J&K govt set to emulate Kerala's 'Nadakkavu' model

Kochi, April 1 (IANS) The J&K government is set to adopt Keralas 'Nadakkavu' model of modernising government schools in the Union Territory.

The Nadakkavu model was introduced by the Kozhikode-based Faizal and Shabana Foundation, with whom the J&K government has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) now.

The Faizal and Shabana Foundation was founded in the UAE in 2007 by UAE-based Keralite industrialist couple Faizal E. Kottikollon and his wife Shabana Faizal.

In J&K, the model will be first introduced in the Government Higher Secondary School for Girls in Kothibagh, Srinagar. The objective is to establish the school as a centre of educational excellence so that it can serve as a blueprint for other schools throughout Jammu and Kashmir.

Under the agreement, the foundation will provide funding for the project and assume responsibility for its implementation. This includes holistic development of the school.

Faizal Kottikollon, chairman of the foundation, has assured that this would be a model for the transformation of education in public schools across J&K and an attempt from the foundation to create a robust educational system in the country.

"The goal is to bring about excellence at all levels, provide equitable education, especially to those from the bottom of the pyramid, so that each child can come up to the potential they are capable of. The foundation will also collaborate with esteemed Indian and international institutions to conduct training programmes for the teaching staff and students," said Kottikollon.

Tassaduq Hussain Mir, Director of School Education, J&K administration, said that once this model is established, it is the endeavour of the government to replicate it across Jammu and Kashmir.

"We are confident that this collaboration between the J&K government and the Faizal and Shabana Foundation will create a brighter future for the students of Kashmir and contribute to the development of a robust educational system," said Mir.

Kottikollon is the founder-chairman of KEF Holdings in which his wife Shabana Faizal is the vice-chairperson. They set up the foundation with strong belief in their social responsibility towards the upliftment of those in need.

With the aim of promoting ordinary schools to international standards through multiple interventions, the couple modernised the infrastructure and uplifted the educational standards of the 130-year old Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls at Nadakkavu, Kozhikode, in 2013, spending a whopping Rs 20 crore.

The foundation has also taken initiative in building leadership qualities among teachers and skill development among students, community enhancement and linking students to centres of academic excellence.

Over 1,200 government schools, mainly in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, have adopted the Nadakkavu model within 10 years since its inception. The model has been introduced in a few schools in West Africa as well.

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