IISR regularizes 279 illegal teachers

The International Indian School-Riyadh (IISR), one of the largest overseas Indian institutions with a cumulative enrolment of about 9,000 students, won plaudits for putting in place an ambitious plan for effectively addressing transport needs of thousands of students and legalizing the status of 279 teachers under the Nitaqat program.
The school is also planning to shift the congested school to a spacious location in the capital city or its suburbs.
Addressing reporters, IISR Chairman Ommar Niaz and Principal S.M. Shaukat Perwez spelled out the achievements of the school.
Niaz pledged to improve the school’s overall functioning with a five-point agenda with particular emphasis on “academics, discipline, administrative excellence, quality and financial transparency.”
“The IISR has an ambitious plan for future growth. This includes a proposal to acquire new bigger campus and a plan to replace the existing fleet by a new fleet of buses by September 2014,” said Niaz.
The school, he said, has already signed a contract with state-run Saudi Arabian Transport Company (SAPTCO) to streamline the ailing transportation system. “Today, we have a fleet of 30 buses and by April, this will be increased to 60,” he said.
Niaz pointed out that a new strategic plan was required to enable the school meet the big, cross-cutting challenges facing students and teachers alike.
The school today offers quality academic and extracurricular programs, along with flexibility, opportunities and encouragement to develop full potential of children, he noted.
Asked about disparities in the salary of teachers and support staff compared to other international and private schools, Niaz promised to revise the monthly wages. He pointed out that IISR had been paying SR5.8 million in rent for the two buildings in the city — a campus for boys and another for girls. The chairman, however, could not provide information about the school’s financial reserve.
He assured parents that the IISR’s newly-elected panel had “taken quantum steps toward achieving new goals.”
Digital literacy will get a major boost as the IISR has already placed orders for 40 new computers, Niaz said, adding that a monthly teacher’s assessment program has also been introduced. This is in addition to the new medical insurance package given to IISR staff members, that provides “Class A” facility to staff with a lower premium.
The 33-year-old Indian school, which has been recently licensed by the Ministry of Education for a further 18-month period, is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education. It is the largest Indian school in the capital.