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New Indian school in Sharjah to accommodate 12,000 students

Sharajah - The two schools will work separately as boys and girls schools.

A new branch of Sharjah Indian School, the largest Indian community school in the emirate, will be ready for opening in Sharjah for the next academic year. The Dh44.3million school will be formally opened on December 22 by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is making his first visit to the UAE after assuming his office in Kerala, a south Indian state.
The new school located in the Juwaiz area of Sharjah near Sajaa is coming up on a one million square feet of land donated by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.
The two schools will work separately as a boys and girls schools, according to officials of Indian Association Sharjah (IAS), which manages the school.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, YA Rahim, president of IAS, said the new school project has been going on for one and half years.
"The work was granted for Dh44.3 million contract. It is ready for opening for the next academic year. About 90 per cent of the work is completed. The boy students from Sharjah Indian school will be shifted to the new school providing more space for girls in the existing school," said Biju Soman, general secretary of IAS.
"Now the school is running on a shift system; this will cease from the next academic year."
After the inauguration of the new school, Vijayan will attend a public programme in the school premises, Biju Soman added. He said the first phase of the school project is ready for opening, and it can accommodate around 6,000 new students.
"For two years we have not given any new admissions in the Sharjah Indian School, which is already under pressure for space. The New Sharjah Indian School will accommodate 12,000 students, when the two phases are complete. In the first phase, it will accommodate 6,000 students for the next academic year."
"One million square feet of land has been given on a nominal lease by Dr Shaikh Sultan. About 160 new class rooms are ready in the new school premises.
"We have to speed up the admission procedures online for 6,000 students before the new academic year," Rahim said, adding that work on the second phase of the New Sharjah Indian School will begin soon after the inauguration of the first phase.
"Indian School Sharjah, where 9,000 plus students are enrolled is currently the biggest Indian community school in the emirate. After completing the entire project, more than 20,000 students can study in the Indian Schools. However, Indian School Sharjah and New Sharjah Indian School are two different entities with different licences," he clarified.
Raheem and Soman said the Sharjah Indian school was originally started with limited facilities for 800 students and the gradual expansion in different phases was made possible due to the regular support and generosity of the Sharjah Ruler who always welcome new initiatives in the field of education for the community.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com