JEDDAH, 10 March 2004 — Manarul Uloom International School opens its doors to expatriate students here early next month with a new slogan, “Education with dedication.”
Islamic education is one of its main features. “Our aim is to bring up a generation of young people who will be culturally refined, ethically sound, mentally alert, morally upright, physically strong and spiritually enlightened,” said M.V.A. Saleem, the school’s managing director.
Based on the CBSE curriculum, the school teaches English, Arabic, French, Urdu, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. The school also offers classes from LKG to Class IV.
“We have appointed well-qualified teachers and we provide computer education from Class One,” said Saleem, an Indian businessman from Kerala, who has a license from the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority. “Ours is a school with a mission,” Saleem told Arab News. “Our objective is to win the satisfaction of both parents and students,” he added. The school aims to create an environment that cultivates manners apart from learning.
V.K. Jaleel, the director, said he believed that Manarul Uloom would become one of the premier educational institutions in the city as it caters for the needs of expatriate students. He called upon community leaders to support the institution with valuable advice. “We want to make learning more interesting to students,” A. Rahmathunnisa, the school’s principal said. “We’ll follow the play way method giving ample room for learner-centered activities depending on audio-visual aids,” she said.
Islamic education will be given in English in regular school hours. “By the time a student reaches Class IX he will have been taught the meaning and explanation of the Holy Qur’an,” the principal said. Stress will be given to Islamic subjects like Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh (jurisprudence) and Islamic history. Special importance will be given to memorization of the Qur’an, she said. The school has contracted with a medical establishment to provide frequent health care to its students. It offers special coaching for weak students and develops students’ talents.
