View source for Dhamtari Christian Academy (Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh State, India)

Dhamtari Christian Academy (later named Mennonite Higher Secondary School), an educational institution of the Mennonite Church in India (formerly the American Mennonite Mission), opened in 1931. It originally consisted of high school, middle school, normal training, and primary practicing school departments; located in Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh State, [[India|India]]. In the 1950s it had a total enrollment of 595 in all departments, excluding practicing school. Of this total 462 were boys and 133 were girls. In addition 118 boys and 73 girls, total 191, were enrolled in the primary practicing school, making the grand total of pupils in all departments 786. Thirty-one teachers, 21 men, 10 women, made up the teaching staff at that time. The following have served as principal since the beginning of the academy: [[Miller, Ernest E. (1893-1975)|E. E. Miller]], 1931-1937; [[Graber, Joseph Daniel (1900-1978)|J. D. Graber]], 1937-1938; S. M. King, 1938-1944; Wilbur Hostetler, 1944-1946; J. N. Kaufman, 1946-1947; S. M. King, 1947-1953; J. W. Samida, after 1953.

The American Mennonite mission maintained primary schools and at least one middle and high school as well as a Bible school from the earliest years. In 1931 the academy was organized combining the various schools into an integrated institution. The normal training department was closed in 1946 but reopened in 1951. The special year of Bible study was discontinued in 1946 and Bible classes are combined with the regular curricula in the various departments. The church cooperated with Bible schools and seminaries in other areas to provide special Christian worker training.

See [[Mennonite Church in India|Mennonite Church in India]]
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