ISB chairman urges constructive criticism

Manama : Indian School Bahrain (ISB) Chairman Prince S Natarajan called for constructive criticism from the opposition group, while urging not to oppose for the sake of opposition.

Natarajan was speaking at a press conference, which was held ahead of the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be organised at the Riffa Campus Auditorium on November 25. He requested all parents to attend the AGM.

“We welcome constructive criticism. But the opposition is spilt into two factions and they are competing through the media by making false allegations that are far from reality,” Natarajan pointed out. 

“This committee has a clear vision and mission. Our promise has been of academic excellence and it has been delivered despite of all shortcomings. We expect the support of parents and the community in all future endeavours,” he added.

The chairman said the upcoming AGM is the second one after the current panel took over, adding that it has yet another year to go. “Despite all turbulences, the school has progressed in all key departments, especially in academics and co-curricular activities,” he said.

Natarajan revealed that the previous panel had left behind a transport deficit of BD300,000 and an operational deficit of BD30,000 per month. 

The repayment for the loan for the Riffa Campus also started during the tenure of the current panel, he added. 

“We were aghast at the lack of vision of the previous committee, which incurred additional expenditure in all areas without identifying or making provision for
any additional income or sources of income. This left the school on the verge of a financial disaster,” said the chairman.

Referring to ISB Riffa Campus, Natarajan said the school is going ahead with the child-centric learning, in which teachers are trained to help students learning on their own. 

“In a world where there is lots of teaching taking place, we have shifted our emphasis to learning. With peer-class observations and training to understand the latest techniques in pedagogy, the students of the Riffa campus will have a different experience,” he said.

The chairman said a new first-aid room has been created for the students outside the academic block of the school, so that there is sufficient space. Infrastructure improvements saw the creation of a new dance room and an activities room for the Class II and III students, he disclosed.  

“The school would be opening a Talent Academy this month for students, so as to develop skills in arts, games and personality development. The aim is to expose students to different things they can do and by the age of 10 or 12, they may choose the areas they would like to specialise in,” Natarajan said.

Regarding the political moves and allegations, School Secretary Dr Shemily P John said, “I request the Indian community to take a bigger perspective. ISB incorporates students from all the parts of India including over 1,000 Bahrainis.”

“The impact of these political parties is not just affecting the students, but the teaching community too. So parents and community leaders should fully eliminate these biased moves,” she added.