Lifetime Achievement in Education Leadership 2013

Augustine & Grace Pinto, Founders, Ryan International Group of Institutions

CITATION

Born in Mangalore, Karnataka — one of nine children of a farmer of modest means — Dr. Augustine Pinto schooled in St. Aloysius High, Mangalore and Loyola College, Chennai, from where he graduated in 1969 with a degree in economics. Soon after, he migrated to Mumbai where he began his career in the administration department of a plastic footwear company which went into liquidation in 1976, and he lost his job. This misfortune prompted him to begin teaching in a primary school in Malad, Mumbai. Meanwhile in 1974 he met with and married Grace Albuquerque, a maths and science teacher, to forge a partnership which has changed the contours of K-12 education in India.

In 1976 the duo promoted their first own primary school, the Fr. Agnelo Primary School, Malad which failed, obliging both of them to take up teaching jobs again. However, determined to teach under-served middle class children in Mumbai the ABCs with a strong component of moral instruction, on July 4, 1983 Augustine and Grace Pinto promoted the St. Xavier’s High School, Borivali, Mumbai — their first owned school, from modest savings.

Since then under the joint leadership of Dr. Augustine and Mme. Grace Pinto, the Ryan International chain of schools has blossomed into 128 K-12 schools in 16 states across India with an aggregate enrolment of 250,000 students mentored by 10,000 teachers. Thus far the Ryan International Group of Institutions, which has also promoted schools in the Middle East, has developed and shaped 500,000 alumni, many of whom occupy top positions in business and industry and have created millions of jobs within the Indian economy.

Driven by their strong faith in God, over the past 33 years Dr. Augustine and Grace Pinto have provided high-quality, values-driven English-medium education across the country and at all price points to over 750,000 children, and have played a major role in expanding India’s middle class which is driving the country’s economic growth.

Therefore for their extraordinary contribution to the growth and development of high-quality, English-medium K-12 education and for playing a major role in helping to build India’s promising new middle class, the Board of Directors and Editors are proud to present Dr. Augustine and Mme. Grace Pinto a special Lifetime Achievement in Leadership 2013 Award. 

Also read: Leaders who can revive Indian education – Grace Pinto