Opportunity knocks

TWO bright students will be able to continue their educational adventure thanks to securing full scholarships to cover the cost of tuition fees at a leading school in Bahrain.

Sara Sunny George and Aathira Chakkumkumarath - both aged 16 - have been granted the first set of scholarships instituted by the New Millennium School DPS Bahrain (NMS-DPS) located in Zinj and Jannusan for students entering Grade 11.

The teenagers, who were top students at the Asian School in Umm Al Hassan, were offered a full-tuition fee exemption of BD475 per term for their two final years at school. They had achieved more than 90 per cent in their 'model exams' for Grade 10 held earlier this year in science, mathematics, social studies, English and French.

The Asian School is only open to children up to Grade 10. Able students seeking further education have to join one of Bahrain's larger schools with sixth form (upper school) facilities but the fees can prove too great an obstacle for some.

Sara who aspires to either take up medical studies or scientific research was born in Bahrain. She lives in Salmaniya with her mother Accamma, a nurse at the Salmaniya Medical Complex and father Sunny George, a mechanic at Hassan & Habib water purifier plant in Sitra.

Calling it an unbelievable opportunity, Sara, said: "I never even thought of joining NMS-DPS as paying its fees was outside our ability. It was never an option and my parents were considering sending me to India to continue my education there. The scholarship offer was totally unexpected and was like a dream come true. I have to live up to it now. I can't waste my time as I want to secure top marks in my Grade 12 exams. Obviously, it will be a lot of hard work but I am ready for it."

Her mother Accamma is absolutely delighted with her daughter's success and hopes all her dreams will come true.

Aathira, from Ras Rumman, has her sights set on the world of commerce. She would like to pursue a career as a chartered accountant after hopefully winning a place at the highly-prized Indian Institute of Management to secure a business management degree.

She said: "I am full of gratitude to the school. The scholarship has given me so much confidence."

Father Jayaprakash, a technician-in-charge at Yateem Air-conditioning, and mother, Indira, a housewife, are proud of their daughter's achievements. A resident of Bahrain for the last 26 years, a delighted Mr Jayaprakash, whose younger son, Arjun, seven, is also an Asian School student, said: "We were torn between sending our child to India or educating her here.

"This has come as a God-given gift and a major surprise. We are not well off people and cannot afford huge school fees. It is definitely of great benefit to the family."

Arun Kuumar Sharma, principal of NMS-DPS, a six-year-old school with a student population of more than 1,300 pupils from kindergarten to Grade 12, said this was one of the first initiatives introduced by the school's new chairman, Padmashri Dr Ravi Pillai. "We don't want money to stand between education and students with potential.

"We are trying to promote global citizens and through such schemes bring about change and create more leaders. The school places a lot of emphasis on building self-confidence, morale and developing an all-round student."

The educational institution is considering introducing a similar scheme for students entering Grade 9. The scholarship is open to all students studying under CBSE curriculum (Central Board of Secondary Examination) and is solely based on merit. Email nmsedu@nmsedu.bh or call 17272700 for more information.