Indian School Bahrain Launches BD 400,000 Smart Classroom Project; Defers April Transport Fees

TDT | Manama

Email : pradeep@newsofbahrain.com

The Indian School Bahrain (ISB) officially launched a massive Smart Classroom project across its Isa Town and Riffa campuses, as announced by school authorities during a press conference. Executed at an estimated cost of BD 400,000, the initiative aims to significantly enhance learning standards for approximately 11,500 students. ISB Chairman Adv. Binu Mannil Varughese stated during the briefing that the project, implemented in collaboration with Zain Business, has equipped 350 classrooms with cutting-edge digital infrastructure. This includes 225 classrooms at the Isa Town campus and 125 at the Riffa campus, along with upgraded libraries and laboratories. Each classroom now features an 86- inch Hikvision 4K interactive display running on Android 14.0, supporting 40-point touch for collaborative learning. To ensure student safety, advanced Hikvision cameras with smart motion detection have also been installed throughout the campuses.

Addressing current regional concerns during the press meet, school authorities emphasized that student and staff safety remains a top priority. Drawing from lessons learned during the pandemic, the school is fully prepared to ensure educational continuity under any circumstances. In a significant relief to parents, the school management announced its decision to defer the collection of transport fees for April. The Chairman clarified that the transport contract, approved by the Annual General Meeting (AGM), covers a 10-month service period per academic year and has been renewed from September 2025 to June 2029. Regarding suggestions to use surplus funds, the Chairman explained that the BD 40,000 profit from the ISB School Mega Fair cannot be diverted to cover transport costs, as nearly 4,000 students do not use the school transport facility. Meanwhile, he also stated that the school is yet to receive approximately BD 420,000 in outstanding fee arrears.

The school also highlighted several recent academic and environmental milestones at the press conference. The second session of the JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) was successfully conducted on April 2nd in coordination with the Indian Embassy and the National Testing Agency (NTA). The institution further celebrated the achievement of Shreya Manoj, who emerged as the Gulf Topper in the CBSE Class 12 examinations. Additionally, a solar panel project aimed at promoting environmental sustainability is currently in its final stages. These panels are expected to generate approximately 1.86 million units of energy annually, meeting over 60% of the school’s energy requirements. The new academic year is scheduled to begin tomorrow (April 6, 2026) with classes conducted in strict accordance with official government directives.