International Indian School Jeddah

Infobox_School
name = International Indian School Jeddah


established = 1969 (est.)
type = Public school
principal =
head_label = Principal
head = Mr. Mohd Shahidur Rahman
students = 15,000+ (est.)
staff = 300+ (est.)
city = Jeddah
state = Makkah Province
country = KSA
campus = Urban, convert|8|acre|m2 approx.
nickname = Embassy school
website = [http://www.indianschooljeddah.com] The International Indian School, Jeddah is a secondary school for boys in Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaIt was founded in 1969.The school slogan is "Knowledge is Light". The school is colloquially abbreviated to "IISJ". The school has been reputed to be the second largest school in Asia. At one time, private Indian schools were not allowed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. So, the children of Indian expatriates in Saudi Arabia had no option but to join this school or join Saudi schools in which the medium of teaching was Arabic.

History

It started as a small school in Jeddah. It was encouraged by expatriates and prominent people of the Indian community residing in Jeddah. Rafiuddin S. Fazulbhoy founded the school in 1969. Late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi laid the foundation of then "Embassy of India School, Jeddah".

Separate Sections for Boys and Girls

In the year 1994, the school completed its boys section building. Due to the policy of the Saudi Government which didn't favour co-education, the school followed a shift system. Until then, boys and girls used the same school building. Girls attended the morning shift (7:30 am to 2:00 pm) and boys attended the evening shift(8:45 am to 3:15 pm).

Facilities

Laboratories

The departments of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Computer Science/Informatics and Home Science are provided with fully-equipped independent laboratories to keep the students in pace with the latest developments.

Library

IISJ has full-fledged well-endowed library with spacious reference and reading area both in the Boys’ and Girls’ Sections to benefit students in their pursuit of knowledge. The Library subscribes to leading Indian and foreign journals in various fields and also have many old books.

Career Guidance Cell

To provide latest information on courses offered in various institutions of higher learning in India and in other countries. It aids students in exploring new opportunities and channelling their interests according to their aptitude. The cell conducts workshops on personality development and communication skills, psychological tests, group discussions etc. to enable students to assess their strengths and work on their weaknesses. Training programmes and guest lectures are also organized to further enhance their personality.

Sports

Students can play indoor games such as table tennis, badminton, chess and carrom. Amongst outdoor games the school provides facilities for basketball, volleyball, cricket, and football. Sports meet is organised every year. The students participate in various games/sports regularly as well as in interschool cluster meet.

Co-curricular Activities

The school lays stress not only on the knowledge of a subject that a student imbibes but also on the complete development of the personality. For achieving this, various co-curricular activities are organized under the guidance of faculty members. Their performance is evaluated and certificates are awarded for good performance.

Medical Facilities

There are separate medical rooms in both sections of the school equipped with First Aid facilities and qualified nurses who attend to the medical needs of students.

Open School

For those who are residing far away from Jeddah, the Open School facility offers formal education in an informal way. Staff from our school is sent to different centers to conduct examinations.

Canteen

Canteen facility working under hygienic conditions provides eatables and soft drinks to the students.

Transport

The school provides transport facilities to students and staff on routes of Jeddah and Makkah with more than 100 well maintained buses.

Students Safety Insurance

Each and every student of the school is covered 24 hours for accidental injuries under Safety Insurance/Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy.

Staff Medical Insurance

The school provides medical insurance coverage to its staff through a local insurance company.

Auditorium

The school has a big auditorium which is centrally air-conditioned and well-equipped with latest light and sound facilities.

Courses Offered

The school offers all subjects for primary and secondary levels to prepare the students for AISS (X) CBSE examinations. In senior secondary Humanities, Commerce and Science are offered as course streams. The optional subjects include Mathematics, Computer Science and Informatics.

Criticism

Internal Errors and improper management

The school has been smacked for not having a proper playground and its poor transportation safety record. Reportedly more than 2 dozen students have died at the hands of its inexperienced drivers. In 2008, the annual time table was also changed, which resulted in classes being scheduled during summer(May to July) when usually the school used to have the summer break. This resulted in many students suffering from heat exhaustion.

Language Problems

The school is officially an English medium school, but a visitor would seldom hear the language being spoken in the classrooms. As many students belong to one state(Kerala), they converse in Malayalam. This behavior is not condemned as many teachers too do NOT follow the language rule.

Affiliation

The school is affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi.

References

* [http://arabnews.com/?page=10&section=0&article=95263&d=2&m=5&y=2007 Arab News]

External links

* [http://www.iisjed.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.eslbase.com/schools/saudi-arabia List of Schools in Saudi Arabia]
* [http://www.iisjed.com New Website]

ee also

*List of schools by country