Private International English School
[ GULF NEWS ] The Private International English School, which is being set up in Musaffah, in collaboration with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, India's largest educational network, will start admissions on August 15.
A new school, which will adhere to the Indian curriculum, will open in the nation's capital next month, helping to alleviate the shortage of slots in Indian schools.
The Private International English School, which is being set up in Musaffah, in collaboration with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, India's largest educational network, will start admissions on August 15, the management announced yesterday at a press conference in Abu Dhabi.
The CBSE curriculum school will offer 1,000 seats for kindergarten and primary classes (up to grade 4) and will begin classes on September 19, said N. Ramachandra Menon, the chairman of the school, who runs Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's school in Kuwait.
Gulf News has, on a number of occasions, reported a growing sense of desperation among parents who have been unable to secure admissions for their children, due to a dire shortage of seats at Indian curriculum schools.
The shortage came about following the Abu Dhabi Education Council's decision to close down schools in villas by 2013, due to safety, security and hygiene concerns.
Abu Dhabi Indian School (ADIS) had to conduct a lottery for 2,500 applicants to fill 109 seats (from kindergarten to grade 2) in January this year. In the last academic year, a total of 21,193 pupils were studying in just 17 Indian schools in Abu Dhabi and Musaffah.
Although no official figures could be obtained as to how many students would be left without a seat this academic year, the schools have confirmed that thousands of parents had to be turned away due to a lack of seats.
The new school will open admission from grade 5 to 8 in April 2011, which is the next academic year. It will add 120 more classrooms to the 40 already in existence, the chairman said.
Grade nine classes will begin in April 2011 and grades 10,11 and 12 will be added in the following three years, Menon said.
Fees
He pointed out that the school has met all the requirements of Abu Dhabi Education Council and has the approval of the Council.
Tuition fees are: Dh8,000, Dh10,000, Dh12,000 and Dh15,000 for K.G, primary, middle level (grade 5-8) and secondary (9-12) respectively, the chairman said.
"The cost of the transportation [about Dh400 to 450 per month], books (Dh500 to 600 per annum), uniforms [Dh500 to 600 per annum] will be extra."
Teaching style: No homework policy
The chairman of The Private International English School said there will be no homework for children up to grade 4.
"We have extended teaching time up to 3.30pm for this purpose so that pupils can complete all work at school," said N. Ramachandra Menon. Pupils in grade 5 and above will have assignments [as per the guidelines set by the CBSE] to be completed at home, he said.
He said the pupils would not be allowed to get support from private tuition. "The teachers are not allowed to take up private tuition as well."
We would love to hear your opinion and views on this in the comments below.
