Chairman, Bhavans Group of Institutions in Kuwait
The visionary who banks on education
“I see a spark in every child. My mission is to ignite every Bhavanite to become enlightened citizens.”
The homepage of Bhavans Middle East, a pioneering educational group in the GCC, is not just a gateway to the website of an establishment, but it is also the reflection of the visionary behind it. It is this ability to see the talent in the young minds that made N. K. Ramachandran Menon, who is a banker by profession, to think out of the box and take the leap into the educational sector. Though the venture was initiated in the year 2000, it was in 2006 that the first school, Indian Educational School (IES – Bhavans Kuwait), was launched in Kuwait, in association with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. It was a new concept – a day-boarding Indian school in the region.
Of course, it was a humble beginning, and as the chairman of the initiative, Menon worked hard on the project to spread wings. That was how he expanded the Bhavans Middle East to other countries and started Private International English School (PIES) in Abu Dhabi in 2010, Al Saad Indian School in Al Ain in 2014, Bahrain Indian School in Bahrain in 2014, Smart Indian School in Kuwait in 2016, Wise Indian Academy, Ajman in 2018, Bhavans Pearl Wisdom School (BPWS) in Al Ain in 2019 and Bhavans Pearl Wisdom School (PWS) in Dubai in 2020.
Today it is a big name in the educational sphere in the Middle East with eight schools, with over 10000 students and 1000 teachers. These apart, he also runs another school, Jack and Jill Mangaf, in Kuwait. Even as a banker with a successful career graph, he wanted to do something more creative which would benefit the society at large, which turned him to education, says Menon.
As the Chairman of these schools, Menon maintained a clear vision right from the beginning. He knew that in order to groom a student to be a future-ready citizen, we should unravel their talent beyond the textbook and parroting. Instead of mechanically teaching the students, the teachers and management make sure the real talent of every student is nurtured.
Here the teachers spend hours discussing with students and others to ensure the academic improvement of the students. While everyone is groomed to have a broader vision of life, it never affects their academic focus.
Menon, who maintains the philosophy ‘Never follow anybody’, implemented the same vision in the schools as well, and pioneered many initiatives in the IT-based education system, way back in 2010, when it was not that familiar in many schools. When the educational institutions were forced to remain closed in the time of COVID-19 pandemic, Bhavans schools started online classes, which was again a pioneering move in the Gulf countries.
Born in 1948, at Paravoor, in Ernakulam district of Kerala, as the son of MGN Menon and Padmakshi Amma, Ramachandran had his schooling at Vignana Vardhini School, Paravoor. Then he had his higher education at St.Albert College, Ernakulam and Maharajas College –Ernakulam. He remembers that it was the golden years of Maharajas College, with eminent personalities such as Vayalar Ravi, A.K Antony, Binoy Viswam, Sebastian Paul, Mammootty, Suresh Manjooran among others studying there in different periods. In 1967 he was the Union Secretary in Maharajas College. After graduation he explored the possibilities of the Gulf countries and landed in Kuwait in 1969. There he started his career as a banker with the National Bank of Kuwait, where he continued for three decades. Then he joined Gulf Bank as chief accountant.
However, while working as a banker, he was literally renewing himself and played various roles as a thought leader, a keen analyst, and above all a thorough administrator, which came to his support when he entered the field of education.
People who know his personality from close quarters always talk about his exemplary enthusiasm to be innovative in providing value-based quality education. His visions, ideals, and experience are the real prime movers of the Bhavans Kendras in the whole Middle East.
These schools are built on the four pillars of education – learning to know, learning to do, learning to live and learning to be! These schools never spoon-feed knowledge; instead the children are taught how to learn. The flagship school, IES, has a centrally air-conditioned building with full-fledged labs for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, English language and Computer Science. In addition to this, there is an Art and Craft room, Music and Dance rooms, an indoor play area and a multi-purpose hall.
A unique feature of the school is the big and well stocked central library which has a reference section for students, parents and teachers. Moreover, the school provides the facility of class lockers for all students in their respective rooms.
While maintaining a global vision, the Indian Education School aims to preserve, encourage and propagate the teachings and understanding of Indian education, art, culture and philosophy. This way this school as well as other schools under this umbrella groom global citizens, thus providing leadership for the future. All these educational institutions are rooted in the philosophy of making the students mentally developed, physically strong, socially adjusted, emotionally balanced and technically talented to face the future challenges.
IES is a child-centred school, which ensures the all-round development of each learner at school, says the Chairman. Special care is taken to build a strong character and desirable values in all children. It was this response, which gave him the confidence to start Smart Indian School in Kuwait, which is also based on the same philosophy. In order to be successful in future, you should realize the importance of hard work today, says Menon. Along with this, we have to be with kids, ask them questions and awaken their observation apart from developing a positive feedback system to establish effective communication, he adds. Special care is taken to build a strong character and desirable values in all children.
Divya is the Director of Bhavans group and in-charge of Al-Saad Indian School, Al-Ain, UAE and Bhavans Pearl Wisdom School in Al-Ain. Her husband Rajesh Ramachandran is a chartered accountant. Sooraj is the Vice-Chairman of Bhavans Group and in-charge of Private International School, Abu Dhabi, Pearl’s Wisdom School, Dubai, Wise Indian Academy, Ajman and Bahrain Indian School. He is married to Dr.Vineetha Sooraj.
What makes his educational institutions unique? In these progressive schools, learning is not limited to the classroom, and they promote universal values without involving politics or religion. In a world falling to pieces under the impact of an amoral technological avalanche, these schools try and hold fast the fundamental values for which our culture stands, asserts the Chairman who is deeply rooted in Indian culture at the same time maintaining a global vision.
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