Education in South Kanara District became organized with the advent of foreign missionaries chiefly the Basel Mission and the Jesuits. When Jesuits landed in Mangalore on 27th Sept. 1878 purely for the purpose of education they found the people receptive and intelligent. St. Aloysius College a monument to educational enterprise was started in the year of 1880 to provide the youth of South Kanara a sound & liberal education.

        With the coming of the Jesuits in 1878 the education in this district took a different turn and was completely organized. A number of schools sprang up by the side of village churches, the priest taking keen interest in the imparting of education and the Government helping private enterprise in their worthy endeavor. The Madras Presidency to which South Kanara belonged was a benign mother helping the private institutions with financial aid to run the schools.

        The personal work of each priest in his village was consolidated by the ever watchful eye of the Bishops of Mangalore from whom they obtained guidance help and enthusiasm.

         Catholic Board of Education was formed in the year 1932 by Rt. Rev. Dr. V.R. Fernandes, the then Bishop of Mangalore to bring all the parish schools under one organization. The first meeting of the Board was held at the Bishop’s House on 26th July 1932 with the Bishop as President. Rev. Msgr. R.F.C. Mascarenhas was the first Manager/Secretary of the Board.

        In the year 1956, October 6th the Board was registered as Society under the Societies Act with the object of promoting good and sound education in the Diocese by starting, maintaining educational institutions, general schools open to all without discrimination of caste, creed or community.

        Though in the beginning we had only Aided Kannada Medium Schools, gradually English Medium Un-Aided School were opened and registered. At present we have 231 educational institutions registered under Catholic Board Of Education. Recently, some of our Aided Kannada Medium Schools are closed because of lack of student strength and lack of support from the government to appoint aided teachers. Our institutions are getting ready to implement the National Education Policy – 2020