ONE of Bahrain’s biggest schools is set to move to a new campus in Riffa later this month.

Around 3,000 Indian School students and faculty members will shift from the existing Sitra site to the three-storey building, which cost BD2.25 million.

School honorary chairman Abraham John said a strategic alliance has been formed with the Riffa Sports Club, which owns the 13,592 square metre plot.

“We have a 25-year lease for the land but we are not just lease holders,” said Mr John.

“The land belongs to Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid Al Khalifa and we have developed good relations with him. We have discussed it and this venture is more like a partnership as we will make use of each other.

“We will have a state-of-the-art sports centre at our door and even our students in our Isa town campus will be able to use it.

“This location is great and the land that we have will allow us to expand in the future.”

Mr John said they will also open a university at the same location, with officials already collaborating with SRM University in India.

“The next plan is to start getting into higher education,” he explain-ed.

“The building is ready but we are waiting for approval from the Higher Education Council before proceeding.

“We plan to have degrees in commerce, computer sciences, language, information technology and hopefully more.

“It will be accredited by SRM University which is a top university in India.

“We are the cheapest private school in the country offering high quality education to the community for a reasonable price and the financial scheme of the university will be modelled on the same principle.

“We have already submitted all the paper work to the Education Ministry but are awaiting their approval or recommendations.”

School officials are also exploring the idea of incorporating a science-themed park in the facility.

“The park will facilitate the educational process by visually presenting simple principles through working models, robotics, visual and interactive displays,” said school principal V R Palaniswamy.

“We have good relations with the Indian Space Research Organisation and plan to have models, and possibly simulations, of space apparatus.

“We will also be asking teachers along with students to collaborate and create new exhibits.

In: News Asked By: AskBahrain [192 ]