Delhi, capital of fake universities and colleges?

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March 20, 2017

With 66 fake colleges and seven fake universities, Delhi seems to be fast emerging as the capital of dubious colleges away from its recognition as a cosmopolitan city, especially after some reports have indicated the national capital city has highest number of such cases for any state in India.

The list of fake educational institutes includes colleges/universities offering engineering and other technical courses without the regulator’s permission. There are 279 such technical institutes in the country.

The educational institutes included in fake list don’t have the authority to grant degrees. Education certificates issued by such colleges are nothing but a piece of paper.

In its annual review, the UGC and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) last month put out a list of such fake institutes on their websites. The two regulators have also warned students ahead of the new academic session to avoid taking admissions in these institutions.

“We send the list of unapproved and unregulated technical institutions to concerned state authorities for taking appropriate action against such institutions,” an official said.

Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharasthra also have a sizable number of fake technical institutes. AICTE, the technical education regulator, has also issued notices to these schools for not taking its approval.

“Public notices are also published in newspapers cautioning the students not to take admission in such unapproved institutions,” the official said.

Minister of State for Human Resource Development Mahendra Nath Pandey in his reply in the Rajya Sabha has said, the ministry had written to state governments to investigate the matter and register police complaints against fake universities.

States have also been asked to initiate proceedings against those involved in defrauding and cheating students “by misrepresenting themselves as ‘universities’ awarding degrees with their name”, Pandey told the Rajya Sabha.

The details of fake universities and fake technical institutes are available on the websites of UGC and AICTE.

New software to boost higher education scenario in Bihar

News

By

Akash

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March 20, 2017

In order to boost the higher education in Bihar, the state higher education department has decided to introduce University Management System (UMS) in all universities and constituent colleges.

K Senthil Kumar, additional secretary, higher education department-cum-project director said, “The department has developed a new software which will link all universities and colleges together and facilitate conduct of academic activities as per the academic calendar of the universities”.

While addressing a meeting of registrars, principals and nodal officers of the state varsities, Kumar said that all universities and constituent colleges would come under the integrated system. “With the help of new technology, universities and colleges would be provided more facilities like online admission, WiFi, course management, publication of results, academic calendar and financial management. The new software will be named — Edu Grid-Bihar,” he said.

In a bid to streamline higher education scenario in the state, the new software is developed after several brainstorming sessions with technical experts, Kumar revealed. “The new system would be introduced in the ensuing academic session in July,” he said. A power point presentation on various advantages of the new technology was also given by State Education Director-IT, Arjun Kumar.

Ranjit Kumar Verma, former pro-vice chancellor, Patna University who played a crucial role in development of the new software, said the UMS will ensure transparency in universities. He said, the new software will be university-teacher-student centric and provide a single window service to students. “The focus will be on e-governance in universities and colleges. Each university and college will have a user-friendly website which could display time table of each department too,” he added.

During meeting, stress was also given on the need to get NAAC accreditation for all universities and colleges in the state to avail UGC grants under Rashtriya Ucchttar Shikhsa Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme.

BHIM, county’s first indigenous superpower drone by IIT Kharagpur

By

Akash

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March 20, 2017

IIT Kharagpur has designed the country’s first indigenous superpower drone, BHIM. The unmanned aerial device’s uniqueness lies in state-of-the-art protection shield, superior imagery and hitherto unknown abilities, say its creators. The drone will be a metre in length.

BHIM can also create a Wi-Fi zone within a nearly 1 km radius when it flies overhead. With a battery backup of seven hours, the drone can be very useful in creating seamless communication network while flying into a disaster affected area or a war-zone. It will help the security forces, rescue personnel and even the common man during such situations.

BHIM is designed especially for emergency situations as its special ability lies in maintaining long duration flights and dropping emergency supplies accurately. It can also be used for rescue operations in remote areas and can conduct integrity checks for boundary walls and find out breaches if any.

The vision-based guidance with built-in intelligence makes the drone identify that either an area is crowded or not, it will then fly away and land at a safer place.

“Such advanced built-in intelligence is not available in drones now. The design is completely in-house. The controlling and guiding algorithms of the drone have been developed in our lab,” said Sudip Mishra, a faculty member of the computer science and engineering department.

Now, BSE Institute Ltd to offer specialised programs in finance and financial markets

By

Akash

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March 20, 2017

Bombay Stock Exchange Institute Ltd (BIL), the leader in financial education, is soon going to offer specialised programs in finance and financial markets. The institute has signed an MoU with Techno India University of Kolkatta in this regard.

The programmes, to be offered jointly, will include high end programs in financial markets and Fintech as well as BSE Institute’s flagship concurrent program Global Financial Markets Professional (GFMP) Programme.

During the programme, the students will be provided knowledge about cash, derivatives, technical analysis, financial modeling, mutual funds, banking operations and whole range of specialized topics. The course consists of 4 semesters followed by 1 semester of industrial practice.

Speaking on the occasion Managing Director and CEO of BSE Institute, Ambarish Datta said,”This MOU will give us an opportunity to reach out to bright students in West Bengal as well as states in North Eastern India. I am confident that we will be able to work together to create a pipeline of skilled professionals for the BFSI Industry.”

BIL offers a wide range of programmes in financial markets, banking and finance and business journalism. From one-day workshops to full-time post graduate programmes, the courses at BIL offer students a great learning experience.

AMU and University of Sharjah sign MoU for academic cooperation

By

Akash

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March 20, 2017

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for academic cooperation. Through the MoU, both the universities will exchange knowledge, academic programmes, research and other activities.

The MoU was signed by AMU Vice Chancellor, Lt General Zameer Uddin Shah and Chancellor of University of Sharjah, Professor Hamid Al Naimy. The formal agreement between the two universities will lead the way for international academic cooperation in terms of exchange of faculty members, research scholars and students.

The MoU, besides having joint educational programs at undergraduate, postgraduate, doctorate and post-doctorate levels will also pave the for the two universities in joint research activities and meetings concerning education and research.

According to a official communiqué, the two universities will also exchange educational materials, research, publications, scientific information, residency training programmes, fellowships, entrepreneurship and business and technology incubators under the MoU.

AMU Vice Chancellor, General Shah said that the MoU shall facilitate networking and support collaboration between the two parties’ educational programes, research centres, institutes and affiliated hospitals associated with each party.

He added that for each project of collaboration, both parties shall discuss and agree on the objectives, implementation and any financial arrangements related to the project.

Army recruitment goes online

News

By

Akash

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March 20, 2017

The Central Government has approved to conduct online entrance examination to recruit personnel for various ranks in Indian army. The decision has been taken after the army recruitment question paper leak.

The case of paper leak was reported under recruiting zone of Pune, ahead of a common entrance examination for recruitment of other ranks in the army last month.

While replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Defense, Subhash Bhamre said, the government has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident. He added, during the last three years, seven cases of paper leak have been reported.

“Strict instructions have been issued to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and that any violations will be strictly dealt with. Further, the government has approved introduction of online entrance examination for recruitment of other ranks in the army,” Bhamre said.

Travelling together on growth path

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By

digitalLEARNING Network

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March 20, 2017

India-Bahrain bilateral relations are anchored in the history of the two nations that goes back to 3000 BC when Bahrain served as a trading and cultural bridge between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilisation. The strong bilateral relationship between the two countries in modern times is underpinned by close cooperation in the areas of food and energy security, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, tourism, banking, human resource development, education, research and technology development, writes Rashi Aditi Ghosh of Elets News Network (ENN).

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has made great strides in the education sector, quadrupling the average level of schooling since 1960, halving illiteracy levels since 1980 and achieving almost complete gender parity in primary education.

India and Bahrain enjoy excellent bilateral relations characterised by cordial political, economic and cultural contacts. Our bilateral trade and commercial exchanges go back to about 5,000 years ago tracing their origins to the period of Dilmun Civilisation in Bahrain and Indus valley civilisation in India. Ancient Bahraini traders are believed to have carried out flourishing trade in Bahraini pearls and spices from India. Presence of around 350,000 Indian nationals who comprise a third of Bahrain’s total population of 1.3 million is an important anchor for Carrying Forward the Legacy of Strong Ties.

The close ties between India and Bahrain in recent times has received a significant boost with leaders from both the countries maintaining close contacts with each other through visits and signing of agreements to address the issues of common concern.

Some of the important milestones achieved during these visits in the shape of bilateral agreements and Memorandums of Understanding can be summerised as following:

♦ Air Service Agreement (April 2000)
♦ MoU on Cooperation between Ministries of Foreign Affairs (January 2004)
♦ Agreement on juridical and judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters (January 2004)
♦ Extradition treaty (January 2004)
♦ Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (January 2004)
♦ Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Bilateral Investment (January 2004)
♦ Agreement for media cooperation between Prasar Bharati and Bahrain Radio and TV Corporation (March 2007)
♦ MoU on labour and manpower Development (June 2009)
♦ Agreement regarding Exchange of Information with respect to Taxes (May 2012)
♦ MoU on cooperation in the field of Information and communication Technology (May 2012)
♦ MoU on the establishment of a Joint High Commission (February 2014)
♦ MoU on cooperation between the Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, India and the Diplomatic Institute (February 2014)
♦ MoU for cooperation in the field of youth and sports (February 2014)
♦ MoU on Water Resources Development and Management (February 2015)

LEVERAGING TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS
India and Bahrain have had economic and trade relations for over several centuries; these relations received fresh impetus from the oil boom of the early seventies. Relative prosperity and higher standard of living in Bahrain boosted global imports of goods and services, including from India. Bahrain Government’s policy of industrial diversification also played an important role in enhancing economic cooperation between India and Bahrain. More than anything else, new job opportunities attracted a large number of Indian expatriates to Bahrain. Bahrain serves as the gateway to the GCC market because of its location.

India imports mainly Crude Oil, Ores, slag/ash Petroleum products, Aluminum and Fertilisers and exports Inorganic chemicals, organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals, ships and boats, boilers and machineries, Iron and steel and processed foods, etc.

DIASPORA ACTING AS ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL BRIDGE
While Bahrain is a small country both geographically (a mere 712 sq. kms.) and in terms of population (1.3 million), it has been a favourite destination of work for Indian nationals. While there were only 90,000 Indian nationals working in Bahrain in 2000, the number has since increased to 350,000 (approximately).

Out of this total, as many as 220,000 are from the state of Kerala. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu account for roughly 40,000 each.

Over 50,000 come from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Punjab. In terms of professions, the vast majority, i.e. 70 per cent, of our nationals are in the category of unskilled labour. Banking, medicine, management and accounts for the bulk of the well-to-do.

OVERSEAS INDIAN FACILITATION CENTRE (OIFC)
OIFC organised its first ‘Diaspora Engagement Meet’ in Bahrain on September 6, 2014 during the visit of Minister of External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs Sushma Swaraj to Bahrain, with the objective to acquaint the Indians living in Bahrain as well as businesspersons of the Kingdom of Bahrain with the various trade and investment opportunities in India. This was attended by close to 500 delegates. In order to promote bilateral economic relations between India and Bahrain, Confideration of Indian Industry (CII) is opening an office in Manama in cooperation with the Economic Development Board of Bahrain. OIFC will be integral part of CII office in Bahrain.

BAHRAIN INDIA SOCIETY
A group of India friendly businessmen led by former Labour Minister of Bahrain Abdul Nabi Al Sho’ala founded Bahrain India Society, which was formally inaugurated by Bahrain Foreign Minister on 21 December 2008. The Society’s objectives include promoting closer bilateral ties of friendship and understanding between the two peoples in the economic, cultural, sports and scientific fields.

The Indian expatriate community enjoys great goodwill from the Bahraini authorities and the employers alike. It is no secret that Indians are preferred over other expatriates from the subcontinent. The main reasons for this include the trust factor, strong work ethics and the “apolitical” orientation of Indian expatriates.

Rehashing educational practices

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 20, 2017

Education is a fundamental tool in building a healthy society. Education provides life transforming opportunities and instills values in children, who are the future of any country, says Manjula Pooja Shroff, MD & CEO of Kalorex Group in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).

Born in Royal family of the Indian State Odisha, Ms Manjula Pooja Shroff is a motivated, energetic and revolutionary leader. She completed her graduation from Women’s College – Odisha and got her Post Graduate Degree from York University. She is also an Executive Alumnus of London School of Economics, holding a Post-Graduate degree from Utkal University and a Graduate degree of Management Education from IIM, Ahmedabad.

EDUPRENEUR:
An educationist at heart, she is regarded by many as the change agent for schooling in the state of Gujarat. Her entrepreneurial spirit and her passion for education gave her vision roots and Circa 1995 was when it all started. With 16 teachers and 400 students, the first institution, Delhi Public School – affiliated to CBSE -was established.

Since then there has been no looking back and today there are 40+ institutions (Pre- School to University) in two countries, eight cities, running under the Kalorex banner, having 1,2000 plus students from more than 24 nationalities.

The use of technology is one of the major USPs of Kalorex. Teachers demonstrate an understanding of emerging classroom technologies through continuous trainings that exhibit knowledge, attitudes, and skills of digital age work and learning leading to a 21st century teacher.

Under the guidance of Manjula Pooja Shroff, Kalorex Group has expanded its presence not only in India but also globally. A few of the group’s internationally famed institutions are:
♦ Delhi Public School- Bopal, Ahmedabad
♦ Delhi Public School- East, Ahmedabad
♦ Calorx Public School across verious locations
♦ Kalorex PreSchool
♦ Kalorex Champion School
♦ International FZC headquartered at Ajman

SOCIAL SERVICE:
Much before setting up her enterprise, she was inclined towards her all consuming passion for social service. Right from her young days she has been taking initiatives to help the various group of the society. Some of her Social initiatives are:

♦ Started a Public Recreation Park at Shahid Nagar, Bhubaneshwar providing facilities such a basketball with floodlight facility, Indoor Chess, IT, Gym, Outdoor play ground, jogging path, etc 1989.
♦ Supported Child Relief & You [CRY] New Delhi, 1993.
♦ Started Visamo Shelter Camp for earthquake victims in 2001.This camp provided shelter to 1800 people for two months. Provided Psychological healing to women and children through various therapies. Besides aiding the victims to settle down through donating household items and food kits.
♦ Rehabilitated two villages destroyed during the Gujarat earthquake
♦ Adopted the Karuna Trust Hospital for one month to provide orthopedic operations for the earthquake victims. 40 patients were provided foreign implants as well as Jaipur Foot, besides medical therapy.

Kalorex is actively involved in CSR projects that have had a direct impact on disadvantaged sections of society. Shroff’s commitment to cater to all sections of the society and to all needs of the students led to a one of its kind institute by the name of KALOREX “PRERNA”, a first of its kind its school for Dyslexic Children.

An educationist at heart, she is regarded by many as the change agent for schooling in the state of Gujarat

THE HUMANITARIAN:
Shroff instituted the Dr. K.R. Shroff Memorial Lecture series as a tribute to her Father-in-law, Dr. K. R. Shroff (1921 -1987) who received his MRCP (Member of Royal College of Physicians) at London in 1950 before returning to India. He was associated with Civil Hospital at Ahmadabad as an honorary physician and associate professor for over 25 years.

VOCATIONAL INITIATIVES:
Shroff strongly advocates the importance of skill development as part of the mainstream education. She has been instrumental in setting up the Vocational & Educational Development Institute of Calorx (VEDIC). Here women are given skill based training for employability in the industry.

Calorx Teachers’ University – A University for Teacher Training is also giving aspiring teachers an integrated programme for a degree in Education. Interestingly students from tribal communities show great interest in these courses as these graduates get equipped to go back to their rural settings and get teaching jobs.

Shroff is working towards integrating Skill Development in mainstream education through her participation and involvement with the Vibrant Gujarat Summit where she plays an active role in decision making and mooting educational initiatives in the state of Gujarat.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS:
Shroff has been the recipient of several awards. Among them, the prestigious Secular India Award from the President of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma, and Woman of the Year by American Bibliography Society, North Carolina.

♦ Secular India Harmony Award (United Children’s Movement) by the then President of India Shankar Dayal Sharma
♦ Bharat Vikas Award from International Business Council
♦ Eminent Citizen of India Award by National & International Compendium
♦ 21st Century Millennium Award by International Institute of Education & Management
♦ Education Excellence Award and Vidya Rattan Award by Management Studies Promotion Institute
♦ Awarded “Contemporary Who’s Who” and “Women of the Year” by American Biographical Society, North Carolina ♦ Pride of India International Award by International Business Council
♦ Honorary Fellowship by Australian – Asian Institute of Civil Leadership
♦ Felicitated “Nari Shakti Award” by Jasu Shilpi Foundation
♦ Conferred with “Women Entrepreneur of the Year” at India Education Awards 2017

BRAND KALOREX: Kalorex wishes to expand to 100 cities across India, Middle East and other countries of Asia through a strong network of Business associates. The 40+ Institutions of Kalorex is a mix of self-owned and investment led partnerships by Investors who wish to make a mark in education.

Global Schools Foundation Nurturing Children Holistically

By

digitalLEARNING Network

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March 20, 2017

Global Schools – an initiative of the Singapore-based Global Schools Foundation (GSF) – is known for offering skill-based and learner-centric curricula.The GSF provides holistic learning and personality development opportunities for all its students, writes Elets News Network (ENN).

GSF is an international network of award-winning schools with 20 campuses in Singapore, the UAE, Malaysia, Japan, India, Thailand and Vietnam.

The chain of schools endeavours to amalgamate diverse cultures, perspectives and facilitate knowledge sharing to foster a holistic learning experience across geographies has been consistent since inception. Students are encouraged to consider their responsibilities towards their community and the world around to them, by creating conceptual and practical connections.

Holding strong academic credentials and vast teaching experience, GIIS’ faculty forms the backbone of the school’s vision ‘To Become a Global Role Model for Teaching and Learning.’

GIIS’ students, over the years, have secured exemplary achievements in academic and non-academic spheres. GIIS encourages the use of technology in the classroom and to maintain open communication, making learning a fascinating experience at GIIS. Both international and Indian curricula are offered at GIIS and include IB Diploma, Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education, Central Board of Secondery Education (CBSE), CBSEi and Global Montessori Plus programme for early years. Basis the geography the school is operating in and as per local preference the core curriculum is decided. Around it is woven our curriculum delivery system which is demonstrated through our Nine Gems™ learning framework which equips the students with with skills and competences – such as problem solving; critical, analytical and creative thinking; and teamwork – relevant to the dynamic 21st century work environment.

By implementing the United States Excellence Standards “Malcolm Baldrige” to effect continuous improvements in the standards of their schools, we benchmark our education excellence against the best schools in the world.

Our schools have delivered exceptional academic results. The schools have produced 6 IB DP world toppers and a large number of near-perfect scorers. In 2016, a student topped ASEAN & Middle East region by scoring 98.2% in Grade 12 exams of CBSE. In the same examination, 48% of our students scored 90% and above and our school average was 85.7%.

UNIVERSITY PLACEMENTS
Students have secured placements worldwide in top universities like Cornell University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of California – Berkeley, Imperial College – London, University of Edinburgh, King’s College – London, Nanyang Technological University and National University of Singapore among others.

Being registered with UCAS (for UK colleges) and with the College Board USA, the Counselling Department shares an excellent rapport with many prestigious universities. Regular updates and latest information on university application and admission process are provided to students and parents.

BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Chandrakant Borde, President and Co-Founder
Chandrakant Borde is among the stalwarts of 20th century Indian Test cricket. An all-rounder, Borde had a promising cricketing career in the Indian team from 1958 to 1970, post which he became the Chairman of the National Selection Committee. Borde has been honoured with India’s highest civilian awards – Padma Shri in 1969, Arjuna Award in 1966, as well as Padma Bhushan – one of India’s highest civilian awards – in 2002.

Atul Temurnikar, Chairman and Co-Founder
Atul Temurnikar heads the management of the Foundation and its initiatives as Chairman (Administrative Board), and oversees its various campuses worldwide. Temurnikar continues as Director of several IT companies in Singapore and India, and has served IBM Singapore as Country Manager.

Tan Sri Dato Mohd Hussin bin Abdul Hamid, Vice President
Tan Sri has a vast banking experience, having served as an Executive at Standard Chartered Bank for over 30 years before moving on to become the Chairman of MIMB Investment Bank Berhad, Chairman of EONCAP Islamic Banking Berhad.

Former Ambassador Aftab Seth, Vice President
Retd. IFS-Ex-Ambassador to Greece, Vietnam and Japan Chairman of the International Advisory Committee, Keio University; Chairman, Japan-India Partnership Forum.

Kamal Gupta, Chief Operating Officer & Regional Director MENA
Kamal Gupta is a business leader with significant experience in general, financial and commercial management with major FMCG multinationals, including Gillette Company USA, Proctor & Gamble, and Fonterra NZ amongst others.

Kaustubh Bodhankar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer
He brings with him more than ten years of management experience in manufacturing and services sector. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur and a magna-cum-laude Masters in Business Management diploma from the Asian Institute of Management.

BOARD OF PATRONS
Dr Justice C S Dharmadhikari
A former chief justice and an advocate of peace and equality, Dr Justice Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari believes in Gandhian values and holds the trusteeship of several Mahatma Gandhi foundations. He has been honoured with the Padma Bhushan – one of India’s highest civilian honours – in 2003.

Dr Karan Singh
Dr Karan Singh, at the age of 36, was the youngest person ever to become a Central Cabinet Minister in India. He is the former Chancellor of Jammu and Kashmir University, as well the Benaras Hindu University.

N R Narayana Murthy
N R Narayana Murthy is the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Infosys Technologies Ltd. He is also the Chairman of the Governing Board of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Dr Hari N Harilela
Dr Harilela was born in India in 1922 and was brought up in Hong Kong. He has received both the Order of British Empire and the Gold Bauhinia Star of the Hong Kong SAR. He was nominated as Member of the Consultative Committee for the Basic Law of the future Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) in 1985.

Basadeo Pandey
Basdeo Panday was the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2001 and has served as Leader of the Opposition from 1976-1977, 1978-1986, 1989-1995 and 2001-2006.

Nine GEMS Holistic Education Model
Global Schools Foundation has developed a unique, proprietary Model for Holistic Development of it Students called Nine Gems Holistic Education Model. The Model looks at the development of children across nine different dimensions and monitors the development of children across multiple areas. Our schools create a series of activities in different areas to address multi-dimensional needs of children.

Gem 1 – Academic Excellence, Collaborative & Project- based Learning
Gem 2 – Sports Excellence, Health & Fitness
Gem 3 – Digital & Visual Arts
Gem 4 – Personality Development, Speech & Drama
Gem 5 – Creativity, Innovation & Problem Solving
Gem 6 – Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development
Gem 7 – Universal Values, Ethics & Discipline
Gem 8 – Community Connection, Care & Conserve
Gem 9 – Life Skills, Career & Vocational Competencies

FUTURE LEADERS THROUGH FUTURISTIC CURRICULUM
Global Indian International School and One World International School adopt a futuristic curriculum to impart 21st century skills, so that students can emerge as confident, competent and contributory global citizens.

RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS
Since its inception in 2002, the school set its focus on providing quality education to students. Till date, our schools have won over 72 international and national quality awards by globally reputed quality organizations likes of Asia Pacific Quality Organisation (APQO), SPRING Singapore, and Institute of Directors (IOD). These awards are testimony of the initiatives and efforts that Global Schools Foundation has undertaken in the field of education excellence.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
By being responsible global citizens, students are aware of the societal issues and contribute innovatively to address some of the challenges faced by the society. CSR initiatives thus became extremely important in the school’s endeavor to give back to the society. Philanthropic initiatives, like Flag Day, Blood Donation Drive and Hair for Hope, among many others, contribute to create.

Bayan Shaping the edifice of Bahrain’s future

By

digitalLEARNING Network

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March 20, 2017

As the flag bearer of modern and holistic education in the Middle East, the Bahrain Bayan School has developed an exemplary model of teaching that can be emulated by schools across the region and the globe. Deeply rooted in cultural values, the school aims to develop citizens of tomorrow who are receptive to other cultures and at the same time, mindful of their country’s needs, says Dr May Al Otaibi, Chairperson, Bahrain Bayan School, in conversation with Dr Ravi Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN)

What prompted the opening of this school and what vision was set for it?
With the exception of government-run schools, before Bayan School was established there was only one missionary school that focused on teaching Arabic in Bahrain. It had a totally different curriculum that was based on a densely classical teaching style. My daughter found it too difficult to cope with the strict system the school had in place.

It was then that a friend and I decided to open a preschool that would provide a strong foundation for children to do well in their future education. The pre-school proved to be a grand success, which motivated us to scale up and offer nursery, nursery 1, KG 1, and KG 2 classes. Soon after, we received many requests urging us to open a fully fl edged school where a new grade level would be added every year. My B.A. degree in Education from the American University of Beirut helped a lot in this endeavor.

As a result, what began as a small initiative to ensure educational prosperity for our children has resulted in 34 years of excellent education. For the past five years, The Bahrain Bayan School has achieved Number 1 status in the country and we hope to continue this progress and achievement for years to come.

How is Bayan School different from other private schools in Bahrain?
Bayan is a non-profit school run by a board of directors and trustee. At the time it was established, there were no private schools to be found in Bahrain so the late Amir granted us, as well as another school, land and extended a loan of one million dinar to construct the campus, under the condition that it was to be run as a non-profit school. We were initially working with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs but in 1995 we began operating under the Ministry of Education. Currently, there are only two private schools in Bahrain that are non-profit.

How has the teaching method in the school evolved from traditional to modern over the last 34 years?
We started our operations in 1982 and since the very beginning, the medium of instruction in the school has been bilingual – English and Arabic. When we expanded our classes beyond the sixth grade, there was more of a focus on English, however now there is no first or second language. Both languages enjoy equal treatment in the curriculum. Our students are taught to be well-versed in English as well as Arabic.

Initially, we worked with external schools to adopt their programs and customize them according to our culture. Presently, we are always on the hunt for innovative programs to further enrich our students’ lives. Five years ago, we adopted a very effective American program called Aero. We also adopt Arabic programs from government-run schools.

Our teachers regularly participate in personal development workshops and training programs to update and increase their skills. We bring in Quality Assurance professionals to train them in a wide variety of subjects. This year, we initiated a directorate of Quality Assurance in the school.

We are also working on a career development program to assist our students in understanding the key career requirements needed in Bahrain. We have observed that most Arab students pursue careers in finance, business and to a lesser extent, medical. However, Bahrain lacks engineering professionals in sectors such as Information Technology. We have decided that we will have mentors, comprised mostly of Bayan graduates, who will provide mentoring to the students in the area of career building.

How do you manage students of varying level of abilities – weak, average and brilliant ones?
Unlike other schools, we do not segregate students into A, B or C sections. We try to improve students’ standards as per their learning speed. We emphasize this issue on our teachers with the help of our Quality Assurance team.

“Unlike other schools, we do not segregate students into A, B or C sections. We try to improve students’ standards as per their learning speed. We emphasize this issue on our teachers with the help of our Quality Assurance team”

Nowadays there is lot of focus on the holistic development of a child. How much emphasis do you put on it?
We put a lot of emphasis on holistic development and the development of differentiated programs . Besides drama and physical education, our students also participate in various tournaments and competitions held in schools across the country. We also participate in global-level competitions outside Bahrain.

We also have programmes that teach students how to do business in Bahrain so that they’ll have a useful introduction to the workforce. Physical education is also very important to us and we organize many different activities for that.

What is the new vision you have for the school’s betterment?
I have always considered Bayan as a Bahraini community instead of a school. We teach our students how to use cultural values to deal with Bahraini society and be respectful. I feel education should integrate everything we need to teach our kids. Through our career development programme, we strive to bridge the gap in the employment sector so that we don’t have to rely on people from outside the country to do the jobs that we are capable of doing ourselves.

We are also very proud of the unique relationship we have with our parents. For example, we have an insurance plan that costs less than 100 dollars a year. In the somber case of a parent has passing away, or unable to pay the fees of their ward, the bills are covered by the insurance company.

We have also developed something called ‘Bayan on Call’ to ensure the safety of our students. We have appointed dieticians to take care of diabetic or obese children, and have recently employed a school doctor.

We even train our parents to take care of their childs’ special needs during stressful exam times. We have even set aside one day when we host the grandparents of our kids.

You put your personal passion into running the school. It is not as a business but a passion which keeps you going on. Isn’t it?
Yes exactly. We are developing the school as a base to instill values that a Bahraini citizen should have. It’s a combination of passion and motherly approach that we follow religiously. The board of Bayan School also share the same passion. They work as volunteers without taking any money for their services, because they are invested in the school and it’s impact on Bahraini society.

Since young people are so exposed to Western culture, how do you educate them about Bahraini culture?
There is something special about Bayan students. They are known for their exemplary behaviour and openness to all cultures. We have set rules to ensure discipline among students and have a specially appointed Behavior Manager to look into disciplinary issues. We are not harsh on them and always go by the rules.

For example, to deal with the issue of bullying we do not punish the bully, but try to strengthen the other student being bullied to help him prepare for the world outside the campus.

An educationist at heart, she is regarded by many as the change agent for schooling in the state of Gujarat

“Unlike other schools, we do not segregate students into A, B or C sections. We try to improve students’ standards as per their learning speed. We emphasize this issue on our teachers with the help of our Quality Assurance team”

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