Bright Future International School: ‘a multicultural home to students’

Boasting of a clear objective to impart quality education, Bright Future International School (BFIS) has achieved an au fait reputation within the span of a few years. It is the only Asian school that is offering IGCSE to the residents of Doha at the moment and is one of the very few schools that offers AS-Level and A-Level classes. The school is a recognised exam and study centre of Edexcel, London Board, UK.The school hosts students from more than 30 different nationalities and has more than 2,400 students studying in classes from Reception (age group 3 & above) to class XII, which are separated into different streams of Matric, FSc, IGCSEL, AS Level and A-Level classes from Class VIII onwards. Affiliated with the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Islamabad, BFIS has seen significant growth over last twelve years, essentially catering to the local Pakistan community.“This school took shape in 1996 when it was meant only for Pakistani community living in Doha. But gradually it started expanding and then it was moved to a purpose-built campus. At present we have 2,400 students and we follow the British curriculum and FBISE Pakistan side by side,” Imran Waheed, Principal of BFIS, tells Community in an interview, explaining the reasons that make it tick for the school. “The beauty of this place is that we have children of 34 nationalities and one of our strongest points is our cultural diversity,” says Waheed. The school principal says they strive for academic excellence coupled with grooming of students in line with socio-cultural ethos. BFIS is also a cost effective school and a service provider, he adds. “We have excellent results and are one of very few schools in Doha that are accredited by the evaluation committee of the ministry of education. And this accreditation is awarded after an inspection and follow up for about two years,” says Waheed. This, he says, speaks volume of the quality of the education system that this institution has given. In the last term, five of their students got admission to Weil Carnell Medical College in Qatar. Others have been admitted to leading intuitions in Pakistan, Europe, US, and elsewhere. Very recently, one of their students represented Qatar in the International Spelling Bee competition in Denmark. “This girl was selected from more than 45 schools in Doha. She was honoured to represent Qatar with the Qatari flag in hand,” says the principal. Waheed says that while they are result-oriented in their teaching methods, they do not forget other aspects that include creativity, synthesis and personality development. “We are result-oriented because the parent body or the clientele that we have is very focused and have targets in mind. They trust in us,” says Waheed. BFIS has templates and forums for students. There is an English speaking society, where students practice conversing in English and also learn presentation skills. They also learn about IT skills. Waheed says they employ information technology in their teaching methods as well. The classrooms have smart boards and every staff member has an individual laptop. The lessons are given on smart interactive boards. “We do not believe in one-way communication. We believe in an interactive class where the students are not only heard, they are also asked to come up with creative concepts. Then we have sports days and inter-house competitions in different extra-curricular activities,” says the BFIS principal. Although the school changed its name to international, it does not mean they are changing the dynamic of it, he adds. It is still affiliated with FBISE. But if you compare the A-level results with other international schools in Qatar, Waheed believes it will be bear the top.He particularly mentions the support the school gets from the board of directors and its chairman. The chairman, Waheed says, will not hesitate in providing any facility that is asked for. The school is an e-school. The communication with parents is through email and website. BFIS also offers students very effective counselling on different aspects. “Our teachers give individual attention to their students. We have very effective counselling. We believe in correcting – we have a counsellor on campus who sits with the students,” says Waheed. These counsellors also do career counselling. Waheed says they sit with the Grade VIII students and tell them specifically about the Pakistani system. Similarly, the Grade XII, A and AS levels students also receive counselling on their future prospects. The other very important aspect of counselling is personality development. “We have hyperactive students and we try to channel this energy into something productive,” says the principal. The school also has a discipline committee and is constantly in touch with the parents informing them about what more they can do towards improving their children’s performance. “Our troika with students and parents works in unison and we are constantly trying to keep parents posted on the development of their children’s every aspect, from academics to personality development. Together with parents’ support we achieve our mutual targets,” says Waheed. He says they are requesting the government to provide a vacant piece of land lying next to their campus. The demand for admissions to the school and the number of candidates the school receives every year is really high. In future, the principal says, they will have to go for expansion.