Indian School teachers win awards

Muscat: The prestigious ‘Navin Asher-Kazi Awards for Excellence in Teaching’ instituted by the Board of Directors of Indian Schools in Oman,were conferred on teachers from Indian Schools in the Sultanate of Oman at a ceremonious function organized on 18th January 2024 at Indian School Bousher.

Shaikh Faisal Abdullah Al Rawas, Chairman, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Professor Nutayla Al Harthy, Dean, Oman Dental College, Muscat was the Guest of Honour and keynote speaker.

Dr. Sivakumar Manickam, Chairman, Board of Directors, Indian Schools in Oman presided over the function.

The function was attended by. Kiran Asher and family, the patrons of the award; Anil Khimji, Director, Khimji Ramdas Group of Companies; Mrs. Reena Jain, First Secretary, Embassy of India; Vice Chairman Shameer PTK and other esteemed members of the Board of Directors, Indian Schools Oman; Former Chairpersons Yusuf Nalwala and. Sandeep Arora; Members of the Board of Directors, Presidents, Principals and the recipients of the Awards for Excellence in Teaching and their families.

The teachers who won this prestigious award in different categories are Mrs. ZahidaFaizParkar (Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir) and Mrs. Asha FayasSait (Indian School Al Maabela) in the Kindergarten category;Mrs. DelphyUmesh and Mrs. Rassia C.A. from Indian School Al Maabelain the Primary School Category; Mr. Pradeep Ramaswamy (Indian School Al Maabela) and Mrs. ParvathyBabu (Indian School Sur) in the Middle School Category;Mrs. Indira Sukumaran (Indian School Sohar) and Mrs. AmpiliSundaresan (Indian School Nizwa) in the Senior School Category; Mrs. Sumitra Badoni (Indian School Al Maabela) and Mr. Yeldo T. Ouseph (Indian School Muscat) in the Co-scholastic Category.

In the introductory address Dr. Sivakumar Manickam, Chairman, Board of Directors, underscoredthe significant role teachers play in the lives of students.

The Chairman thanked Kiran Asher and his family for their generous support in organising the event for the tenth consecutive year.

Shaikh Faisal Abdullah Al Rawas inspired the audience with his insightful thoughts on the role of teachers in society.

“The quality of a nation depends on the quality of its citizens, and the quality of its citizens depends on their education. The quality of education, in turn, depends on its teachers, who are the backbone of any nation,” said Al Rawas.

“Awards for Excellence in Teaching’ is an annual event designed to encourage, reward, and acknowledge sustained excellence in teaching. The award recognises excellence in teaching practices that reflect the highest standards in pedagogy, a record of outstanding teaching effectiveness within and outside the classroom, the ability to inspire, promote and sustain the intellectual, emotional and social development of students,” Dr. Manickam said.

Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker Professor Nutayla Al Harthy narrated instances of greatness of teachers from her own personal life. Professor Al Harthy highlighted the contribution the Indian Schools in Oman have given with reference to the large number of students studying in 21 Indian Schools across the Sultanate of Oman.

“Teachers play a pivotal role not only in imparting education in classrooms but also making students successful in life by imparting values and life skills such as supportive acts service, self-discipline and commitment,” Prof. Al Harthy said.

In addition to the above, thirty-three teachers in different categories were given Certificates of Recognition for their outstanding contribution in the field of education. Suresh V.S., Principal, Indian School Ibri and Santha Kumar Dasari, Principal, Indian School Buraimi were recognised for their long service as Principals in their respective schools. Dr. Alka Singh of Indian School Sohar was felicitated for obtaining Ph.D. for her research in Zoology.

Mrs. Jayshree Asher and Mrs. Jesal Asher Rajda gave away certificates and prizes to the winners of teachers’ competition organized as part of the Navin Asher-Kazi Awards for Excellence in Teaching. The competition was to showcase Teaching Learning Material designed by teachers for making teaching and learning more interactive and interesting.

Mrs. Ambika Padmanabhan (Indian School Bousher), MVSR Somayajulu (Indian School Muscat) and Mrs. Kavitha Ashokan (Indian School Al Maabela) won the first three positions in the digital category; whereas Mrs. Sandhya Rakesh (Indian School Jalan), Mrs. SoumiSaji (Indian School Al Maabela) and Mrs. J. Infancy Jermila Rani (Indian School Sohar) won the first three positions in the category of physically crafted teaching learning material.

The cultural programme put up on the occasion by the students of Indian School Bousheren chanted the audience. The programme ended with the vote of thanks proposed by Shanmugham Purushothaman, President of the Indian School Bousher Management Committee.