Al-Ahsa school principal wins top Indian award

JEDDAH: Forty-nine-year-old Kazi Siddique Haseeb, principal of Modern International School in Al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province, has been recognized as an outstanding teacher by the Indian government.
The government conferred the prestigious National Award for Excellence on him at a formal ceremony in New Delhi last week. The award is conferred every year on exceptionally good teachers in India and also on those teaching abroad in Indian schools.
Satbir Bedi, chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), said: “The award is in recognition of Haseeb’s constant endeavors and valuable contributions to the field of education.”
He said the selections were made “after rigorous scrutiny.”
The principal received the award from Indian President Pranab Mukherjee in the presence of Human Resources Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani. The event was broadcast live on national television.
A native of Maharashtra state in India, Haseeb previously taught at two different schools in Bhiwandi (Mumbai).
The award carries a certificate of merit, cash prize of 50,000 Indian rupees and a silver medal.
Those receiving the awards were afterward honored at a reception by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The previous recipients of the award from Saudi Arabia include International Indian School-Dammam (IISD) Principal E.K. Mohammad Shaffe and International Indian School-Jubail (IISJu) Principal Dr. Syed Hameed.
Haseeb has had a distinguished career in teaching for the last 28 years. He came to the Al-Ahsa school in 2003 and under his stewardship, the school saw a great increase in student strength.
Haseeb played a key role in getting CBSE recognition for the school in 2006.
“We had 111 students at Modern International School when I came to Al-Ahsa 12 years ago,” he told Arab News. “Now we have more than 2,100 students.”
Of these 2,100 students, 1,600 are Indians. “The rest are Egyptians, Syrians, Sudanese, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans.”
The school produced excellent results in the recent CBSE board examinations. “We had a 100 percent success rate,” he said. “A large number of our students obtained marks between 75 and 90 percent.”
Haseeb expressed gratitude to his team at the school, the management committee and the Indian diplomats in Riyadh who encouraged him to give his best efforts to the community.
The management team, school teachers and parents of students at the Al-Ahsa school congratulated him on his achievement.
“This will inspire all students in Al-Ahsa and the entire expat community in the Eastern Province,” said Quddus Mohiuddin, whose children study at the school. “We are very proud of our principal’s achievement.”
The school is under the sponsorship of Abdul Aziz Al-Goraniss and Abdul Raouf Al-Bushier.