The trust blessed by Gandhi

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB) is an Indian educational trust founded in 1938 by Dr KM Munshi, with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi. It is India's largest educational network, with 400 schools and 120 centres in India and another 10 overseas institutions in the UK, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Portugal, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. The Private International English School will operate as a day boarding school. Children in kindergarten will start at 7.30am and go home at 12.30pm; older children will leave at 3.30pm. The extended hours are aimed at eliminating dependency on private tuition and making sure pupils complete work at school and not at home, said the principal, Rajalaxmy Pillay. "We will also provide Saturday classes from 8.30am to 1pm, for students who require additional care and support, and for parents to be able to come in and meet with myself and with teachers," she said.

Other features include a canteen that will stock only vegetarian options and a fleet of mini-buses, each staffed with a female escort, to transport children to and from the Musaffah campus. hkhalaf@thenational.ae