The three-month course will start in November, said the school's principal Syed Masood Ahmed, adding that IISJ decided to start the course after learning that most of its science stream students opt for either medical or engineering jobs.

Admission to professional courses in India is either through entrance exams or paying huge amounts to private colleges and universities. Fees for NRI students in national institutes of technology (NITs) have also been increased.

"In view of this situation, IISJ has been trying hard to arrange coaching for its students both in medicine and engineering using experts from India," said Ahmed. A reputed Indian institution has shown willingness to send its faculty to conduct the coaching, he added.The school would charge SR600 per month for each student attending the course, the principal said. "The first course is planned for three months from November 2011 to January 2012 and is subject to the issue of visas by local authorities.”

Parents have welcomed the move. "This will be a great support for students aspiring for medical and engineering courses," said Abdul Azeez Thankayathil, a parent and an executive member of the Indian School Parents Forum (ISPAF).

The ISPAF official is happy over the news that the coaching would be carried out by experienced faculties in India, adding that it would help IISJ students gain better scores in all-India level AIEEE and AIPMT exams and state-level engineering/medical entrance exams. He said ISPAF had been pushing for this coaching at IISJ for a long time.

Abdul Nasar, general secretary of the organization, emphasized the significance of the course as most NRI students in Saudi Arabia were deprived of receiving a good coaching for entrance exams. “It’s really a golden opportunity for IISJ students,” he said.