RIYADH, 2 April 2007 — Sri Lanka’s Ambassador A.M.J. Sadiq inaugurated a new girls wing at the Sri Lankan International School in Riyadh on Friday.
With the opening of the new wing, the school, which has 50 percent girls on its roll of 625 students, will conduct classes separately for female students in grades three to 10. The institution was established 20 years ago with only a few students when Aboobucker Lebbe Hashim was ambassador.
“The segregation facilities have been set up to comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Education, which supervises foreign schools in the Kingdom,” Sadiq said. He added that the new wing would provide pupils with a spacious play area, enabling the institution to carry out extra-curricular activities. M.K.M. Ashraff, chairman of the Board of Management (BOM) of the school, said the school collected SR 105,000 from well-wishers and parents to equip the new complex.
The Al-Rabie Company donated half of the amount. He added that for such expenses the management board does not want to spend from the school reserve fund, which has been kept for emergencies.
Speaking about the progressive activities of the school, Ashraff said the school has hired additional teachers and embarked on a special project to carry out remedial teaching among children studying in grades three to 10. The school is also hoping to set up computer classes for mothers in the future.
“Such a knowledge will help them teach their kids at home,” he said, adding that arrangements are being made to provide transport to students.