The story of Sameera Al Kooheji, the Founder of Naseem International School

What inspired you to build Naseem International School in 1982? What were the gaps that you were trying to fill?

It has been 37 years since Naseem International School was founded. When I enrolled my eldest son Abduljabbar in pre-school and I was pregnant with my daughter Amina at that time; I saw the need for Bahrainis to have a bilingual school in Bahrain. Naseem got the approval to operate in December 1981 and was operational in January 4, 1982, in response to a demand for a bilingual school that caters to both local and other nationalities. We started with at least 5 students. After a few months, the number of students went up to 100 and we needed to move to bigger premises at the Teacher’s Training Center in Gudaibiya. An elementary section was forthwith started. In April 1991, the school moved to yet bigger premises in Adliya. The Middle School section was started. At the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan, year 1414 (February 1994), work on the new Naseem School campus started. The building was completed in April 1995. I have a strong belief in the IB philosophy and thus in 1995-1996, the International Baccalaureate Diploma was in place and the number of students involved in the program have grown steadily since then. The diploma results have been consistently good over the years. With my IBDP programme in place, I went to visit one of the schools in Jordan twice. I saw the changes in the students’ attitude and behavior between my first visit and my second visit. At that moment, I decided and was persuaded to go farther with the other IB Programmes (MYP, PYP) since it educates the whole person. IB curriculum is totally different from other curricula. In the PYP we do not work and focus on books only, we also creatively use resources. The IB Programmes are being run 80% by the students and 20% by the teachers, who are our classroom facilitators.

What were the challenges that you faced in starting your business and how were you able to overcome these challenges?

I was only 22 years old when I started setting my dream into reality. I faced a lot of challenges, since NIS was established only by myself, unlike the other schools who have Board Members or Committees being organized to build a school. It was not an easy task to be a wife, a mum and a school founder all at the same time. Acquiring the land for the school and taking a million dinars loan was another challenge, but with ALLAH’s help, everything went well. At my young age, I was so keen to reach and fulfill my goals in life. I remembered that during my establishment process I was told, “Sameera, not all dreams come true”. During those years there were no agencies who supported young entrepreneurs like myself, but with the new generation, they are lucky enough to have Tamkeen and other agencies who assist and support young aspiring businessmen and women.

There were already big established school who had the support of their boards and the government. It was such a challenge having these schools being established at that time. I was very thankful for the challenges that the Ministry had given me since it ultimately had a positive impact. Despite many discouragements, I became more motivated and eager to pursue my dream. Then, I finally got the approval and started putting my dream in place. In relation to this, I later found out from Mrs. Shaikha Al Mudhahka, that I was the very first woman in Bahrain to have established a private school in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This news made me very proud, and even more so, when my contribution was recognized in the publication of a book entitled “Ra Eidat”; a publication which acknowledges the contribution of Bahraini women in the fields of leadership and contributions to the development of the country.

My major challenge and concern was ensuring that our students who experience our education, would fulfill my vision of growing into lifelong learners and global citizens. Transitions, growth and change are not easy, but is achievable with the courage, focus and strength to face the challenges and with the wisdom of pursuing a higher level; this being a reflection of the school aims and vision for success. I feel fulfilled every time I see my students successfully following their chosen careers and as they land top level positions in the Ministries, embassies, banks, hospitals and prestigious industries.

What makes Naseem International School different from other schools? How are you getting to world class status?

Naseem International School is proud to be one of only thirty schools in the whole world to be offering all 4 IB programmes. We are 1 out of 15 schools in Africa, Europe and the Middle East and we are the ONLY authorized school in Bahrain to offer the PYP, MYP, DP and CP; making us a very unique school out of the present 5,283 IB schools around the world. In January 2017 the school obtained its CIS Accreditation together with the MSA dual accreditation visit. In April 2018 NIS became an official BTEC Center offering Business, Art & Design and Applied Science BTEC and recently we had submitted our application for the NEASC accreditation (New England Association of Schools and Colleges).

In September 2018 NIS opened its new STEAM Makerspace. The school has been awarded by Google to become the first Google for Education Reference School in the Kingdom of Bahrain. NIS ensures that the highest quality standard of education is provided to our students and with the parents’ support in doing so, we directly contribute in shaping their future. This in itself is reflective of our approach to education and our emphasis on the Naseem International School motto of “Students First”. The NIS community, with me being the mother of Naseem, was truly proud of the exceptional achievement of one of our excellent students who brought pride and honor to our school, Marah Abu Adeya who got an IB Diploma perfect score of 45/45 in the recent IB exam in May 2018. As per the IB Director General Dr. Siva Kumari in her congratulatory letter sent last January 2019, very few candidates worldwide are awarded such high points. Marah was invited to be part of the IB Alumni which has a network of 70,000 people around the world.

Naseem International School is always involved in charity works, since this is not only part of our social responsibility, but also as part of our curriculum. We support organizations locally and internationally and this includes the Bahrain Cancer Society and the Bahrain Diabetes Society and other societies and organizations, locally and internationally. For instance, in support of the Bahrain Deaf Society, NIS students produced the very first sign language video of the Bahrain National Anthem.

Naseem has been committed to excellence from the time that it started. How is this practice ingrained in your teaching methods?

It is our mission to our learners to educate the whole person and our aim is to provide a balanced education, which enables our learners to fulfill their potential in all areas of growth- intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and socially – which empowers them to become the people they can and want to be.Naseem International School’s vision inspires lifelong learners and global citizens.We prepare our students to become responsible citizens at home and abroad. The school consistently provides essential innovative technology services, conducts lectures that enliven students’ intellectual ideas; facilitates professional developments and academic practices and continues to extend its support to different societies locally and internationally.

What advice can you give to entrepreneurs, especially those in the Education sector?

As an entrepreneur in the Education sector, my motto in life is “In this world, you have to be strong enough to face challenges”. I do believe that with your faith in ALLAH and trust within yourself, you will be able to achieve your goals. In any business, big or small, you need to face your challenges and conquer your fears. Soaring high and having a thorough planning are some of the secrets to being able to succeed. A 5-year Strategic Plan should be in place. There are obstacles and difficulties on your journey to success, but you have to deal with them in a positive way. There might be some people who drag you down, but you have to be strong and believe steadfastly that you can do it. Be with the people who are there to support you to achieve your aims. Another advice is to be PATIENT and have PASSION. Have patience and be passionate about your business. Investing in a business takes time, it takes 5 years or more to be able to establish and make your business stable. The 5 year Strategic plan is a step by step ladder to success, not a race to compete. Also, do not take money from your business for personal use instead invest more to grow your business. When you fall, you stand and take it as a challenge, because that makes you a better and stronger person.

Lastly, do not forget to thank ALLAH for everything and also the people who helped you get to where you are today

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