Our History
Forty Years of First Things First
A Message from the Principal
[ Photo: Mr. Morris Tanvir — current ]
"It gives me great pleasure to welcome you, on behalf of St. Andrew's High School, to a school that has served the families of Karachi for four decades.
St. Andrew's was founded in 1986 on a single principle — First Things First — the belief that character, discipline, and honesty must come before every other measure of a student's success. This principle is not written only in our prospectus; it is recited by every student, every morning, as part of the Andrian Pledge that has guided this school since its first year.
I want to thank every parent who has placed their trust in us over these forty years. That trust has been, and remains, the foundation on which we build. As we enter our 40th year, we do so with a renewed commitment — not to reinvent what St. Andrew's is, but to restore it to the standard this address, and this city, have always deserved.
I invite you to visit our campus, meet our teachers, and see First Things First in practice. It is my hope, and my prayer, that every child who walks through our doors leaves not only better educated, but better prepared to serve God, their fellow men, and their nation — exactly as our pledge asks of them."
Mr. Morris Tanvir — Founding Principal, St. Andrew's High School
Founded on a Simple Idea
St. Andrew's High School was founded in 1986 by Mr. Morris Tanvir and Mrs. Tabitha Tanvir, beginning in a rented space in DHA Phase 1. As the school grew, it moved to its permanent home in DHA Phase VII in 2001 — the campus it occupies today.
Every morning for forty years, St. Andrew's students have recited a pledge that names no single community. It asks them to serve "God & Men and my Motherland" — Faith, Humanity, and Country in the same breath — and to live by one motto their founders gave them: First Things First.
The Andrian Pledge
Every morning, before the school day begins, St. Andrew's students recite a pledge that has anchored the school since its founding:
"I, as an Andrian, hereby pledge to serve God & Men and my Motherland, with all my heart and soul. To abstain from unwholesome things & to live up to my School Motto First Things First. So, help me God to keep this pledge throughout my life."
— Mr. Morris Tanvir, Founding Principal
First Things First was Mr. Morris Tanvir's conviction from the day he became Principal in 1986 — the idea his wife, Mrs. Tabitha Tanvir, stood beside him to build a school around. Recited by every student, every day, for four decades, it means Character before achievement, Discipline before results, Principle before convenience. Everything else the school does follows from that order.
Forty Years On
2026 marks St. Andrew's 40th year. Under continued family leadership, the school has begun its most significant period of investment and renewal since its founding — in facilities, in faculty, and in academic standards.
This is not a reinvention. It is a restoration — a return to the founders' original vision, and a commitment to rebuild St. Andrew's to the standard this city, and this address, once knew it for.
Our Campus
Established in 1986, St. Andrew's moved into its own premises on the DHA Phase VII campus in 2001. The campus includes well-equipped science laboratories supporting the requirements of both academic Streams, a library, and dedicated classrooms designed for focused learning. Today, as part of the school's 40th-year restoration, these facilities are being upgraded to meet the standard this address, and this city, expect.