. ▁Although ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁lect ures ▁were ▁in ▁French , ▁sometimes ▁history , ▁ge ography ▁and ▁Pers ian ▁literature ▁were ▁also ▁taught . ▁It ▁is ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁establish ing ▁these ▁schools ▁was ▁to ▁persu ade ▁Armen ian ▁Iran ians ▁– ▁who ▁were ▁mostly ▁follow ers ▁of ▁orth odox ▁religion ▁and ▁Iran ian ▁Ass y ri ans ▁– ▁who ▁followed ▁the ▁teach ings ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Church ▁or ▁Luther an ism ▁– ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Catholic ▁church ▁ ▁St . ▁Louis ▁school ▁opened ▁in ▁Te h ran , ▁in ▁L ale h zar ▁area , ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁The ▁school ▁was ▁for ▁boys ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁had ▁only 1 5 ▁students , ▁Christian ▁and ▁Muslim ▁from ▁first ▁up ▁to ▁fifth ▁grade . ▁From ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁high ▁school ▁classes ▁were ▁also ▁taught . ▁Arthur ▁de ▁G ob ine au , ▁the ▁French ▁mission er , ▁who ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁was ▁in ▁Q aj ar ’ s ▁court ▁encourag ed ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁school . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁a ▁school ▁for ▁girls , ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Jean ne ▁d ' Ar c ▁was ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁one . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁years , ▁the ▁school ▁had ▁few ▁students , ▁who ▁were ▁mostly ▁Armen ians ▁and ▁Ass y ri ans . ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁years , ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Education ▁allocated ▁funds ▁to ▁this ▁school , ▁so ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁Muslim ▁students ▁became ▁more ▁than ▁Armen ians