Singapore’s One World International School (OWIS) opening in Riyadh
Offering International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) and an American curriculum
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Under the patronage of Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), Singapore’s prestigious Global Schools Foundation is opening its first school campus in the Saudi capital in September 2022. The One World International School (OWIS) will be the fourth school to be established in Riyadh under the RCRC’s International Schools Attraction Program, an initiative to bring international schools to the Saudi capital in partnership with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Investment and the Ministry of Education.
The international schools attracted by the program add diversity to Riyadh’s education system and represent globally recognised curricula, teaching and learning systems, offering experience-based best practices. The International Schools Attraction Program is part of the Kingdom’s Regional Headquarter (RHQ) Program, which incentivizes companies to set up their regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia. To date, 44 global companies have received licences to move their regional headquarters to the capital city.
Mazen Tammar, Head of Education Sector at the RCRC, said: “Attracting prestigious global institutions such as the OWIS is a big part of how Riyadh is creating a world-class education ecosystem. This is a significant milestone in improving educational opportunities for all Riyadh residents.
The Global Schools Foundation (GSF) currently operates 26 campuses in eight countries with a strength of over 25,000 students from 70 nationalities. Recognized as the world’s most awarded network of schools by the World Book of Records, London UK & Switzerland in 2021, GSF received 350 international awards in educational excellence, health and safety, social & emotional learning, and organisational excellence from world’s leading award bodies. The school offers comprehensive and holistic educational programs that include arts, sports, music, and languages. OWIS provides personalized teaching for various stages of development based on International Baccalaureate (IB), Primary Years Programme (PYP) and an American curriculum based on Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Atul Temurnikar, Chairman of the GSF, said: “OWIS believes in an all-inclusive education to help the next generation blossom into young adults with a global outlook. The school also adapted its education to meet the needs of the changing times. The Riyadh campus will reflect the OWIS’s inherent philosophy of commitment to quality education. It will also give students the right foundation to propel them to international success in the future.”
OWIS has received recognitions from renowned organizations such as the Asia Pacific Quality Organization for its innovative practices in international curricula. The Foundation has a track record in creating technology-enabled learning environments and providing diverse linguistic and cultural exposure to students in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Thailand, India, United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia.
The school offers modern, state-of-the-art infrastructure within a digital environment, designed to impart 21st century learning abilities to make students inquisitive explorers, able to apply their education in real world experiences. Through sports and skills-based learning, students will be given the opportunity to hone inherent talents and acquire new proficiencies. The range of programs offered include coding, robotics, design and technology, and STEM-related studies.
OWIS students in Riyadh will gain exposure to peers, experts, and faculty from the GSF’s global education network through interschool, inter-campus and international activities to support in building strong student portfolios and global mindsets. GSF’s educational offering is underpinned by value-driven programs that builds emotional intelligence, encourages awareness, and equips students with the ability to flourish in culturally diverse environments.
Distinguished as one of the best education systems in the world by the OECD, Singapore’s education system has placed top-five in educational outcomes by both the Program for International Schools Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
