The inauguration ceremony of the upgraded Government Vocational Higher Secondary School (GVHSS) for Girls in Nadakkavu, Kozhikode took place earlier today. The facilities were inaugurated by Mr. P.K. Abdu Rabb, Minister for Education, Dr. M.K. Muneer, Minister for Panchayats and Social Welfare, MLA Pradeep Kumar along with Mr. Faizal Kottikollon, Chairman - KEF Holdings and Faizal & Shabana Foundation and Mrs. Shabana Faizal, Vice Chairman - KEF Holdings and Faizal & Shabana Foundation, and other select group of dignitaries and the media.
Faizal & Shabana Foundation used the time and cost efficient, precast construction method to construct classrooms, toilets, science labs, indoor gymnasium, atrium, dining hall, astro turf stadium and landscaping. Overall, more than 132,000 sq ft have been built and upgraded by the foundation with phase 1 being completed in a record 95 days time! The entire project took less than 10 months to complete.
The Foundation is also the driving force behind PRISM (Promoting Regional Schools to International Standards through Multiple Interventions) initiative that was conceptualized by the local MLA in Calicut, Mr. Pradeep Kumar to upgrade schools across Kerala, making them a model to the entire country. With the involvement of the Foundation, PRISM aimed at not only improving the physical infrastructure and environment of the school but also increasing the quality of the overall education and enhancement of creativity and innovation, teaching and leadership skills.
Mr. P.K. Abdu Rabb in his inaugural speech hoped the PRISM project, by upgrading facilities at the school to world standards, would attract more students to government schools where student strength had been gradually declining. One of the main reasons is that, parents prefer to send their children to private schools where facilities and comforts are much more.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Faizal Kottikollon said “India has the majority of its students attending Government or Government aided schools, but attendance is dropping by the day. IIM – Kozhikode had done a gap analysis on Government schools in Kerala and had identified a number of challenges faced by these schools, including lack of infrastructure and low morale amongst teachers and students. The lack of basic facilities like toilets in girls schools also contribute to the decline in attendance and academic output. There has been a glaring case of inequality in education until today. We took up this project because we wanted to make this school a working model that can be replicated across the State and country. Our students need to be equipped with the knowledge required to navigate this country toward becoming a truly global power, and the Foundation will work with the faculty to inculcate this through different aspects of education. Today we have proven without a doubt that a Government school can offer the same resources, if not better ones, than those available at a private school. For the Foundation, the end of educational inequality is the freedom for all children to have the opportunity to reach their potential. The objective of the Foundation is to make the Nadakkavu school a Top 10 school in India in 5 years’ time. No Government school in India has achieved this so far. One of the key areas they are driving is the teachers training. The Foundation has been working closely with IIM-Kozhikode to deliver practical and focused training to the school faculty on motivation and leadership. ”
“The Project proposal for PRISM was developed with the help of the Social Service Group (SSG) of IIM Kozhikode. The idea of PRISM was developed as a solution to the situation faced by School education system in Kerala, wherein despite the presence of high quality teachers, Govt. schools in general failed to attract good students to their fold resulting in a paradoxical mismatch of student-teacher mix in schools. While most of the projects in improving quality of education in Govt. schools focused on average student, there is little being done to support the meritorious student to scale further heights of excellence. PRISM was conceived to address this through multiple interventions aimed enhancing physical, intellectual and academic environment of select schools to raise them to International Standards,” said Saji Gopinath the Dean of IIM-Kozhikode.
The Foundation was initiated by the promoters of UAE based KEF Holdings, Faizal Kottikollon and Shabana Faizal, inspired by their desire to give back, the commitment to sustain and the passion to excel while valuing the potential of each human being. The foundation actively supports numerous charitable initiatives including an Autism center in Mahe, Kerala, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri’s “Light a Billion Lives” campaign which provides clear solar lighting to villages in South India and an endowment to introduce the study and research of Precast Construction Technology in the Civil Engineering Department of Manipal Institute of Technology. The overall vision of the Faizal and Shabana Foundation is “Giving to Create Impact”. The focus areas of the foundation’s interventions are specifically women, children and youth. Thematically, the foundation has been working in the sectors of Education, Housing, Health, Humanitarian Assistance, Livelihoods and Sport
Faizal & Shabana Foundation used the time and cost efficient, precast construction method to construct classrooms, toilets, science labs, indoor gymnasium, atrium, dining hall, astro turf stadium and landscaping. Overall, more than 132,000 sq ft have been built and upgraded by the foundation with phase 1 being completed in a record 95 days time! The entire project took less than 10 months to complete.
The Foundation is also the driving force behind PRISM (Promoting Regional Schools to International Standards through Multiple Interventions) initiative that was conceptualized by the local MLA in Calicut, Mr. Pradeep Kumar to upgrade schools across Kerala, making them a model to the entire country. With the involvement of the Foundation, PRISM aimed at not only improving the physical infrastructure and environment of the school but also increasing the quality of the overall education and enhancement of creativity and innovation, teaching and leadership skills.
Mr. P.K. Abdu Rabb in his inaugural speech hoped the PRISM project, by upgrading facilities at the school to world standards, would attract more students to government schools where student strength had been gradually declining. One of the main reasons is that, parents prefer to send their children to private schools where facilities and comforts are much more.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Faizal Kottikollon said “India has the majority of its students attending Government or Government aided schools, but attendance is dropping by the day. IIM – Kozhikode had done a gap analysis on Government schools in Kerala and had identified a number of challenges faced by these schools, including lack of infrastructure and low morale amongst teachers and students. The lack of basic facilities like toilets in girls schools also contribute to the decline in attendance and academic output. There has been a glaring case of inequality in education until today. We took up this project because we wanted to make this school a working model that can be replicated across the State and country. Our students need to be equipped with the knowledge required to navigate this country toward becoming a truly global power, and the Foundation will work with the faculty to inculcate this through different aspects of education. Today we have proven without a doubt that a Government school can offer the same resources, if not better ones, than those available at a private school. For the Foundation, the end of educational inequality is the freedom for all children to have the opportunity to reach their potential. The objective of the Foundation is to make the Nadakkavu school a Top 10 school in India in 5 years’ time. No Government school in India has achieved this so far. One of the key areas they are driving is the teachers training. The Foundation has been working closely with IIM-Kozhikode to deliver practical and focused training to the school faculty on motivation and leadership. ”
“The Project proposal for PRISM was developed with the help of the Social Service Group (SSG) of IIM Kozhikode. The idea of PRISM was developed as a solution to the situation faced by School education system in Kerala, wherein despite the presence of high quality teachers, Govt. schools in general failed to attract good students to their fold resulting in a paradoxical mismatch of student-teacher mix in schools. While most of the projects in improving quality of education in Govt. schools focused on average student, there is little being done to support the meritorious student to scale further heights of excellence. PRISM was conceived to address this through multiple interventions aimed enhancing physical, intellectual and academic environment of select schools to raise them to International Standards,” said Saji Gopinath the Dean of IIM-Kozhikode.
The Foundation was initiated by the promoters of UAE based KEF Holdings, Faizal Kottikollon and Shabana Faizal, inspired by their desire to give back, the commitment to sustain and the passion to excel while valuing the potential of each human being. The foundation actively supports numerous charitable initiatives including an Autism center in Mahe, Kerala, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri’s “Light a Billion Lives” campaign which provides clear solar lighting to villages in South India and an endowment to introduce the study and research of Precast Construction Technology in the Civil Engineering Department of Manipal Institute of Technology. The overall vision of the Faizal and Shabana Foundation is “Giving to Create Impact”. The focus areas of the foundation’s interventions are specifically women, children and youth. Thematically, the foundation has been working in the sectors of Education, Housing, Health, Humanitarian Assistance, Livelihoods and Sport
