SRI LANKAN SCHOOL IN RIYADH

 

THE SRI LANKAN SCHOOL IN RIYADH

1988-2001

 

The Sri Lankan School in Riyadh was the first school to be opened outside Sri Lanka for the education of children of Sri Lankan parents working abroad. It was also an unique experiment as the project did not receive any funding from the Sri Lankan government but a small group of enterprising & pioneering Sri Lankans who conceived the idea  engaged in an uphill task & toiled hard for many years to make the dream of setting up a school for their children a reality. In this endeavour they received the whole hearted support of the then Sri Lankan Ambassador in  Saudi Arabia, His Excellency, A. L. M. Hashim, Presidents Counsel, which was essential to make their dream come true. This was not all. Once the school opened, they also held a tight grip over its finances, & within a few years they were able to build up a reserve fund for its  future development.

 Founders

 The Founders of the School, in addition to His Excellency A. L. M. Hashim, Ambassador were, in alphabetical order , as follows:

 Abeysirigunawardena B.; Anver M. M.,; Bastian Peter.; Hassan Iqbal .; Ismail Mohsin, Ismail Z. B.; Kumarasinghe Sarath.; Magadaragamage Neil (Embassy),; Marikkar A. I. ; Marikkar Shafi.; Marikkar Yasseen.; Naleer Mufti,; Salih Afulal, ; Salih Razeen.; Sameem A. M.,  Sikkander N. ,( Embassy); Siripala S. H., (Embassy ) ; Thahir M. A..; Withana R. M.; Yoosuf M. B. M.,; Yusuf Amin,

 

While the Founders were collectively involved in the project to set up the school , it has to be recognized that some of them may have contributed more than the others. Unfortunately, there is no record of the role played by each of them at the time, but Mr. Mohsin Ismail, one of the Founders, has paid the following tribute , to the late Mr. Yaseen Marikkar,  which needs to be recorded :
"Yaseen contributed a long way to start this school. If it were not for his untiring efforts and dedicated spirit, the institution would not have been formed at all," said Ismail at the special assembly adding that the school which had 15 students at the time of establishment in 1988 now enjoys a strength of more than 450 students on roll. “Late Yaseen had organised several fund-raising projects in aid of the school to bring it to the present state.”
Mr. Marikkar was at the time the Chief Engineer of the Hotel Intercontinental in Riyadh, & was later.Regional Engineer for the Intercontinental Hotels Group for Saudi Arabia & the Gulf Countries.
Read about him here :http://archives.dailynews.lk/2004/05/27/new21.html

 Other Founders were :

  

L to R - S. Kumarasinghe,  N. Magadaragamage,  Mohsin Ismail,
A. I. Marikar,  A. M. Sameem,  Mufti Naleer  

  

L to R - Iqbal Hassan, M.M. Anwer, Shafi Marikar , S .H. Siripala 

  

L to R - Z. B. Ismail, M. A. Thahir, Afulal Salih, M. B. M. Yoosoof

 

Amin Yusuf 

Not in pictures : Messrs. Razeen Salih, R. M. Withana, N. Sikkander, Peter Bastian, B. Abeysirigunawardena

Launch of the School

 The School opened on 17 September, 1988 at Jarir St. Malaz, in a spacious rented villa previously occupied & owned by a Saudi Arabian Professor of Science, with 11 students & 4 teachers. A. M. Sammeem, an experienced educationist, was appointed Principal. (Pix above)

 Background

The School was originally named The Sri Lanka Embassy School, & its Board of Management comprised of the Ambassador as its Chairman & several other nominees of the Ambassador, chosen from among members of the Sri Lankan expatriate community, some of whom later became parents of the School. Experienced teachers were recruited from Sri Lanka & visas for them were arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Resident Permits arranged by the Embassy. Qualified teachers of different nationalities available in Riyadh were also recruited for some positions.

1988-1993

The first Principal, Mr. A. M. Sameem, started & managed the School for several months. Upon his resignation, Mr. Henry Jayaweera, another  experienced educationist was recruited from Sri Lanka & managed the School for about five years. (Pix n/a). He placed the School on a sound footing & his departure raised some concern among parents about the future of the School.  He designed the original  School Logo & adopted the Slogan , "Knowledge is Power" The Vice Principal, Mr. W. A. S. Wijesuriya looked after the School pending the appointment of a Principal. 

The appointment of the next Principal & others  was delayed after they were selected due to a complaint addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, & in an unprecedented development, the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. A. C. S. Hameed himself  interviewed those selected and approved the appointments.

1994-2001

Mr. D. G. Sumanasekera, then Principal of Nalanda College, assumed duties as Principal in early 1994. He made a huge contribution to the School in every area of activity & won the confidence of the school community during his four year stint.

 

Initially, he had to face some challenges, but he soon got on top & in this endeavour he received encouragement & support from members of the Board of Management as well as  others such as Messrs. Amin Yusuf, M. C. Rasooldeen, A. Packianathan, Patrick de Saram , M. Subramaniam, M.B. M. Yoosoof , Mohsin Ismail, Mufti Naleer, M. H. M. Razik, Lalith de Silva, D. Somasundaram, N. W. Gamage, A. Wahab Razak, N. Bogoda, Lakshantha Fernando, D. Fernando,  etc. etc. The Parent Teacher Association too extended its support to him throughout his period of service.

H. E. Izzat Ahmed

Sometime after Mr. Sumanasekera assumed duties, it was observed that more space was required to accommodate the primary classes & for extra-curricular activities. Some parents proposed that a new school be built on vacant land nearby. The Chairman , H. E. Izzat Ahmed, Sri Lankan Ambassador, had no objection & negotiations were undertaken to buy a vacant land & to construct a school on a plan proposed by the Principal. However, not all parents were enthusiastic about this proposal & the Chairman decided not to pursue it. Later, another building close by was rented out to accommodate the Primary classes.
 

H. E. Nowfel Jabir 

With the change of government in 1994, H. E. Nowfel Jabir assumed duties as Sri Lankan Ambassador / Chairman of the Board of Management of the School. It was during this period that the Board of Management agreed to give a bank guarantee for the setting up/licensing of a new Sri Lankan School in Jeddah, at the request of the Consul General in Jeddah, Mr. Ali Sabry. The school was launched in October 1998.

H. E. Javid Yusuf

H. E. Javid Yusuf assumed duties as Ambassador thereafter.  It was during his term of office as Chairman of the Board of Management that the School ceased to operate for a short period until the Saudi Educational Authorities finalised Regulations for the conduct of International Schools.This was a period of great anxiety & uncertainty for the parents. 

A major change in the administration of International Schools in the Kingdom took place & It was decreed that Embassies should no longer have any say in their schools & that all schools should come under the supervision of the International Schools Division of the Department of Education & that schools should be managed by a Board of Management elected by the parents of each school.. Accordingly, the School was renamed Saudi Arabian International Schools - Sri Lankan Section, the Principal re-designed the School Logo & a new Board of Management was elected by the parents themselves. The newly introduced  International Schools Regulations applicable are appended below

Mohideen Hussain

The first Chairman of the Board of Management elected by the parent body was Mr. Mohideen  Hussain, from the Saudi French Bank. With his election, H. E. Javid Yusuf, Sri Lankan Ambassador ceased to function as Chairman, but  continued to take an interest in the School as its Patron. Some parents were a little apprehensive about the future of the School,  when the Ambassador ceased to function as Chairman, but Mr. Hussain confidently handled his duties as Chairman with the cooperation of the other Members of the Board, without any blemish & the School continued on its upward journey under his leadership. The other members of the Board were : Messrs. J. C. A. S. Corea, P. P. Alithamby,  D. J. R. Wijesooriya , K. M. Thasleem.

With this change, the visas & resident permits for the staff were handled by the School itself & the School was required to employ a Saudi National to attend to such work.

 

H. D. Herman Perera

Mr. Herman Perera , former Principal of Thurstan College , took over as Principal from Mr. Sumanasekera & served for a two year period, with Mr. M. A. P. Fernando, former Vice Principal of Wesley College , as Vice Principal. They  continued the work done by Mr. Sumanasekera. 

Azward Sulaiman

On completion of the term of office of the first Board of Management elected by the parents, the following parents were elected to the next Board of Management:
Messrs. Azward Sulaiman (Chairman), C. M. C. Seneviratne, Rumy Mohamed, V. T. S. K. Botejue, & T. Balasingham.They also made a significant contribution to uplift the School.

M. A. P. Fernando 

Mr. Fernando , who acted as Principal, could have succeeded Mr. Perera , but resigned , on being offered the prestigious post of Principal of Wesley College. 

S. H. M. Jameel

Mr. S. H. M. Jameel  was appointed Principal in place of Mr. Perera in September, 2001. Mr. Jameel was an "educationist, administrator, senior researcher, writer, orator, and author of several books. An Economics Special graduate from Peradeniya University studying in English medium, he obtained his master's degree in education." 

 

 

Special mention must be made about Mr.  M. C. Rasooldeen, also a former member of the Board of Management , who has had a very long association with the School, since its inception, & has continued to provide publicity , whenever the occasion demanded it & promoted the interests of the School at all times.

Two Embassy Diplomats who assisted the School in various ways were  Mr. P. Kariyawasam & Mr. T. B. Maduwegedera.
Mrs. K. Murugadas, Accountant, looked after the financial affairs of the School.
Mr. Izzadeen was the Caretaker . Mr. White replaced him.

The writer wishes to apologise for any omissions in this record, as it is written over 20 years after the events, without reference to any school records. Regret that it has not been possible to refer to the academic staff & outstanding students of the School.

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Curent Position

 The current position of the School is outlined as follows here:  (Accesed, October, 2023)

https://yaschools.com/en/school/sri-lankan-international-school-in-riyadh

 The school accommodates over 1000 students & has a staff of about 80 Academic & Administrative staff. It is a community school operating as a non – profit making organization.

 Curriculum

The School follows the British Curriculum and conducts  classes from the kindergarten l to grade 12 (Advanced level). The medium of instruction is English.  Sinhala & Tamil are taught as national languages. The School has 2 streams from grade 11 onwards – Science & Commerce.

Teaching of Arabic and Saudi Culture is mandatory.

The School is a Pearson Edexcel Learning and Examination Centre & has produced some of the best academic results in the region, each year.

Teacher Training

The school provides adequate in-service training in the form of seminars/workshops to teachers periodically to update revised curriculum.

 Facilities available in the School

3 buildings- Boys Wing, Girls Wing and the Primary Section.Separate play areas for boys and girls- the school provides indoor sports in the evening under the able guidance of Physical Education Instructors.

Curriculum

The school has 3 Science laboratories – Physics, Chemistry, Biology, a Science Room and 2 Computer Laboratories.

The Primary Section has been enriched with the following facilities – Easel boards, Sand and water play, big book theory, Theme based teaching, Sensorial material etc.

 

The Website of the School also refers to the following. ( Accessed October, 2023)

 The Sri Lankan International School of Riyadh serves Toddlers (18 months) through High School (Grade 12) students.

 Approximately 80 percent of the students are Sri Lankans. Others are from many countries including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Jordan, Kenya, Eritrea, Sudan, and many more.

The Preschool and the Lower School use  the National Curriculum of the UK & the International Primary Curriculum. The Middle School uses the National Curriculum of the UK .The High School follows the Pearson Edexcel IGCSE and the International Advanced Subsidiary and International Advanced Level Program.Completion of our high school programs prepares students for entry into competitive colleges and universities worldwide.

Co-curricular & Extra-curricular Activities:
Debating , Poetry, Oratory, Spelling Bee, Recitations, Writing skills, Mental Mathematics, etc.

Soccer, Badminton, Netball, Cricket, Athletics, Basketball, etc
Media, Photography, Young Inventors, and Arabic are some of the newly introduced clubs that foster the cooperative life of the school.

Alumni of the School are today functioning as Doctors, Engineers, Accountants , Software Engineers  etc in major cities of the world . (Farah Yusuf, the first student to be enrolled in the School is also a Doctor.)

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Saudi Arabian International Schools Regulations

Article 1

The following terms shall have the meanings assigned thereto:

International Schools: Schools using curricula other than the Saudi curricula.

Minister: Minister of Education.

Ministry: Ministry of Education

Article 2

These Regulations shall regulate international schools of communities residing in the Kingdom so as to provide adequate education to children according to specific guidelines in a manner which enables them to pursue their education upon their return to their countries.

Article 3

The Ministry shall, through the relevant department, license and supervise international schools and their branches.

Article 4

International schools are private educational institutions which are financed by tuition fees, donations, and gifts.

Article 5

Saudi students may not be admitted to international schools. As an exception, the Minister may approve the admission of Saudi students arriving from abroad who have difficulties joining Saudi schools for a period to be assessed for each student on a yearly basis.

Article 6

A license for an international school shall be granted pursuant to the Minister’s approval upon the recommendation of the Supervisory Council provided for in Article 8 of these Regulations.

Article 7

Education at international schools shall be limited to pre-school, elementary, intermediate, and secondary stages, or their equivalent.

Article 8

A supervisory council shall be formed to oversee international schools. Said Council shall be chaired by the Minister and shall comprise the following members:

-       The Deputy Minister of Interior

-       The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

-       The Deputy Minister of Education

-       The Deputy President of Girls’ Education 

The Supervisor of International Schools at the Ministry shall be the secretary of the Council.

Article 9

The Supervisory Council shall set the instructions and rules required for the implementation of these Regulations, and shall in particular have the power to approve the following:

1.    Licensing rules and procedures.

2.    Applications for establishing international schools.

3.    Educational programs and curricula.

4.    Tuition fees. 

5.    Donations and gifts granted to international schools.

The Council may consider an embassy’s request –referred thereto by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs– to purchase a school building or land for establishing a school thereon, based on the principle of reciprocity, subject to the following:

1.    The provisions of the Regulations.

2.    The land shall not be State-owned or allocated to an educational institution.

3.    The title of the land shall be registered, upon approval, under the name of the embassy, and shall only be used for the licensed purpose.

The Council shall decide on the embassy’s request within 30 days from the date of completion of all requirements and the request shall be referred to the Council of Ministers by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If the purpose for which the school was established ceases to exist or its license is revoked, the school shall be liquidated under the supervision of the Council in coordination with the relevant agencies.

Article 10

The Supervisory Council shall convene at least twice a year, and it may convene upon the call of its chairman or at the request of one of its members and the approval of the chairman.

Article 11

Each international school shall assume all aspects of school management, in addition to matters related to its level within the various educational and academic communities.

Article 12

Each international school shall have a board of directors to oversee its interests. Student parents shall be represented in the board, and the Ministry may attend its meetings.

Article 13

Each international school shall assign at least one hour a week for teaching basic Arabic, Islamic culture, and history and geography of the Kingdom.

Article 14

Each international school shall, prior to the beginning of each academic year, submit to the Supervisory Council an estimated annual budget in the Arabic language. Said budget shall include information on the school’s administrative, technical, and financial needs, as well as sources of funding. 

Article 15

Each international school shall submit to the Supervisory Council an annual report on the workflow, budget implementation, and causes of violations and breaches, if any.

Article 16

A person violating the provisions of these Regulations or the decisions issued in implementation thereof shall be subject to one or more of the following penalties:

1.    A warning.

2.    A fine not exceeding 50,000 riyals.

3.    Revocation of license.

In all cases, the Minister may order the removal of the violation within a maximum period of two weeks from the date of notification.

Article 17

A committee shall be formed at the Ministry pursuant to a decision of the Minister, chaired by the Deputy Ministry and comprising the following members:

1.    A representative from the Ministry of Interior.

2.    A representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

3.    The Supervisor of International Schools at the Ministry.

4.    A specialist in Sharia.

Said Committee shall investigate violations of these Regulations or the decisions issued in implementation thereof, and shall recommend appropriate penalties therefor.

Article 18

A penalty shall be imposed pursuant to a decision by the Minister upon recommendation of the Committee referred to in Article 17 of these Regulations. Penalty decisions imposing fines or providing for revocation of the license may be appealed before the Board of Grievances.

Article 19

An international school shall be liquidated under the supervision of the Ministry, and in coordination with the relevant agencies if the purpose for which the school was established ceases to exist or the license is revoked.

Article 20

International schools existing at the effective date of these Regulations shall adjust to conform with the provisions of these Regulations within 12 months from the date of entry into force.

Article 21

These Regulations shall be published in the Official Gazette, and shall enter into force 90 days from the date of publication thereof and shall repeal any conflicting provisions.