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VOLUME 11 ISSUE 04 APRIL 2017 2015 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 03 FEBRUARY MARCH

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Rehashing Educational Practices

MENA Region Taking Modern Education in Its Stride

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Global Educational Inovation

Educational Inovations Across the Globe

Elets Legacy

Fostering Quality Education to Drive Excellence

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Journey of Elets Across the World Special Interview

Bayan Shaping the

Travelling Together on Road to Growth 4

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Ediﬁce of Bahrain’s Future

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ASIA’S PREMIER MONTHLY MAGAZINE ON ICT IN EDUCATION Volume-13 Issue-02 February-March 2017

OUR INITIATIVES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Dr Ravi Gupta EDITORIAL TEAM - DELHI/NCR Senior Assistant Editor: Souvik Goswami, Gautam Debroy Assistant Editor: Sandeep Datta, Vivek Ratnakar, Priyanka Sharma Senior Correspondent: Shivani Tyagi, Akash Tomer Correspondent: Rashi Aditi Ghosh, Rajbala BENGALURU BUREAU Associate Editor: T Radha Krishna

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Fresh Vision to Help Education Sector Scale New Heights Education is as much about imparting knowledge as it is about the right vision and innovative approach to achieve desired results. Digital Learning Magazine’s World Education Summit (WES) 2017 Bahrain special issue recognises that the global education ecosystem is doing well to embrace the change to transform itself. To be inaugurated by HE Dr Majid Bin Ali Al-Nuaimi, Minister of Education, Kingdom of Bahrain, on March 8, WES 2017 will bring together 46 speakers and over 200 delegates and experts from as many as 12 countries – Bahrain, Dubai, Malaysia, UK, United States, Palestine, Vietnam, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bangladesh – to deliberate on crucial issues and share their unique experiences in the education space. Organised under the patronage of Ministry of Education, Kingdom of Bahrain, the WES platform will also see participation from Senior Government officials from Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai and Malaysia, besides captains from the corporate world, serving as an interface between policy makers and the industry. An education expo will be held concurrently with the two-day mega event showcasing innovative programmes and technologies that are pivotal to transform the global education landscape. Our Cover Story ‘MENA Region Taking Modern Education in Its Stride’ attempts to find out that how countries in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) have understood the significance of education and are investing exponentially in improving the entire spectrum of education ecosystem comprising schools, colleges and universities. The special interview with Dr May Al Otaibi, Chairman, Bahrain Bayan School, in this issue of Digital Learning offers useful insights into the exemplary methods practiced by the school to impart modern and holistic education in Bahrain. Having developed unique ways of teaching students, the school can be a role model for other schools across the region and the globe. Our special feature ‘Fostering Quality Education to Drive Excellence’ explores Bahrain’s evolving education sector that combines a unique vision, revolutionary reforms and other essential elements to ensure that innovation, leadership and right human values are inculcated among the students. Recognising the significance of innovations and entrepreneurial spirit in the education space, WES Bahrain-2017 has time and again recognised and honoured outstanding achievers. This edition too will see top entrepreneurs in education sector, innovators in the areas of teaching pedgogy, superior administrative and management practices, vocational education and training and assistive technologies in education, among others, receiving awards in various categories. A team of experts evaluated and identified the awardees after benchmarking them against the best in the world. Looking forward to receiving our readers’ valuable feedback.

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MENA Region

TAKING MODERN EDUCATION IN ITS STRIDE

In the past few decades, the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) has made a signiﬁcant improvement in the ﬁeld of formal education. Governments across the region have invested heavily in the education sector and over the past 25 years witnessed a rapid expansion in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Despite all the development in the education space, the region has a lot of scope to grow in terms of bridging the gap between skill development and job market, writes Rashi Aditi Ghosh to Elets News Network (ENN).

he MENA region has made great strides in the education sector, quadrupling the average level of schooling since 1960, halving illiteracy levels since 1980 and achieving almost complete gender parity in primary education. A study by Unicef paints a very positive picture of MENA countries in terms of achieving the goal of universal primary education. Enrollment in the region’s school systems has increased signiﬁcantly over the past decade to the point where universal primary education has been achieved for girls and boys in most of the MENA countries. Interestingly, unlike the rest of the world, there is a ‘reverse’ gender gap in the

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region with girls outperforming boys in Grade 4 math results, a trend that generally continues into Grade 8. Also, MENA governments have shown strong commitment to funding public education. The average public investment in education across the region as a percentage of GDP is above 5.3 per cent. OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN SCHOOL SECTOR Studies demonstrate that the school systems in MENA offer lot of scope for improvement in terms of quality of education. The region exhibits a mismatch between the current level of school education and the per capita income. In addition, gross proﬁt margin in the education sector is on the higher side, varying 30-60 per cent. Pre-school and higher education categories generate gross margins of 55-60 per cent. Accordingly, operating proﬁt margins are high in pre-school category (up to 40 per cent) According to a 2014 report by Booz and Co., the number of private schools in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

is set to double before 2020, reaching as much as 4 million schools, to accommodate the growing population in the GCC, mainly driven by the increased demand created by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. As a result of this, parents seeking higher quality education for their wards are expected to double, reaching as much as $20 billion in 2020, versus what parents spent on their children’s education in 2010. However, one of the key challenges faced while establishing quality schools in some countries such as UAE is the high funding requirement. Typical cost of developing a school with a capacity of 1,800–2,000 students could range between GBP 47 million and GBP 60 million, provided that the land is purchased upfront. In cases where land is leased, such development cost for a quality school could range between GBP 35 million to GBP 42 million (exclusive of ﬁnance costs). Education investments are typically long term investments contradicting a bank’s risk appetite which typically extends to a tenure that lasts between 5-7 years. One of the major challenges facing operators is the ability to attract and retain quality staff to deliver on the promise of quality educational services. Operators desperate to recruit appropriately qualiﬁed staff have prompted a trend of poaching teachers and management staff from competitors.

The proportion of tertiary education students is expected to rise from 11 per cent to 15 per cent over the period to 2020, according to Unicef. The region also reflects a requirement of maintaining the balance between skill development and the job market. Various global studies have indicated the inadequacy in terms of labour force skills, both technical and soft. According to Bayt.com Middle East Skills Gap Survey May 2016, employers in the MENA region find it challenging to hire the candidates with the required skills. PRIVATE EDUCATION SECTOR IN MENA REGION Education, as a social infrastructure sector, is now seen as a legitimate asset class in its own right, presenting great opportunities for private players in the MENA region. Coupled with high returns on education sector investments, an efficient private school can have around 20 per cent net profit margins. As the number of expats, primarily educated in the Private sector is expected to grow, the demand of Private education will also see a rise simultaneously keeping the demand of local population in mind. Enrollment in private education institutes at the primary and secondary level is predicted to grow from 1.3 million students to 1.9 million in 2020. As per a report by Alpen Capital, by 2020 6,200 additional schools will be required in the region to meet the growing demand, while an extra 163,208 teachers will be needed to teach the increasing number of students. There is strong interest in the education market in the MENA region. This can be attributed to the factors such as long-term revenue visibility (due to the duration of a course), negative working capital (since school/course fee is paid in advance), underserved market (demand greater than supply) and government support. The education sector is recessionproof, i.e., it is less sensitive to economic cycles, a major draw

SCOPE IN HIGHER EDUCATION Demographic projections reveal that the region’s youth population (up to 24 years old) will surge by about 10 million between 2015 and 2030. This sudden growth in the youth population will create increased demand for educational services at all levels and will place immense pressure on existing educational institutions.

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after the recent economic crisis. Another opportunity for the private sector stems from the government provision of schooling that tends to be mostly in Arabic and is of low quality. MENA EDUCATION MARKET (PRIVATE AND PUBLIC) – BY COUNTRY Government spends in education sector – MENA region On an average, the MENA region is expected to experience a recurring spend of $29 billion on education over the next couple of years, with Saudi Arabia being the leader as it continues to invest more money in building committed infrastructure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

The government spends on education in a substantial manner in MENA, with contribution from the private sector being miniscule. Such public expenditure helps in attracting pupil as well as teachers intending to be employed. Data from the World Bank suggests that public expendi-

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ture on education in the MENA stands at 19 per cent compared to the world average of 14.5 per cent, North America with an average of 14.1 per cent and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with an average of 11.6 per cent. Among MENA nations, public spending on education receives high priority, particularly in Oman, Morocco, the UAE, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN EDUCATION SECTOR Due to large disparities in income and population, the rationale for purchasing power parity (PPP) in the GCC and other Arab countries is also very different. For the GCC the rationale for PPP is varied; the private sector is able to deliver projects with greater alacrity than the government, there is greater operational efficiency and quality improvement for education services provided, and, as a potential adjacent benefit, there can be a diversification of local stock markets through the offering of PPP funds through local bourses. For other Arab countries, the main drive is to bring in much-needed funding not available to those governments who suffer from a lack of resources. In both cases, governments, particularly those brought to power by the recent Arab Spring, understand that the provision of quality social infrastructure is a key demand from the populous. However, the PPP model within MENA is still in its infancy, and there are a number of factors that contribute to the slow growth of PPP projects in the region. These include poor legal framework and enforcement, weak institutional capacity and PPP strategies, unrealistic revenue and cost estimations (indicating a paucity of proper financial and economic analysis), inappropriate sharing of risks, lack of a competitive procurement process, and public resistance to perceived pay subsidy removal as government jobs are co-opted by the private sector service providers. ■

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Special Feature – Bahrain Education

Fostering Quality

EDUCATION TO DRIVE EXCELLENCE Even as Bahrain marches ahead in time, the resolve to drive its growth hinges ﬁrmly on enhancing quality of education to achieve the best human values. As the education scenario in the Arab Kingdom is changing fast, the growth trajectory is marked by a swathe of revolutionary measures, says Rashi Aditi Ghosh of Elets News Network (ENN).

ahrain’s economic development strategies are built around six sectors of which education and training is one. The educational system in the Kingdom of Bahrain follows nine years of basic education, which includes both the primary and intermediate stages, and three years of secondary education that is divided into various tracks. The Kingdom has made the nine-year-long basic education compulsory for children between ages 6 and 14 years. All children must be enrolled either in the government schools or the private ones. The Ministry of Education (MoE) attaches great importance to the development of all educational stages in sync with a carefully studied plan and programmed projects. The following is a brief description of the various stages of education in Bahrain: BASIC EDUCATION Basic education is divided into two stages as follows: Primary Stage: This stage represents the first formal school ladder in Bahrain and accommodates students of age group 6 - 11. It lasts for six years and is divided into two cycles. The first one includes the first three grades of primary education during which the class-teacher

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Special Feature – Bahrain Education system is applied, whereby a single teacher teaches most of the subjects, except English language, design and technology, music education, and physical education. The second cycle includes the upper three grades, which too follows the subject-teacher system, whereby each subject is taught by a teacher who has specialised in a specific discipline and obtained educational academic qualifications. Intermediate Stage: The intermediate stage is considered to be the third cycle and the last one in basic education, which accommodates students of age group 12-14, and lasts for three years. A successful completion of the sixth grade of primary cycle or its equivalent from the literacy education system is a prerequisite to join this stage. The subject-teacher is applied in this stage, whereby each subject is taught by a teacher who has specialised in a specific discipline and obtained educational academic qualifications. Secondary Stage: This stage is considered to be complementary to basic education and a new phase for the student for preparing him or her to enter universities and higher institutions or directly enter the labour market. It accommodates students of age group 15-17; the duration of study is three years, which is divided into six semesters (three levels). PRIVATE EDUCATION IN BAHRAIN The Directorate of Private education with the coordination of the other directorates at the MoE are assisting all the private educational institutes with technical support and assistance such as finding teachers to be appointed; providing free Arabic language, Islamic education, Bahrain history and geography textbooks; and assigning specialists to supervise the teachers of those subject-matters. Types of private educational institutes in Bahrain: Nurseries: These institutions are under the supervision and control of the Ministry of Social Development. They are run by the women societies and charitable organisations, and individual institutions. Kindergarten: There are a variety of kindergartens in Bahrain. They are run by the women societies, charitable organisations, individual institutions and others are attached to private schools as an educational level within their systems. Private Schools: Private schools in Bahrain are of two types: ♦ National Private Schools: These institutions are established and run by Bahraini citizens. These schools have various educational levels, starting from kindergarten, primary, intermediate and secondary. They offer bilingual programs, i.e., subjects are taught in Arabic and English. ♦ Foreign Private Schools: These schools have various educational levels, starting from kindergarten, primary, intermediate and secondary. Arabic language is taught in all foreign schools that accept Arab students in addition to Islamic education for all Muslim students. ♦ Foreign Community Schools: They are established and financed by foreign communities in the State of Bahrain for the purpose of educating their children only. ♦ Educational Institutes and Centres: These institutions are different because of the variation of the programmes they

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offer. Some of them follow the commercial establishments and others follow individual Bahraini citizens. They offer training programs in foreign languages, computer, electronic typing, and various skills in communication, management and commerce etc. Each private educational institute has its own customised curricula, study plans, courses and textbooks. These curriculas are submitted to the Ministry of Education (MoE) for approval. THE FUTURE STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION IN BAHRAIN Bahrain is moving towards implementing the new education system or the future structure of education, which is more flexible as the student can obtain one of the provided tracks at the secondary level, namely, Unified Track or Vocational Track. The students who will select the Unified Track would obtain one of the following divisions: Science, Literary and Commercial. The students who will select the Vocational Education Track either to obtain Technical stream – divided into applied or technical vocational – or to obtain the apprenticeship programme. The new structure will give all graduates the opportunity to continue their further study or to join the labour market, specially the technical school graduate as they face difficulty if they want to obtain higher certificate. Bahrain has one of the most developed education systems in the Gulf, and has recently made strong advances in the use of information technology in schools. King Hamad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa has introduced a new project called King Hamad Schools of Future. This project aims to connect all schools within the kingdom with the internet and introduce the idea of education everywhere. The Bahrain education system is going under huge reform initiatives seeking to develop the education system at all levels. The focus areas of these initiatives include: ♦ Strengthening the teaching profession through improved recruitment, training and employment conditions. ♦ Improving secondary vocational education aiming to bring these programmes closer to the needs of the private sector. ♦ Establishment of the Bahrain Polytechnic which will offer industry oriented courses in alignment with the applied sciences, enabling students to obtain professional qualifications to degree level with an emphasis on the development of practical skills directly applicable to the job market. ♦ Creating an Independent Quality Assurance Authority which will be responsible for conducting inspections of schools, secondary vocational institutions and universities, higher education units, and for running school level examinations. The MoE has also recently launched the school improvement programme which has been designed to lift the performance of all Bahrainis schools and to improve future career outcomes for students through a number of projects that would affect the whole process of the learning and teaching. These initiatives constitute the first part of what will be a long journey of reforms. They were selected as they were aligned with the national strategic plan in order to improve the quality of learning in Bahrain’s education and forming the foundations for future reforms.n

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India-Bahrain Relations

Travelling

TOGETHER ON ROAD TO GROWTH

Foreign Minister of Bahrain Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi

India-Bahrain bilateral relations are anchored in the history of the two nations that goes back to 3000 BC when Bahrain served as a trading and cultural bridge between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilisation. The strong bilateral relationship between the two countries in modern times is underpinned by close cooperation in the areas of food and energy security, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, tourism, banking, human resource development, education, research and technology development, writes Rashi Aditi Ghosh of Elets News Network (ENN).

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he Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has made great strides in the education sector, quadrupling the average level of schooling since 1960, halving illiteracy levels since 1980 and achieving almost complete gender parity in primary education. India and Bahrain enjoy excellent bilateral relations characterised by cordial political, economic and cultural contacts. Our bilateral trade and commercial exchanges go back to about 5,000 years ago tracing their origins to the period of Dilmun Civilisation in Bahrain and Indus valley civilisation in India. Ancient Bahraini traders are believed to have carried out flourishing trade in Bahraini pearls and spices from India. Presence of around 350,000 Indian nationals who comprise a third of Bahrain’s total population of 1.3 million is an important anchor for Carrying Forward the Legacy of Strong Ties The close ties between India and Bahrain in recent times has received a significant boost with leaders from both the countries maintaining close contacts with each other through visits and signing of agreements to address the issues of common concern. Some of the important milestones achieved during these visits in the shape of bilateral agreements and Memorandums of Understanding can be summerised as following: ♦ Air Service Agreement (April 2000) ♦ MoU on Cooperation between Ministries of Foreign Affairs (January 2004) ♦ Agreement on juridical and judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters (January 2004) ♦ Extradition treaty (January 2004) ♦ Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (January 2004) ♦ Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Bilateral Investment (January 2004) ♦ Agreement for media cooperation between Prasar Bharati and Bahrain Radio and TV Corporation (March 2007) ♦ MoU on labour and manpower Development (June 2009) ♦ Agreement regarding Exchange of Information with respect to Taxes (May 2012) ♦ MoU on cooperation in the field of Information and communication Technology (May 2012) ♦ MoU on the establishment of a Joint High Commission (February 2014) ♦ MoU on cooperation between the Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, India and the Diplomatic Institute (February 2014) ♦ MoU for cooperation in the field of youth and sports (February 2014) ♦ MoU on Water Resources Development and Management (February 2015) LEVERAGING TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS India and Bahrain have had economic and trade relations for over several centuries; these relations received fresh impetus from the oil boom of the early seventies. Relative prosperity and higher standard of living in Bahrain boosted global imports of goods and services, including from India. Bahrain Government’s policy of industrial diversification also played an important role in enhancing economic cooperation between India and Bahrain. More than anything else, new job opportunities attracted a large number of Indian expatriates to Bahrain. Bahrain serves as the gateway to the GCC market

“India and Bahrain in recent times has received a significant boost with leaders from both the countries maintaining close contacts” because of its location. India imports mainly Crude Oil, Ores, slag/ash Petroleum products, Aluminum and Fertilisers and exports Inorganic chemicals, organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals, ships and boats, boilers and machineries, Iron and steel and processed foods, etc. DIASPORA ACTING AS ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL BRIDGE While Bahrain is a small country both geographically (a mere 712 sq. kms.) and in terms of population (1.3 million), it has been a favourite destination of work for Indian nationals. While there were only 90,000 Indian nationals working in Bahrain in 2000, the number has since increased to 350,000 (approximately). Out of this total, as many as 220,000 are from the state of Kerala. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu account for roughly 40,000 each. Over 50,000 come from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Punjab. In terms of professions, the vast majority, i.e. 70 per cent, of our nationals are in the category of unskilled labour. Banking, medicine, management and accounts for the bulk of the well-to-do. OVERSEAS INDIAN FACILITATION CENTRE (OIFC) OIFC organised its first ‘Diaspora Engagement Meet’ in Bahrain on September 6, 2014 during the visit of Minister of External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs Sushma Swaraj to Bahrain, with the objective to acquaint the Indians living in Bahrain as well as businesspersons of the Kingdom of Bahrain with the various trade and investment opportunities in India. This was attended by close to 500 delegates. In order to promote bilateral economic relations between India and Bahrain, Confideration of Indian Industry (CII) is opening an office in Manama in cooperation with the Economic Development Board of Bahrain. OIFC will be integral part of CII office in Bahrain. BAHRAIN INDIA SOCIETY A group of India friendly businessmen led by former Labour Minister of Bahrain Abdul Nabi Al Sho’ala founded Bahrain India Society, which was formally inaugurated by Bahrain Foreign Minister on 21 December 2008. The Society’s objectives include promoting closer bilateral ties of friendship and understanding between the two peoples in the economic, cultural, sports and scientific fields. The Indian expatriate community enjoys great goodwill from the Bahraini authorities and the employers alike. It is no secret that Indians are preferred over other expatriates from the subcontinent. The main reasons for this include the trust factor, strong work ethics and the “apolitical” orientation of Indian expatriates.n

digitalLEARNING FEBRUARY-MARCH 2017

Edupreneur - ProďŹ le

Rehashing

EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES

Education is a fundamental tool in building a healthy society. Education provides lifetransforming opportunities and instills values in children, who are the future of any country, says Manjula Pooja Shroff, MD & CEO of Kalorex Group in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).

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orn in Royal family of the Indian State Odisha, Ms Manjula Pooja Shroff is a motivated, energetic and revolutionary leader. She completed her graduation from Women’s College – Odisha and got her Post Graduate Degree from York University. She is also an Executive Alumnus of London School of Economics, holding a Post-Graduate degree from Utkal University and a Graduate degree of Management Education from IIM, Ahmedabad. EDUPRENEUR: An educationist at heart, she is regarded by many as the change agent for schooling in the state of Gujarat. Her entrepreneurial spirit and her passion for education gave her vision roots and Circa 1995 was when it all started. With 16 teachers and 400 students, the first institution, Delhi Public School - affiliated to CBSE -was established. Since then there has been no looking back and today there are 40+ institutions (Pre- School to University) in two countries, eight cities, running under the Kalorex banner, having 1,2000 plus students from more than 24 nationalities. The use of technology is one of the major USPs of Kalorex. Teachers demonstrate an understanding of emerging classroom technologies through continuous trainings that exhibit knowledge, attitudes, and skills of digital age work and learning leading to a 21st century teacher. Under the guidance of Manjula Pooja Shroff, Kalorex Group has expanded its presence not only in India but also globally. A few of the group’s internationally famed institutions are: ♦ Delhi Public School- Bopal, Ahmedabad ♦ Delhi Public School- East, Ahmedabad ♦ Calorx Public School across verious locations ♦ Kalorex PreSchool ♦ Kalorex Champion School ♦ International FZC headquartered at Ajman SOCIAL SERVICE: Much before setting up her enterprise, she was inclined towards her all consuming passion for social service. Right from her young days she has been taking initiatives to help the various group of the society. Some of her Social initiatives are: ♦ Started a Public Recreation Park at Shahid Nagar, Bhubaneshwar providing facilities such a basketball with floodlight facility, Indoor Chess, IT, Gym, Outdoor play ground, jogging path, etc 1989. ♦ Supported Child Relief & You [CRY] New Delhi, 1993. ♦ Started Visamo Shelter Camp for earthquake victims in 2001.This camp provided shelter to 1800 people for two months. Provided Psychological healing to women and children through various therapies. Besides aiding the victims to settle down through donating household items and food kits. ♦ Rehabilitated two villages destroyed during the Gujarat earthquake ♦ Adopted the Karuna Trust Hospital for one month to provide orthopedic operations for the earthquake victims. 40 patients were provided foreign implants as well as Jaipur Foot, besides medical therapy. Kalorex is actively involved in CSR projects that have had a direct impact on disadvantaged sections of society. Shroff’s commitment to cater to all sections of the society and to all needs of the students led to a one of its kind institute by the name of KALOREX “PRERNA”, a first of its kind its school for Dyslexic Children.

An educationist at heart, she is regarded by many as the change agent for schooling in the state of Gujarat THE HUMANITARIAN: Shroff instituted the Dr. K.R. Shroff Memorial Lecture series as a tribute to her Father-in-law, Dr. K. R. Shroff (1921 -1987) who received his MRCP (Member of Royal College of Physicians) at London in 1950 before returning to India. He was associated with Civil Hospital at Ahmadabad as an honorary physician and associate professor for over 25 years. VOCATIONAL INITIATIVES: Shroff strongly advocates the importance of skill development as part of the mainstream education. She has been instrumental in setting up the Vocational & Educational Development Institute of Calorx (VEDIC). Here women are given skill based training for employability in the industry. Calorx Teachers’ University - A University for Teacher Training is also giving aspiring teachers an integrated programme for a degree in Education. Interestingly students from tribal communities show great interest in these courses as these graduates get equipped to go back to their rural settings and get teaching jobs. Shroff is working towards integrating Skill Development in mainstream education through her participation and involvement with the Vibrant Gujarat Summit where she plays an active role in decision making and mooting educational initiatives in the state of Gujarat. AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS: Shroff has been the recipient of several awards. Among them, the prestigious Secular India Award from the President of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma, and Woman of the Year by American Bibliography Society, North Carolina. ♦ Secular India Harmony Award (United Children’s Movement) by the then President of India Shankar Dayal Sharma ♦ Bharat Vikas Award from International Business Council ♦ Eminent Citizen of India Award by National & International Compendium ♦ 21st Century Millennium Award by International Institute of Education & Management ♦ Education Excellence Award and Vidya Rattan Award by Management Studies Promotion Institute ♦ Awarded “Contemporary Who’s Who” and “Women of the Year” by American Biographical Society, North Carolina ♦ Pride of India International Award by International Business Council ♦ Honorary Fellowship by Australian - Asian Institute of Civil Leadership ♦ Felicitated “Nari Shakti Award” by Jasu Shilpi Foundation ♦ Conferred with “Women Entrepreneur of the Year” at India Education Awards 2017 BRAND KALOREX: Kalorex wishes to expand to 100 cities across India, Middle East and other countries of Asia through a strong network of Business associates. The 40+ Institutions of Kalorex is a mix of self-owned and investment led partnerships by Investors who wish to make a mark in education. ■

digitalLEARNING FEBRUARY-MARCH 2017

Global Educational Innovation

EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS

ACROSS THE GLOBE

230Awards Across 7 editions of WES Committed to drive innovations and leadership in the education space, the WES-Bahrain 2017 special issue of Digital Learning magazine acknowledges and recognises outstanding achievers from world over. Following an independent and elaborate procedure, a team of experts evaluated and identified top entrepreneurs in education sector, innovators in the areas of teaching pedgogy, superior administrative and management practices, vocational education & training and assistive technologies in education, among others.

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110Award Categories

AMIT RANA, Pro Vice Chairman, Delhi Public School, Panipat City Edupreneur Award Amit is a suave young entrepreneur and is determinedly committed to a journey which weaves ecological sensitivity in every aspect of its business and organisation. His first initiative was setting up of a notfor-profit organisation namely â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sidhartha Educational and Welfare Societyâ&#x20AC;? (SEWS). SEWS

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Speakers, Delegates & Guests from more than 14 countries at WES 2017 was primarily focused on elementary education and did everything to reach out to the lives of those who were deprived of any education system in the country. Project Sharda, his another initiative acknowledges growing international commitment and consensus on women empowerment to make the communities and societies better.

ARJUMAND ZAIDI, Director, St. Xavier’s Convent School, Lucknow Edupreneur Award Arjumand Zaidi is a veteran social worker, a geographer, an environmentalist and an eminent educationist with a vision to empower the ecnomically weaker people of our society in terms of education, health, hygiene and make them well aware about important social issues like conservation of environment and forests,

Human Rights Education Etc. She is the founding director of St Xavier’s Convent School, Gomtinagar and an NGO – Holy Vision International to serve the society.

JOSEPH K THOMAS, Chairman and Founder Trustee, Mount Litera Zee School, Mysore Edupreneur Award Joseph K Thomas ventured into establishing a K-12 school with the objective of providing high-quality education to students and grooming them to become responsible citizens at Mount Litera Zee School at Mysore. His vision behind establishing the school was; nurturing global citizenship in young people, enriching teaching and learning, foster team building, innovation and critical thinking.

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Global Educational Innovation

PROF (DR) A K BAKHSHI, Vice-Chancellor, PDM University Edupreneur Award A double gold medalist of Delhi University, Dr Bakhshi has to his credit to eleven books as author/co-author and many as editor. He has been recipient of several awards and academic honours along with “Capital Foundation National Award” for distinctive and outstanding contribution to education by former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. He has also chaired many government and public educational authorities in India.

DR VIMAL RARH, Senior Chemistry Faculty, SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi Edupreneur Award Dr Vimal Rarh is one of the pioneers in implementing e-learning at higher education for University of Delhi and national level. She has already been conferred with many awrds like the Special Award for the category “Digital Content in Education” at International conference cum exhibition “ World Didac 2014, award for outsatnding contribution in the field of e-learning at the “Global Education Summit” held on 21-22 october 2016. Recently she was conferred with “Delhi Ratan” state level award for her contributions in the field of education.

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ARABIAN GULF UNIVERSITY (AGU), Kingdom of Bahrain Introducing Innovations in Teaching Pedagogy AGU has developed platforms using latest leading softwares combining them all to call it an E-Learning Campus. E-Learning Campus involves multiple projects to ensure better learning outcomes. Some of them are: UNIO: A cutting Edge Award winning classroom technology that makes the entire teaching learning process PAPERLESS. DXR: It is a web-based patient’s simulation software that acts as a virtual hospital environment ecosystem.

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT Best Hospitality & Hotel Management Institute in India Indian institute of Hotel Management provides varied, exciting, interesting and different career options to prospective and promising enthusiasts. Continuous and constant growth, steady diversification in the industry, presents ample opportunities for higher growth and development. The students enjoy the atmosphere of learning with the state of the art infrastructure coupled with faculties rich in knowledge and foreign visit.

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MANIPAL UNIVERSITY, Jaipur Introducing Innovations in Teaching Pedagogy Manipal University tries to leverage technology in a big way. The students and faculty are encouraged to take on-line courses like MOOCs to enhance their domain knowledge. Education at the university is fully geared up in terms of its preparedness to impart the right type of skills and knowledge. The University has set up an Entrepreneurship Cell wherein many students and faculty learn about innovation, incubation, technology transfer, patenting and IPR.

NEHRU WORLD SCHOOL, Ghaziabad Impelling Innovation in Science, English and Maths Education Nehru World School uses experiential learning pedagogy in order to achieve this vision. Through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education children get opportunities to engage authentically with learning. Project work helps children collaborate and work on simulations of real life problems and situations. That creates interest and relevance. Children engage in peer learning, discussion and collaboration.

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GLOBAL INDIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, Kuala Lumpur Innovative Interventions in Pre-School Teaching & Learning Brain Gym’s Positive Active Clear Energetic (PACE) exercises to ‘Activate the Learning’. PACE is a learning readiness sequence of exercises that prepare a child to receive learning and help their differing capabilities to better integrate with the classroom dynamics.

Parent counselling (Targeted interventions) ‘Excelerate’ Reading Programme, a systematic pre-school reading programme developed in-house comprising a set of 3 booklets act as first readers.

CENTRAL INDIA PUBLIC SCHOOL, Nagpur Editor’s Choice for Academic Excellence The school advocates continuous and comprehensive evaluation with an emphasis on holistic development of learners. CIPS commits itself to providing a stress-free learning environment that will develop competent, confident and enterprising citizens who will promote harmony and peace. CIPS defines appropriate approaches of academic activities to accustom students about the activities of international arena.

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Global Educational Innovation

BOMBAY CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL, Mumbai

GLOBAL INDIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, Tokyo

Global Collaborative Learning Environment

Innovative Interventions in PreSchool Teaching & Learning

Activities right from the kindergarten section are designed to develop the skills of communication, critical thinking, confidence and collaboration. Students are encouraged to participate and excel in external exams of international standards like the International Olympiads, Microsoft exam etc. Latest technology is used to bring the world into the classroom and virtual field trips, Skype sessions and online competitions and connecting classroom project by the British Council are woven into the student’s schedule. The classroom teaching - learning process is ably supported by providing outdoor visits and educational tours and camps which broaden the students’ perspective of the world outside.

At GIIS, the Global Montessori Plus programme (GMP) opens up the possibilities for each individual child to learn and develop at the pace which is right for each individual child. that make a significant beneficial difference in the learning process are: Multi-faceted learning through Multiple Intelligences; ‘i-Care’ Programme focused approach to create environmental consciousness; Excelerate’ Programme - An accelerated programme for literacy; Play and learn to encourage creativity; Value-based learning inculcating universal values and ethics.

GOLDEN BELLS PRE SCHOOL, New Delhi Introducing Innovations in Teaching Pedagogy The key facets of evolution of learning eco system at Golden Bells can be definitely classified at Multiple Intelligence (MI) based curriculum and the teaching pedagogy adopted through experiential learning. Students are taught in the most adaptive and unorganized way through the implementation of the MI profiling.

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DALIMSS SUNBEAM SCHOOLS & HOSTEL, Varanasi Introducing Innovations in Teaching Pedagogy At DALIMSS, digitalized education through smart books creates the ambience to impart the skills. To motivate the passive learners, a learning chain is followed that involves the hierarchy of fellow students, subject teachers, principal and the management. Interest and participation has increased manifold. That becomes quite apparent in various competition and activities.

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LEADING PROVIDER IN INNOVATIVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Ÿ World Class Infrastructure Ÿ Comprehensive Curriculum opportunities

- CBSE, IB, CIE, Alberta Ÿ Quality Awarded PreSchool Programme by Early Childhood Association of India Ÿ Only Cambridge University Language Assessment Centre in North India Ÿ First Organisation to launch Alberta, PLAY SCHOOLS & DEVELOPMENT LEARNING CENTERS Canada Curriculum in India Learning Wings Education Systems Cambridge International School for Girls, Urban Estate, Ph.II, Jalandhar, Punjab, India +91 (0181) 462 3952 / 53

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info@learningwings.org

Global Educational Innovation

EDIFY SCHOOL, Nagpur Introducing Innovations in Teaching Pedagogy Edify school tries to develop a positive learning environment to inculcate discipline and leadership qualities among children. The school has an excellent infrastructure and equipped with AudioVisual -- Science and computer Lab, smart classrooms in all sections and temperature controlled classrooms. The school also provides specialized career counseling to its students and through “Students Exchange Programme”, the students get International exposure as well.

LEARNING WINGS EDUCATION SYSTEMS Innovative School Administrative and Management Systems Learning Wings Education System (LWES) schools were the first to create human-friendly technological school support programs. First schools to work on Linux and use open offices. Schools are managed by set standard policies, the administration is shared and is layered between various areas of work. School decisions are taken by committees having representation from all, teachers, parents and administration. Heads of the schools supported by the staff with an aim of making learning joyous and fruitful.

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LifeBoard The Ultimate Learning Destination

LIFEBOARD EDU SOLUTIONS PVT LTD

Innovation in Vocational Education and Technology World’s First “Speak and Learn” feature for learners to “Talk” to the app and practice English and other skills that have moved the classroom into the hands of the potential learners. “SkillFone” is completely multilingual with world language translation and voice support (Including Arabic) Supports more than 100 skill courses Recently incorporated augmented reality and virtual reality innovations.

COPYROBO, Vietnam

Use of Assistive Technologies in Education Copyrobo is the first full-service, consumer-oriented copyright service company applicable to clients throughout the world. Works on both Android and iOS platforms, as well as the web, as the first mobile timestamp application Integrates with many popular services for ease of use, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Introduces the Ownership Signature, a customizable ownership signature that is protected by the timestamp together with the original file.

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School - Sneak Peak

GLOBAL SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

Nurturing Children Holistically

Global Schools - an initiative of the Singapore-based Global Schools Foundation (GSF) - is known for offering skill-based and learner-centric curricula.The GSF provides holistic learning and personality development opportunities for all its students, writes Elets News Network (ENN).

SF is an international network of award-winning schools with 20 campuses in Singapore, the UAE, Malaysia, Japan, India, Thailand and Vietnam. The chain of schools endeavours to amalgamate diverse cultures, perspectives and facilitate knowledge sharing to foster a holistic learning experience across geographies has been consistent since inception. Students are encouraged to consider their responsibilities towards their community and the world around to them, by creating conceptual and practical connections. Holding strong academic credentials and vast teaching experience, GIIS’ faculty forms the backbone of the school’s vision ‘To Become a Global Role Model for Teaching and Learning.’ GIIS’ students, over the years, have secured exemplary achievements in academic and non-academic spheres. GIIS encourages the use of technology in the classroom and to maintain open communication, making learning a fascinating experience at GIIS. Both international and Indian curricula are offered at GIIS and include IB Diploma, Cambridge International General Certiﬁcate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), Central Board of Secondery Education (CBSE), CBSEi and Global Montessori Plus programme for early years. Basis the geography the school is operating in and

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as per local preference the core curriculum is decided. Around it is woven our curriculum delivery system which is demonstrated through our Nine Gems™ learning framework which equips the students with with skills and competences – such as problemsolving; critical, analytical and creative thinking; and teamwork – relevant to the dynamic 21st century work environment. By implementing the United States Excellence Standards “Malcolm Baldrige” to effect continuous improvements in the standards of their schools, we benchmark our education excellence against the best schools in the world. Our schools have delivered exceptional academic results. The schools have produced 6 IB DP world toppers and a large number of near-perfect scorers. In 2016, a student topped ASEAN & Middle East region by scoring 98.2% in Grade 12 exams of CBSE. In the same examination, 48% of our students scored 90% and above and our school average was 85.7%. UNIVERSITY PLACEMENTS Students have secured placements worldwide in top universities like Cornell University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of California - Berkeley, Imperial College - London, University

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of Edinburgh, King’s College - London, Nanyang Technological University and National University of Singapore among others. Being registered with UCAS (for UK colleges) and with the College Board USA, the Counselling Department shares an excellent rapport with many prestigious universities. Regular updates and latest information on university application and admission process are provided to students and parents. BOARD OF GOVERNORS Chandrakant Borde, President and Co-Founder Chandrakant Borde is among the stalwarts of 20th century Indian Test cricket. An all-rounder, Borde had a promising cricketing career in the Indian team from 1958 to 1970, post which he became the Chairman of the National Selection Committee. Borde has been honoured with India’s highest civilian awards - Padma Shri in 1969, Arjuna Award in 1966, as well as Padma Bhushan – one of India’s highest civilian awards – in 2002. Atul Temurnikar, Chairman and Co-Founder Atul Temurnikar heads the management of the Foundation and its initiatives as Chairman (Administrative Board), and oversees its various campuses worldwide. Temurnikar continues as Director of several IT companies in Singapore and India, and has served IBM Singapore as Country Manager. Tan Sri Dato Mohd Hussin bin Abdul Hamid, Vice President Tan Sri has a vast banking experience, having served as an Executive at Standard Chartered Bank for over 30 years before moving on to become the Chairman of MIMB Investment Bank Berhad, Chairman of EONCAP Islamic Banking Berhad. Former Ambassador Aftab Seth, Vice President Retd. IFS-Ex-Ambassador to Greece, Vietnam and Japan Chairman of the International Advisory Committee, Keio University; Chairman, Japan-India Partnership Forum. Kamal Gupta, Chief Operating Officer & Regional Director MENA Kamal Gupta is a business leader with significant experience in general, financial and commercial management with major FMCG multinationals, including Gillette Company USA, Proctor & Gamble, and Fonterra NZ amongst others. Kaustubh Bodhankar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer He brings with him more than ten years of management experience in manufacturing and services sector. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur and a magna-cum-laude Masters in Business Management diploma from the Asian Institute of Management. BOARD OF PATRONS Dr Justice C S Dharmadhikari A former chief justice and an advocate of peace and equality, Dr Justice Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari believes in Gandhian values and holds the trusteeship of several Mahatma Gandhi foundations. He has been honoured with the Padma Bhushan – one of India’s highest civilian honours – in 2003. Dr Karan Singh Dr Karan Singh, at the age of 36, was the youngest person ever to become a Central Cabinet Minister in India. He is the former Chancellor of Jammu and Kashmir University, as well the Benaras Hindu University.

N R Narayana Murthy N R Narayana Murthy is the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Infosys Technologies Ltd. He is also the Chairman of the Governing Board of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Dr Hari N Harilela Dr Harilela was born in India in 1922 and was brought up in Hong Kong. He has received both the Order of British Empire and the Gold Bauhinia Star of the Hong Kong SAR. He was nominated as Member of the Consultative Committee for the Basic Law of the future Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) in 1985. Basadeo Pandey Basdeo Panday was the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2001 and has served as Leader of the Opposition from 1976-1977, 1978-1986, 1989-1995 and 2001-2006. Nine GEMS Holistic Education Model Global Schools Foundation has developed a unique, proprietary Model for Holistic Development of it Students called Nine Gems Holistic Education Model. The Model looks at the development of children across nine different dimensions and monitors the development of children across multiple areas. Our schools create a series of activities in different areas to address multi-dimensional needs of children. Gem 1 – Academic Excellence, Collaborative & Project- based Learning Gem 2 – Sports Excellence, Health & Fitness Gem 3 – Digital & Visual Arts Gem 4 – Personality Development, Speech & Drama Gem 5 – Creativity, Innovation & Problem Solving Gem 6 – Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development Gem 7 – Universal Values, Ethics & Discipline Gem 8 – Community Connection, Care & Conserve Gem 9 – Life Skills, Career & Vocational Competencies FUTURE LEADERS THROUGH FUTURISTIC CURRICULUM Global Indian International School and One World International School adopt a futuristic curriculum to impart 21st century skills, so that students can emerge as confident, competent and contributory global citizens. RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS Since its inception in 2002, the school set its focus on providing quality education to students. Till date, our schools have won over 72 international and national quality awards by globally reputed quality organizations likes of Asia Pacific Quality Organisation (APQO), SPRING Singapore, and Institute of Directors (IOD). These awards are testimony of the initiatives and efforts that Global Schools Foundation has undertaken in the field of education excellence. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY By being responsible global citizens, students are aware of the societal issues and contribute innovatively to address some of the challenges faced by the society. CSR initiatives thus became extremely important in the school’s endeavor to give back to the society. Philanthropic initiatives, like Flag Day, Blood Donation Drive and Hair for Hope, among many others, contribute to create

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ABOUT WORLD EDUCATION SUMMIT, BAHRAIN Bahrain, the leader in GCC in human capital development, is focusing on providing quality educational services to the students, developing an eﬀective education system and using ICT for education. At the same time, expansion is taking place in Baharain in implementing the initiatives of the National Project to Develop Education and Training to cater to the country’s developmental needs. In this context, Elets Technomedia is organising the 8th edition of World Education Summit-Bahrain from 8-9th March 2017. This global conclave on education will see participation of Thinkers and Edu Leaders from the Arab region and across the globe.

OBJECTIVES Elets 8th World Education Summit- Bahrain 2017 aims to act as a platform for knowledge sharing amongst thought leaders, education experts and industry leaders to discuss and deliberate upon various aspects of education to create an eﬀective knowledge - based society.

TOPICS ★ School Education ★ Higher Education ★ ICT for Education ★ Vocational Education & Skill Development

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Journey of Elets Across the World

World Leaders have been part of Elets initiatives

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Elets’ Global Legacy

Elets Global Conferences BEIJING KUALA LUMPUR i4d Seminar Beijing, China, 2004

eAsia - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2007

The i4d seminar was held at Beijing, China in 2004 which saw participation of eminent ICT4D practitioners from Asia and Africa.

Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, Hon’ble Minister of Energy, Water and Communications, Malaysia inaugurates Elets eASIA Summit 2007 in Kuala Lumpur.

COLOMBO

DHAKA

eAsia - Sri Lanka 2009

eAsia - Bangladesh 2011

eASIA Sri Lanka was inaugurated by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2009.

A special commemorative stamp was released by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the inaugural of eAsia, Bangladesh 2011.

CAMBRIDGE Innovate for India, Cambridge, UK, 2016 Innovate for India Summit was organised in Cambridge. It saw presence of eduLeaders from across the globe.

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2011

2012

World Education Summit 2011 created history by attracting representations from more than 50 countries. Thought leaders and policymakers from the education world of countries from Middle East, Africa, Europe along with India converged together to ideate, deliberate and discuss on new technological interventions for over all development of education world over.

Elets World Education Summit 2012 created a knowledge sharing platform to discuss various aspects of ICT for education ranging from School Education to Higher Education and Technical Education. Minister of Education from Mauritius and other countries participated in the premier conference on education.

E Ahmad

Director and UNESCO representative to India, Bhutan, Maldvies, Sri Lanka

Dr Theophilus Mooko

Dr Pascal Chazot

Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Republic of Botswana

Hon’ble Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

Loynpo Thakur S Powdyel

Former President of India

Hon’ble Minister of Education, Royal Government of Bhutan

Dr Taseer Al Nuaimi

Goeffrey Conaghan

Dr Thomas Christie

Commissioner to India, State Government of Victoria, Australia

President, National comission of Employment and Training, France

Dr Sunil Nawaratne

Secretary, Minister of Higher Education, Government of Sri Lanka

Prof S S Mantha

Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)

Kapil Sibal

Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development and Communications and IT, Government of India

Hon’ble Minister of Education, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Shigeru Aoyagi

Minister of State for Human Resourse Development, Government of India

Director, Aga Khan University Examination Board

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Eletsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Global Legacy

2013

2014

Harmonising Global Efforts: Strategies for steering the education sector - Keeping this theme as focal point of discussion, WES 2013 witnessed congregation of thought leaders under one roof to discuss various issues related to education. Member of Parliament, France and Key Policy Makers from Indian government shared their views for creating an effective education ecosystem.

World Education Summit 2014 was more than a conference. It built a strong community around it and provided various business and networking opportunities for education leaders & industry leaders. The dynamics of education sector is evolving and changing rapidly world over and WES 2014 provided an opportunity to all the stakeholders to come together and deliberate, discuss and explore the horizon.

Vishaka Nanayakkara

Justice M S A Siddiqui

Praveen Prakash

William Bickerdike

Ministry Of Higher Education, Government of SriLanka

Joint Secretary, Technology Enabled Learning and Mission Director,NMEICT, MHRD

Prof Wajih Owais

Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Government of Jordan

HE Shaida Mohammad Abdali Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to India

Robert O Ferrer

First Secretary, Embassy of the Philippines

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Mark Parkinson

Executive Director, Kunskapsskolan Eduventures, India

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HE Rizali Wilmar Indrakesuma

Indrakesuma, Ambassador of Indonesia to India

Shahid Ali Khan

Minister, Minority Welfare and IT, Government of Bihar, India

Chairman, National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, New Delhi

Regional Director Cambridge International Examinations

Moli Diva

Deputy Head of English and Foundation Studies, Australian College of Kuwait

Dr. Najma A Heptulla

Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Government of India

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Eletsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Global Legacy

2015

2016

From Canada to Australia- Global leaders from the world of education came together to deliberate upon different aspects of school & higher education and skill development in WES 2015. With glittering presence of Ministers and key policymakers from India sharing their vision on education for all, the summit also created unique platform of knowledge sharing amongst the policy makers, eduleaders & industry leaders.

The 6th WES was organised in Dubai in collaboration with Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dubai, saw presence of 100 schools and colleges from Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. World education awards over the years have seen top innovations from education sector in private and public space get highlighted and recognised at this global platform.

Dr Abdulla Al Karam Chairman of the Board of Directors & Director General KHDA

DUBAI

Hon. V. Radhakrishnan

State Minister of Education Sri Lanka

2016

Chris Cobb

Vice-Chancellor (Operations) & COO University of London,U.K

DELHI

The 7th WES was organised in New Delhi in collaboration with NSDC, and saw presence of 200 Schools and 130 Universities from India. World Education awards over the years have seen top innovations from education sector in private and Public space get highlighted and recognised at this global platform.

Kalthoom Al BAlooshi

Dr Abdullah Al-Shibli

Executive Director, Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dubai

Director General of the Colleges of Applied Sciences, Ministry of Higher Education, The Sultanate of Oman

Prof Allan Rock

Dr Daljit Singh Cheema

President, University of Ottawa, Canada

Honâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ble Minister, Department of School Education, Goverment of Punjab

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Prof. Andrew Tagart

Vice Chancellor, Murdoch University

Manish Sisodia

Deputy Chief Minister, Government of NCT of Delhi

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WES SPEAKERS’ PROFILE

HE DR MAJID BIN ALI AL-NUAIMI Minister of Education, Chairman of the Higher Education Council Kingdom of Bahrain

TAN SRI DR KHAIR BIN MOHAMAD YUSOF Director General of Education, Ministry of Education, Malaysia

erving as the Director General of Education in Malaysia’s Ministry of Education since 2013, Dr Yusof began his career as a lecturer at Ungku Omar Polytechnic before joining the Ministry in 1991. At the ministry, he has served in important positions like the Assistant Director of Curriculum at the Department of Technical Education, the Director of Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah (POLISAS) in Kuantan, the Director of Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB) and the Deputy Director General of Education.

KALTHOOM ALBALOOSHI

Executive, Director of Education Development, Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai

Inaugural Speaker DR RAVI GUPTA

Editor-in-Chief & CEO Elets Technomedia Pvt Ltd

avi Gupta, a social entrepreneur, has been promoting the concept of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for the development of society, for last two decades through research, advocacy, conferences, publications, and workshops. A doctorate in Business Economics, from University of Delhi, he is double M.Tech from prestigious institutions of IIT Roorkee, and IIT Kanpur. Today, Dr. Gupta is the founder publisher of premier magazines like egov, digitalLearning, ehealth, and the Banking and Finance Post. Having founded Elets Technomedia Pvt Ltd, a leading ICT advocacy organisation in Asia & Middle East, he has conceptualised and organised several national and international conferences like eIndia, eAsia, World Education Summit etc. in different parts of the world.

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althoom Al Balooshi’s professional achievements till date have come from a curiosity to uncover and challenge current education practices, and in the process, bring about positive change. To increase transparency in schools and promote quality education in Dubai’s schools sector, Al Balooshi played a central role in setting up the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau - the first accountable, transparent inspections programme of its kind in the region. She believes early childhood education also plays a crucial role in predicting future success.

RUBI MAHMOOD

Programme Manager - School Development Division, Abu Dhabi Education Council, Abu Dhabi

riven by a passion for teaching, Rubi Mahmood’s work appends an education reform project, coaching and mentoring school leaders and teachers with the Centre for British Teachers (CFBT), and a professional development project with Nord Anglia as a curriculum and training specialist lead. She is currently working with the Abu Dhabi Education Council as part of the private schools sector in the school development division. She has keen interest to work for Special Education Needs (SEN), leadership in schools, continuous professional development (CPD) and promoting the use of technology in schools.

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CHRISTINE NASSERGHODSI, ARUNAB SINGH

Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Gems Education, Dubai

DR MADELINE PORTWOOD

Director, Nehru World School

committed educationist and innovator and promotor of Nehru World School, an Alumnus of Kings College London and Hindu College, Delhi University, Arunabh Singh is a recipient of the national award for “Exceptional contribution to the field of education”. A British Council School Ambassador, Singh is also associated with other International Organisations such as Goethe Institute, Tony Blair Faith Foundation and CBSE.

DR BRIJESH KUMAR

Co-Founder & Director, Learning Wings Education Systems

o-Founder & Director at Learning Wings Education SystemsLearning Wings Education Systems (LWES), an education management company currently managing a network of schools affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) curriculum systems for Level K12 Education. He is a leading Semantic Web & XML Workflow Solutions expert who founded Digital Media Initiatives in 2005. Dr Brijesh is also involved with education leadership at primary and secondary level education.

Early Childhood Specialist, UK

hristine Nasserghodsi is the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at GEMS Wellington International School in Dubai. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s M.S.Ed. and Educational Leadership programmes, Christine has worked at the forefront of innovation in education throughout her 18-year career in the US and the UAE. She has co-founded a design thinking summer institute for high school students in the US. She served as an ICT advisor for the Abu Dhabi Education Council before joining GEMS.

r Madeleine Portwood, a qualified teacher and practising psychologist for 25 years, has specialty in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Early Years Development and Education and Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. She is a spokesperson for the British Psychological Society on Child development, Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Teenage Suicide and a member of a cross-party parliamentary group considering the impact of learning disabilities, particularly autism spectrum disorders on children’s access to learning. Portwood has published a number of books for parents, educationists and clinicians working with youngsters with complex needs.

DR CHHAYA SHASTRI

Director, MT Educare Ltd, India

r Chhaya Shastri, who is on the board of MT Educare Ltd., has been a mentor to several educational institutions and trusts across India and the Middle East for the last two decades. A noted speaker at education forums across the world, she has a multi-dimensional education background in Allied Medicine, Law & Management being an alumni of IIM Calcutta. Her key contribution in the last decade has been laying foundation in creating a process for the digital education. She has mentored thousands of teachers through her “Centre of Excellence” programme – “AAKAR” for connected classrooms! She and her team at MT Educare has been instrumental in launching a curriculum based study app with assessment platform called Robomate Plus.

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WES SPEAKERS’ PROFILE KAMAL GUPTA

COO, Global Schools Foundation, Dubai

amal Gupta is the Group Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Global School Foundation (GSF), Singapore. He is also directly responsible for GSF’s business development in M.East / Africa. Kamal Joined GSF in December 2013 and oversees all global operations for the organisation.

POONAM HERYANI

MSED- Teacher Leadership, Walden University, USA.

MANJULA POOJA SHROFF

MD & CEO, Kalorex Group

n edupreneur, she is regarded by many as the change agent for schooling in the state of Gujarat. Manjula Pooja Shroff, a postgraduate from York University and executive alumnous from London School of Economics, she serves as the CEO of Kalorex, has been instrumental in founding and managing several premier schools. Kalorex, since its inceptions in 1995. Kalorex recently forayed into the international territory with fresh footprints in the UAE. She is also having an additional portfolio as an Independent Director at Gujarat Gas Company Ltd., Eimco Elecon (India) Limited and Sabarmati Gas Ltd. Recipient of several awards, among them, the prestigious Secular India Award from the President of India.

RAJEEV GUPTA

Director, Golden Bells Pre School

NYLA KHAN

Associate Director, Kids World Nursery, Dubai

han is part of the UAEbased network of community nurseries. Inspired by the cause and potential impact that early education advocates, Khan is in charge of implementing and spearheading innovative practices across Kids Worlds nurseries. Over the past six years, Nyla has worked in Rio de Janeiro, New York, Mumbai, and Dubai across multiple sectors within education sector. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, New York, Nyla focused on the socioeconomics of gender and early childhood.

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n educator, school administrator, teacher trainer and coach, Poonam provides instructional leadership focusing on instructional strategies, curriculum design and reform and strategic planning. She addresses critical issues of improving instruction that develops conceptual thinking along with critical, creative and reflective thinking. Currently her area of interest is “How Leadership Practices in a school can impact the learning and achievement of students.”

e is a strategic advisor and transformational coach, working with individuals, groups, corporations and educational institutions. With over 24 years of vast global work experience, his training models and empowerment workshops systematically allow for a personalised understanding and fulfillment of goals. Rajeev is the founder Director for Telescope Solutions, a multiple intelligence based teaching foundation; and founder Director of Golden Bells, India’s first multiple intelligence based preschool. He has been conferred with various awards and recognitions for the innovation in teaching pedagogies.

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RYAN PINTO

REFAAT SABBAH

CEO, Ryan International Group of Institutions

General Director, Teacher Creativity Center, Palestine

ne of India’s youngest social entrepreneurs in the K-12 education sector, Ryan Pinto has grown the Ryan International Group of Institutions (RIGI) in India and overseas to over 130 institutions, educating over 270,000 students. He conceptualised and launched the Ryan’s Food Bucket Challenge project, which aims to mobilise and distribute food to various NGOs, that eventually became a movement with people from far off corners of the country supporting it. The project mobilised over 1 million kg of food grain and distributed it to over 250 NGOs. He strongly advocates the use of technological tools to educate each and every child of India. Recently, NexBrands recognised him as one of India’s “The Extraordinaire – Dynamic Young Leader”

efaat Sabbah is the General Director (and founder) of the Teacher Creativity Center. The Center is part of a number of international initiatives, including the Global Campaign for Education (GCE). He is the regional coordinator of Arab Campaign for Education Refaat and completed his Masters degree in 2004 from Birzeit University, Palestine, in Women Development and Law.

SELVA PANKAJ

CEO, Regent Group, United Kingdom

nder Selva’s leadership, Regent Group was nominated for three industry awards as an award finalist by Education Investor in the categories - Education Business of the Year 2014, Higher Education Provider of 2014, Private Tuition Centre operator of 2014. To realise his vision, Selva is in the process of launching Regent Leadership Academy in London and the US with his management and thinking guru Prof Huete of Harvard University. Selva has also been instrumental in launching Regent English Academy to support the local linguistic needs of north west London’s incredibly diverse and cosmopolitan student population.

TAHIR NADEEM QADRI

ZAHRA HAMIRANI

CEO, American Lyceum, International School, Oman

adri’s mission in life is to enable primary and secondary greatness in people. He has been training teachers and has vast experience of developing and evaluating efficient management system for organizations, particularly schools. He is currently working as the CEO of the American Lyceum International School. Under his leadership and joint efforts of his team, the school has progressed and the quality of the education has increased many-fold. He has spoken on many national and international forums and is considered to be an authority on the Covey’s mode of leadership.

Founder, Blossom Education

ahra is the Founder of Blossom Education – the owner of four Blossom Nurseries in Dubai. She has worked in her early years in the education sector for 8+ years. She currently serves as the Chief Education Officer focusing on the Triple PPP strategy and is growing the organisation in a green, sustainable and organic manner. Zahra also teaches Corporate Law to university students and is an Attorney admitted to the New York Bar Association. She graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University and worked on Wall Street in the City of London and in Singapore for many years in the field of Corporate law before coming to the UAE in late 2006. digitalLEARNING FEBRUARY-MARCH 2017

Special Interview

Bayan Shaping the

EDIFICE OF BAHRAIN’S FUTURE As the flag bearer of modern and holistic education in the Middle East, the Bahrain Bayan School has developed an exemplary model of teaching that can be emulated by schools across the region and the globe. Deeply rooted in cultural values, the school aims to develop citizens of tomorrow who are receptive to other cultures and at the same time, mindful of their country’s needs, says Dr May Al Otaibi, Chairperson, Bahrain Bayan School, in conversation with Dr Ravi Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN) What prompted the opening of this school and what vision was set for it? With the exception of government-run schools, before Bayan School was established there was only one missionary school that focused on teaching Arabic in Bahrain. It had a totally different curriculum that was based on a densely classical teaching style. My daughter found it too difficult to cope with the strict system the school had in place. It was then that a friend and I decided to open a preschool that would provide a strong foundation for children to do well in their future education. The pre-school proved to be a grand success, which motivated us to scale up and offer nursery, nursery 1, KG 1, and KG 2 classes. Soon after, we received many requests urging us to open a fully fledged school where a new grade level would be added every year. My B.A. degree in Education from the American University of Beirut helped a lot in this endeavor. As a result, what began as a small initiative to ensure educational prosperity for our children has resulted in 34 years of excellent education. For the past five years, The Bahrain Bayan School has achieved Number 1 status in the country and we hope to continue this progress and achievement for years to come.

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How is Bayan School different from other private schools in Bahrain? Bayan is a non-profit school run by a board of directors and trustee. At the time it was established, there were no private schools to be found in Bahrain so the late Amir granted us, as well as another school, land and extended a loan of one million dinar to construct the campus, under the condition that it was to be run as a non-profit school. We were initially working with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs but in 1995 we began operating under the Ministry of Education. Currently, there are only two private schools in Bahrain that are non-profit.

“Unlike other schools, we do not segregate students into A, B or C sections. We try to improve students’ standards as per their learning speed. We emphasize this issue on our teachers with the help of our Quality Assurance team”

How has the teaching method in the school evolved from traditional to modern over the last 34 years? We started our operations in 1982 and since the very beginning, the medium of instruction in the school has been bilingual – English and Arabic. When we expanded our classes beyond the sixth grade, there was more of a focus on English, however now there is no ﬁrst or second language. Both languages enjoy equal treatment in the curriculum. Our students are taught to be well-versed in English as well as Arabic. Initially, we worked with external schools to adopt their programs and customize them according to our culture. Presently, we are always on the hunt for innovative programs to further enrich our students’ lives. Five years ago, we adopted a very effective American program called Aero. We also adopt Arabic programs from government-run schools. Our teachers regularly participate in personal development workshops and training programs to update and increase their skills. We bring in Quality Assurance professionals to train them in a wide variety of subjects. This year, we initiated a directorate of Quality Assurance in the school. We are also working on a career development program to assist our students in understanding the key career requirements needed in Bahrain. We have observed that most Arab students pursue careers in ﬁnance, business and to a lesser extent, medical. However, Bahrain lacks engineering professionals in sectors such as Information Technology. We have decided that we will have mentors, comprised mostly of Bayan graduates, who will provide mentoring to the students in the area of career building.

to the workforce. Physical education is also very important to us and we organize many different activities for that.

How do you manage students of varying level of abilities – weak, average and brilliant ones? Unlike other schools, we do not segregate students into A, B or C sections. We try to improve students’ standards as per their learning speed. We emphasize this issue on our teachers with the help of our Quality Assurance team. Nowadays there is lot of focus on the holistic development of a child. How much emphasis do you put on it? We put a lot of emphasis on holistic development and the development of differentiated programs. Besides drama and physical education, our students also participate in various tournaments and competitions held in schools across the country. We also participate in global-level competitions outside Bahrain. We also have programmes that teach students how to do business in Bahrain so that they’ll have a useful introduction

What is the new vision you have for the school’s betterment? I have always considered Bayan as a Bahraini community instead of a school. We teach our students how to use cultural values to deal with Bahraini society and be respectful. I feel education should integrate everything we need to teach our kids. Through our career development programme, we strive to bridge the gap in the employment sector so that we don’t have to rely on people from outside the country to do the jobs that we are capable of doing ourselves. We are also very proud of the unique relationship we have with our parents. For example, we have an insurance plan that costs less than 100 dollars a year. In the somber case of a parent has passing away, or unable to pay the fees of their ward, the bills are covered by the insurance company. We have also developed something called ‘Bayan on Call’ to ensure the safety of our students. We have appointed dieticians to take care of diabetic or obese children, and have recently employed a school doctor. We even train our parents to take care of their childs’ special needs during stressful exam times. We have even set aside one day when we host the grandparents of our kids. You put your personal passion into running the school. It is not as a business but a passion which keeps you going on. Isn’t it? Yes exactly. We are developing the school as a base to instill values that a Bahraini citizen should have. It’s a combination of passion and motherly approach that we follow religiously. The board of Bayan School also share the same passion. They work as volunteers without taking any money for their services, because they are invested in the school and it’s impact on Bahraini society. Since young people are so exposed to Western culture, how do you educate them about Bahraini culture? There is something special about Bayan students. They are known for their exemplary behaviour and openness to all cultures. We have set rules to ensure discipline among students and have a specially appointed Behavior Manager to look into disciplinary issues. We are not harsh on them and always go by the rules. For example, to deal with the issue of bullying we do not punish the bully, but try to strengthen the other student being bullied to help him prepare for the world outside the campus.■

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