Measures to improve academic standards, programs for staff development and problems facing schools figured high on the 25-point agenda of a conference of 19 international Indian school principals in Saudi Arabia that was launched yesterday.

“The three-day meeting will discuss matters related to the curriculum and textbooks, as well as the CBSE and Ministry of Education,” said E.K. Mohammed Shaffe, principal of International Indian School, Dammam, which hosts the event.

In his inaugural speech, Zuhair Al Khusheim, president of Khusheim Group, highlighted the commendable role of the teaching community and urged students to give teachers their due respect.

“Society must realize that teachers are messengers of knowledge, wisdom and ideas and we all must rise up and salute them,” Al Khusheim said.

He also exhorted students to make decisions sensibly after understanding the situation. “One must use all five senses to make sensible decisions.”

He thanked the teaching community for being the torchbearers of society.

Chairman of IISD Managing Committee K.M. Thirunavukkarassu and Senior Supervisor from the Saudi Ministry of Education Khaled Al Ruwaie congratulated the participating principals.

Shaffe delivered the introductory speech while J.A .Rocque welcomed the guests and participants and Alamgir Islam proposed the vote of thanks.

The conference coincides with a Cluster Meet where more than 600 students from 19 schools will compete in athletics, inter-school debate, inter-school quiz (under 19 years), inter-school science projects, basketball and badminton.

The Cluster Meet’s mascot, cheetah, was released by Haradwala Mohammed Farooque, member of IISD’s Managing Committee, in the presence of Thirunavukkarassu, Shaffe, and senior officials.

“All arrangements have been completed for the successful conduct of the Cluster Meet and Principals’ Conference,” said Shaffe. Apart from principals, the observer of Indian Schools from the Embassy of India and officials from the Saudi Ministry of Education will attend the conference. The valedictory session will be held Wednesday.

The principals’ conference is significant as it focuses on important issues facing Indian schools in the Kingdom. The meeting will discuss academic schedule and summer, winter, Ramadan & Haj holidays, how to reach a uniform number of working days and the possibility of introducing special skills training as part of work experience for boys of Classes VI to VIII.

In-service training programs for teachers, orientation program for newly appointed teachers, monitoring and evaluation of teachers, teachers exchange programs, employment contract & service rules, frequent modification of syllabus & pattern of question papers by the CBSE, problems created by Nitaqat and appointment of women teachers holding family visas are other major topics to be discussed at the conference.