Indian School, Sohar

Indian School, Sohar
Location
Sohar
Oman
Coordinates 24°20′23″N 56°44′47″E / 24.33972°N 56.74639°ECoordinates: 24°20′23″N 56°44′47″E / 24.33972°N 56.74639°E
Information
Type Private
Established 1982
President Haridas Jivraj Java
Principal Sanchita Verma
Gender Co-educational
Website School website
White, rectangular building with many windows
New school building

Indian School Sohar (ISS) is an English co-educational school for foreigners in the Al Hambar area of Sohar, Oman. It was founded in 1982, and is managed by members of the Indian business community. The school has students from kindergarten to Class 12 and is affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education in India.[1] ISS is one of 15 schools managed by the Indian embassy in Oman. Although most of the student body is Indian, some students are from Pakistan, Egypt and Sri Lanka.

History

ISS was named for its student community, and Asha Sakrani was its first principal. The school was founded to educate Indian children in and around Sohar. There were eight students initially; the school was in a single room, with Sakrani as the only teacher and the principal. Students sat on mats, and the only furniture was a table and chair. As enrollment and faculy increased, N. Subramanian became principal in 1992 and the school later moved near the souq. CBSE accreditation for class ten was received in 1994, and the following year the first class took the class-ten board (CBSE) examination. In 2001, class twelve received CBSE accreditation.

The school grew from one room in 1982 to two two-story buildings with 38 classrooms. Sanchita Verma became principal in 2012, replacing J.K. Arora. Vinu Kumar is the vice-principal. Its logo reads "From darkness to light" in Sanskrit and English, with a lamp in the centre flanked by a pair of swans and an open book (symbolising learning).[2] Although ISS does not have a parent-teacher association, it has a student council and a management committee with a parent representative.

Facilities

The school has physics, chemistry, biology, computer and mathematics laboratories and an arts-and-crafts room, and the school library has over 15,000 volumes. Audio-visual aids with 3-dimensional multimedia animation for classes six to eight augment traditional teaching methods. ISS offers CBSE-formatted education to 1,800 students. The sections of each class were increased, with some going up to "E" grade. Kindergarten classes are held in a separate building. A lab with 45 multimedia computers was introduced on 12 June 2013.

Academics

In April 2012 the school operated on a 7:50 am–2:10 pm schedule, Sunday to Thursday; this included nine classes and a lunch break. Students may not leave during school hours, and the school has a uniform dress code. In the 2011 AISSCE (Class 12 Board exams), students scored 99 in chemistry, 98 in informatics practices, 97 in biology, 96 in mathematics, 95 in English and 95 in physics.[3][4] Eight students received a CGPA score of 10 in the 2013 Class 10 CBSE examination,[5] and Class 12 results were also good.[6]

Extracurricular activities

Scouts and Guides

The students in classes six and above participate in Scouts and Guides. Annual outdoor camps are held, in addition to weekly in-house activities.

Sports

ISS entered Gulf-zone events in 2009. The school has won a cricket championship and have finished second in football. Its annual athletic meet features aerobics, a P.T. display, races, shot put, discus throw and gymnastics. Teachers also participate in co-curricular activities; in 2009, seven students and a teacher participated in Indian national athletics.

Awards

ISS won the Shastra Pratibha Contest in 2008 and 2009 in the sub-senior group, receiving the Indian Ambassador's Rolling Trophy. The contest is organised by Science India Forum, with the trophy awarded to the winning school. A school team, composed of Akshay Purohit, Gaurav Mokhasi and Sachin Siby was runner-up in the school-team category in the annual Times of Oman quiz.[7][8] The finals were held on 17 April 2009 in the Qurum amphitheater. One hundred seventy-nine teams participated from all over Oman, and ISS finished fourth; Indian ambassador to Oman H.E. Anil Wadhwa visited the school.[9] ISS organises competitive events for students to hone their skills.[10]

ISS has been part of the national news.[11][12][13][14] The school has participated in international Olympiads, including the 2009 International Informatics Olympiad. Seven students secured a perfect 10 in the 2011 Class 10 (AISSE) exams.[15] Four students from the 2010–2011 Class 12 received INSPIRE scholarships (Rs 400,000 over five years) from the Department of Science and Technology for reaching the top one percent in the 2011 CBSE Class 12 Board exams.[16] A Class 11 student won third prize in the Ambassador's Polemic Challenge and was congratulated by Anil Wadhwa, ambassador of India to Sohar. ISS students topped the Young Bulls competition held in 2012.[17] The ISS annual Sports Day has been covered by the Times of Oman.[18] The school received the Ambassador's Trophy for most improved school in Oman from Ambassador J.S. Mukul at a conference at Muscat.[19]

In 2014 CBSE Board( AISSCE)Class 12 results were very encouraging. Thirty three students scored 95% and above marks in English, Fourteen secured 95% marks in Mathematics. Sushanti Ritraj topped with 95.6% aggregate. Hetanxi Hemant Singadia stood second with 93% and Shivani Pandey 3rd with 91.8% marks. Girls outshone the boys.[20]

== References ==
  1. ↑ CBSE, ISS; CBSE (11 September 2009). "Affiliation". EDUCATIONAL. CBSE. p. 1. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  2. ↑ "Logo". Indian School Sohar. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  3. ↑ http://timesofoman.com/echoice.asp?detail=45435
  4. ↑ http://www.omantribune.com/index.php?page=news&id=92588&heading=Oman
  5. ↑ http://www.timesofoman.com/News/Article-16836.aspx
  6. ↑ http://www.timesofoman.com/News/Article-16616.aspx
  7. ↑ Oman, Times; Times of Oman (18 April 2009). "Times of Oman Quiz". News (Times of Oman). p. 1. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  8. ↑ Oman, Times; Times of Oman (18 April 2009). "Times of Oman Quiz". News (Times of Oman). p. 1. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  9. ↑ Embassy, ISS; Indian Embassy (November 2007). "Ambassdor's Visit" (PDF). News. Indian Embassy. p. 12. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  10. ↑ Oman, ISS; Times of Oman (24 May 2007). "Competitions". News (Times of Oman). p. 1. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  11. ↑ Creative Minds. Times of Oman, Page 7,August 1,2007
  12. ↑ Maths Operation contest. Oman Tribune, Page 3, Nation, 31 August 2007
  13. ↑ Tribune, Nation, 9 August 2007
  14. ↑ http://www.timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=37075&rand=0H5gIP2CXrcdS4LIYYh1QUIEmw
  15. ↑ http://www.etimesofoman.com/popup.htm?web/Photographs/2011/06/05/018/05_06_2011_018_002_000.jpg
  16. ↑ CBSE circular no. CBSE/CU/INSPIRE-2011/ dated 1 July 2011
  17. ↑ Times of Oman Market Section Page B 10 dated 05/02/2013–
  18. ↑ http://www.timesofoman.com/News/Article-1909.aspx′
  19. ↑ http://www.timesofoman.com/News/Article-16951.aspx
  20. ↑ http://www.timesofoman.com/News/34515/Article-CBSE-12th-grade-results-Indian-School-Sohar-breaks-record-in-AISSCE

External links