International Indian School Jeddah Principal Syed Masood Ahmed receives the result of the finalists in the MES Al Abeer Educity ESEL Competition from Muhammad Emran, corporate communications manager of Al-Abeer Medical Group, at a recent function in Jeddah. — Courtesy photo Hassan Cheruppa Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – Twenty one outstandingly talented teens from among 5,300 Indian higher secondary school students from the western region of Saudi Arabia made the grand finale of MES Al Abeer Educity ESEL Competition 2014, slated for November. The students, representing six international schools from Jeddah and Taif, qualified for the final of the much acclaimed talent hunt program after a grueling semifinal round of elocution competition held recently at the International Indian school-Jeddah (IISJ). “The ESEL (essay and elocution) competition is a great initiative toward achieving main objective of education — the all-round development of personality,” Syed Masood Ahmed, principal of IISJ, told Saudi Gazette. Commending Jeddah MES and Al-Abeer Medical Group for shouldering such a mammoth task, Ahmed said: “The objectives of this well-organized and systematic hunt for talent are clearly well-defined. We will continue extending full support to such initiatives that help realize lofty goals of education,” said Ahmed, who is the inspiring force behind some 13,000 students of IISJ. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Mohamed Ashraf, president of the Jeddah chapter of MES, thanked the academic staff of international schools and parents for making the preliminary and semifinal rounds of the talent hunt a resounding success. “There was tremendous response for our initiative, and the response of girl students was overwhelming,” he said while pointing out more than 60 percent of 5,300 students who participated in the preliminary round of the essay competition, representing 11 international schools, were girls. “It was a humble effort on the part of Jeddah MES to provide the students with a wider platform to display their talent and skills.” Ashraf said that Muhammed Alungal, chairman and managing director of Al Abeer group and chairman of the Educity, attended the soft launch of the ESEL Competition on March 14. ESEL involves three stages, and the preliminary round of essay competition was followed by semifinal competition in elocution. “A total of 431 top essayists were selected based on the marks they scored, and an independent panel of experts further scrutinized these essays from which 80 candidates were picked to contest the semifinal held on June 6,” he said, adding that 21 students were selected to the final round. The first five toppers from boys and girls in the categories of 9-10 classes and 11-12 classes found a place in the list of finalists. There are six finalists in the 9-10 class boy category because of a tie for the fifth position. The oratory skills of the finalists will be tested in the prepared speech as well as in table topic at the grand finale, which will be held in November in the presence of distinguished dignitaries. There will be champions in each of the four categories (9-10 boys and girls and 11-12 boys and girls) and they will be awarded with medals and certificates. Ashraf said that marks obtained by the finalists in each of the three phases of the competition will be considered while deciding the winners. The top three essay writers from the four categories will also be given prizes. Al-Abeer Group's Corporate Communications Manager Muhammad Emran said: The Al Abeer Educity would be providing free education to deserving Non Resident Indian (NRI) students. There will definitely be set yardsticks, which the students need to fulfill to qualify for this merit freeship. Firstly, we would scrutinize the meritorious achievements of the student; their economic status and all relevant data that would help us select the student for the freeship. He said the first freeship award would be given in 2016, and students need to apply with all the necessary papers to qualify. The Rs 8 billion Educity is a dream project of Al Abeer Group, which is one of the leading healthcare providers in the Kingdom. Emran said that the educity, which promises education from KG to PG, was getting ready in Malappuram, Kerala with most of the paper works done and the planned edifices to be built. He added that Al Abeer will bear the first 60 percent of the cost, and then would invite NRI investments to complete the project. As an incentive progenies of NRIs would be given preference for admissions in different disciplines of the Educity. C.P. Saleem, coordinator of Edu ESEL, announced the names of the finalists. They are Aditya Andotra, Muhammad Faheem K, Mithil Rao, Nabhan Abdul Azeez, Atiq Ur Rahman Khan, Ashmar Valapra, Najmus Saqib Idrees, Usaid Saud Changan, Haafis Musthafa, Muhit Masood, Ibrahim Manzoor, Swailma Hyder Shaikh, Mushk Mohammed, Mahira Subair, Sinsima Sajna, Taqiya Yousuf Meer, Fathima Zahra PA, Hanan Ashraf, Dina Valapra, Syeda Farheen Fatima, and Sidra Raihan. They represent International Indian School Jeddah, New AlWurood International School, DPS Jeddah, Shati Al Noor International School, Mahd Al Uloom International School and International Indian School-Taif. The press conference was also attended by Jeddah MES Secretary N.M. Jamaludhin and Treasurer K.P. Abdul Salam.
