Despite setbacks and challenges, we were determined to follow our dream and by the
grace of God our perseverance has paid off. Today, RIGI schools are widely acclaimed for
bringing high-quality English-medium schooling within the reach of India’s rising new
middle class. Most satisfyingly, in all RIGI schools academic rigour is complemented
with co-curricular, life skills and sports education in keeping with our motto ‘excellence
in education and all-round development’,” says Mme. Grace, who over the years has
emerged as a champion of affordable education, particularly of girl children.

t e

RIGI Snapshot

Estb: 1976
Institutions: 137

Students: 270,000
Faculty: 16,000

70 | 21 Great Leaders Transforming Indian Education