Indian schools to expand due to increasing demand

Indian Community Schools are planning a massive infrastructure expansion to meet the growing demand for admissions, Tony George Alexander, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Indian Schools, has said. "We are conscious of the pressing need to expand our existing infrastructure and we are working relentlessly to go for expansion and detailed announcement to that effect would be made soon," he said, adding that the plans were afoot both in the interior areas as well as in the capital, where there are already six schools operating. "We impart education to 34,500 pupils at the moment," he said and pointed out that the arrival of young Indian expatriates in the country had created an unprecedented rush for admissions in lower classes from KG to Standard I. To a question, he said there were various options for expansions. "We are actively pursuing these options to expand and create new infrastructure." Article continues below With almost 8,000 students, the Indian School Muscat in the Darseit area, one of the oldest institutes in the country, has started working in two shifts following an increasing demand. "We also have to think of other aspects such as traffic congestion," he pointed out. Darseit has only one entry and exit and it has two Indian schools and also government institutions. Alexander promised that the new board was working for an overall change for the better but needed time to implement reforms. He announced that the Board of Directors of Indian schools in Oman, which now comprises five parents elected to the board by the parents, will Saturday launch an online admission system for all Indian Schools. "We are going online from Saturday and every parent seeking admission to any of the 19 Indian schools will have to first register online and they would be sent confirmation by an SMS," said Alexander. He said that the new board, elected last year, is trying to have a uniform admission system across all schools. "We will give parents eight options to choose from and the admission to their ward would be given in that order of preference as and where seats were available," he clarified. He said that the website (www.indianschoolsoman.com) will be operational from Saturday. "An admission cell would set up to help those parents who do not have access to computer and Internet facilities," he added. However, he further said that after completing the online registration, parents will have to submit printed copies with registration fees at the schools. "We may in future introduce fee payment on line also," said S Muthukumar, a board member.