ISB’s 2 million dinar push for higher education centre

The Bahrain construction sector is poised for a two million Bahraini Dinar push, with the Indian School Bahrain, planning the construction of a new campus and a higher education centre. Estimated to cost `two million Bahraini Dinars the project is to be built on 40,000 square metres (sq m) land leased to it by the Riffa Sports Club at West Riffa, said the Chairman of the ISB Executive Governing Board, Abraham John. He said that the agreement for the land lease was signed at the Riffa Sports Club Hall between the Riffa Sports Club and the Indian School Bahrain. In his inaugural address the chairman urged the community to join hands so that the construction could be completed at the earliest. The agreement was entered into by John for the ISB and the Chairman of Riffa Sports Club Shaikh Abdulla Bin Khalid Al Khalifa (Son of Deputy Prime Minister, Kingdom of Bahrain). The signing was witnessed by Shaikh Isa Bin Ali Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa (Grandson of Prime Minister, Kingdom of Bahrain), Vice-Chairman of Riffa Sports Club, Shaikh Ziad bin Faisal Al Khalifa and Mohan Kumar, Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Shaikh Abdulla Bin Khalid Al Khalifa, Mohan Kumar and Abraham John addressed the gathering. They called the event a milestone in the history of both the Indian School and the Riffa Sports Club and beginning of a partnership between both. Shaikh Abdulla said the agreement was a step in the right direction and a pointer to the warm relations between the Indian and Bahraini communities. Expressing the gathering he spoke of the friendly and tolerant attitude of the Indian community of Bahrain and how they had contributed to the well being of the country which was gracious enough to host the Indian community. The school plans a new campus on 25,000 sq m to accommodate an estimated 5,500 students in 144 classrooms – including the classes from the Sitra campus since the lease agreement for that campus expires in September 2013. The remaining 15,000 sq m is expected to be utilised for setting up a higher education centre. “Our commitment to the community led us to provide a higher education centre under the ISB banner for our children after they graduate from the school. The higher education centre is expected to provide undergraduate programmes – including Bachelors in Arts, Bachelors in Commerce, Bachelors in Business Administration, Bachelors in Business Management and Bachelors of Science in Computer Science,” said the ISB chairman. He added that a memorandum of understanding was entered into with the SRM University from India for the undergraduate programmes. The proposal for the setting up of the new higher education centre is submitted to the Ministry of Education for approval, he said. The ISB is a community school, established in 1950. It caters to the educational needs of students of Indian origin and 14 other nationalities. The school now has a student population of 9900 which includes around 600 Bahraini students. “Presently the school functions from two campuses -- located at Sitra and Isa Town. While the Sitra campus houses classes from lower kindergarten to the second standard, the Isa Town campus houses all others up to standard 12, said the chairman and added that the school, affiliated to the Indian system of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) follows the NCERT curriculum.