Schools to hold tests for future leaders

Indian students at schools here will write competency tests today to determine whether they are potential leaders.
A total of 80 promising students will be selected from the process for further international-level training and mentoring.
The comprehensive skills analysis test will be used to select outstanding candidates for the Lead 2020 project organized by Sign’s Jeddah Chapter.
Sign Lead 2020, a human resource development project powered by Al-Abeer Medical Group, is aimed at providing intensive training for promising students in Jeddah and Kerala in various disciplines.
The screening test will be conducted in most Indian schools in Jeddah for class VI and VII students, said Dr. Ismail Maritheri, president of Sign. The 90-minute test will be based on mental ability, English, mathematics, general knowledge and non-verbal reasoning.
A total of 250 students will be selected in the first round. They will be given further orientation and then write a more advanced test.
"On the basis of the ranking list we will call them for a group discussion and interviews," said Maritheri. The final list of selected candidates will be prepared on the basis of these scores.
Students will also be chosen based on their academic performance in 2012. Students from poor families will be given priority.
The best 80 students will be given international-level coaching and mentoring and 70 hours foundation training without disturbing their regular schooling.
Maritheri said the tests have been welcomed by local principals and school bodies. He said the tests will allow students to be tested on knowledge "beyond academic text books."
“We are highly optimistic that the parent community will prepare their wards for such tests in the future,” he added.