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Malabar Christian College, Kozhikode

The Malabar Christian College (MCC), established in 1909, is one of the oldest institutions of the Malabar district of Kerala. Located in the present Kozhikode district, it was initially established by Protestant Christian missionaries from Basel, Switzerland with the aim of educating the youth in the Malabar region without any discrimination.

The college was initially affiliated to the University of Madras as a second-grade college and was promoted to a first-grade college in 1956.

Background

The foundation for Malabar Christian College was laid as a primary school, known as the B.G.E.M. Anglo-Vernacular School in Kallai, near Calicut, in 1848. It had roughly 100 students in five classes. It was the first school in Calicut to teach English language to local people. In 1859, the school was moved from Kallai to the center of the town, east of Mananchira, where the B.E.M. Girl’s High School now stands.The school gained in reputation over time and was changed to a middle school in 1872. Three years later, a new building was constructed for the school, and the institution was raised to the status of a high school in 1878. Mr G.T. Verghese served as its first headmaster. In 1906, the school was shifted to the present building, and the old building was handed over to B.E.M. Girl’s School.

In 1907, the Basel Mission Education Council applied for affiliation, and in 1908, the college was raised to the status of a second-grade college affiliated to the University of Madras. W. Muller served as the first principal in 1909, and around 15 students joined the collegiate branch, which offered science, mathematics, history, and logic.

The Industrial Establishment of Basel Mission was seized by the British Government in 1914, at the start of the First World War, on the grounds that it was a German organization. As a result, the Basel Mission’s work in India suffered, and its missionaries concentrated their efforts in South Canara. Eventually, the institution lost its patronage, and the Madras Christian College took over management of the college, which was renamed the ‘Malabar Christian College’.

Initially, due to the First World War and the Depression, there were fewer admissions, but during 1927–35, more students registered in the College. In 1934, a higher elementary branch was opened. Following the Munich Pact, the institution was transferred back to Basel Mission, with J.F Thaddeus as Principal. However, in the same year, the Christian Education Society took over management.‘Education without discrimination’ was the motto of the institution.

The college’s objective was to cultivate a well-organized academic community and to spread this message across society. In order to accomplish this, they formed the first Boys Scout Group in Malabar in October 1917 under the direction of J.Kuryan. By 1928–29, the college had 982 students, with 78 of them enrolled for matriculation.

Presently, the college offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in arts and science and is affiliated to the University of Calicut.

References

  • C. K. Usha. (2017). English Education, Intelligentsia and Social Change in Colonial Malabar, 1817–1947 [Doctoral Thesis, Kannur University, Institute for Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, Nirmalagiri College Campus].
  • A Brief Historical Sketch. History, Malabar Christian College. Accessed on 24.07.2023 from
    https://mccclt.ac.in/history-2/
  • Malabar Christian College. (2023). Wikipedia. Accessed on 24.07.2023 from
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malabar_Christian_College