Downturn effect felt in Muscat schools

Muscat Well over 1,000 new applicants for admissions to lower grades in Muscat-based Indian community schools have focused attention on a trend of younger Indian expatriates from other GCC states scouring for opportunities in Oman.

"There are [a] lot of inquiries from young parents about availability of seats for their young wards in Indian schools," Prem Kumar, veteran educationist and principal of the Indian School Seeb, told Gulf News yesterday.

A spokesperson for the Indian School Ghubra also said the institution had been flooded with queries from anxious parents from Qatar and other Gulf states.

Prem Kumar, who has been teaching at Indian schools in Oman for nearly three decades, believes the country has been least affected by the global economic slowdown and the job market still offers opportunities for expatriates.

"A lot of young Indian expatriates are coming to Muscat and that put pressure on lower classes like kindergarten and primary sections," he said.

He added that there had also been cases of some parents who had applied for transfer certificates for their wards. "Most of them are senior students and children of expatriate employees at a very senior level.

Mathew Ebraham, Advisor to the Indian School Board, said: "There is more in-flow than out-flow of students to Oman."

The Indian School Board manages 15 Indian community schools in Oman, including five in the capital Muscat. The total student strength is around 28,000 with the oldest, the Indian School Muscat (ISM), alone imparting education to 7,408 pupils in a single shift. There are no private schools offering Indian syllabi in Oman.

"With the pressure on admission for the lower classes, we have decided to start afternoon shift for the primary section," Curson Kurien, convenor of Indian School Muscat's managing committee told Gulf News.

Kurien, however, said that the number of applications sold could be a misleading indicator of demand. "Most parents register with all three major schools and some register in anticipation of family arrival but do not take admissions," he explained.

The other school to launch an afternoon shift is Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir.

"There's an unusual rush for admission to the lower classes, including kindergarten classes," explained the school's principal P.N. Ashok.

Limited seats: Overwhelming demand

The Indian School Muscat reported the highest demand for seats with 1,900 new registration forms sold and 1,150 children securing admission to the school.

At the Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir, 770 new pupils were given admission to different grades from among a total of 1,246 who registered for seats.

The Indian School Ghubra could take in only 197 pupils as against 1,470 who sought admission.

The Indian School Seeb is the latest addition to institutions serving the Indian community on the outskirts of Muscat and boasts a combined student strength of 2,200.

"There's heavy demand for admission to our school from parents living nearby but, due to limited infrastructure, we have to turn them back," said school principal Prem Kumar.

Except Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir, which opened last Tuesday after summer vacations, all the Indian community schools will resume their academic session today.