STIRLING EDUCATION

Champions of Wezary 2022

The 2022 Wezary exam results have officially been published and we are extremely proud of the outstanding performance our students have shown across Stirling Schools in Iraq. Seven students have ranked in the top three with Muhammed Ali Osman being awarded first place. 

This is another phenomenal success story in Stirling Education’s history of achievements and we could not be more proud. As always, we extend our thanks to our students, their parents and all the dedicated teachers and staff for their commitment and effort. 

Best Prep School: Perrott Hill

‘We are delighted to share that Perrott Hill has been nominated for Best Prep School at the Tatler School Awards this year. This is the beginning of many more achievements for Stirling Education and all its schools across the globe. 

For the past 19 years, the Tatler Schools Guide has served as the definitive, impartial directory of the leading independent schools in the UK. Out of the 249 of the most prestigious schools in the nation listed in the guide, it is always a question of who will come out on top. The winners are carefully selected from a shortlist, overseen by Tatler’s expert panel. As such, It is an honour to have been nominated and we are excited to continue sharing this journey with you all!’

International Burch University escorted the 12th generation of students

On Friday, July 15, The International Burch University in Sarajevo marked the end of a very important chapter by celebrating the graduation of its 12th generation of students, Class of 2022. 

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Mersid Poturak, Rector of International Burch University, congratulated the students on their outstanding achievement and commemorated this significant moment with a heart-felt yet important message: 

“This moment represents your transition from the role of student to a new role in society, in which you will contribute to the future development of our community and society by using the entrepreneurial skills you have acquired during your studies. We are excited to see what your contribution will be and look forward to your new successes.”

The event was enjoyed by everyone as the atmosphere was filled with joy and emotions of happiness shared. The ceremony was concluded with a piano performance by student Esma Pleh and the traditional hat-throwing extravaganza. After all, what’s a graduation without throwing your hat!?

Everyone at Stirling Education would like to send out a huge congratulations to our graduates and wish them well for the future. We believe that each and every student will leave their mark on the world and contribute to a positive change.

The National Association of Examinations Officers summer conference 2022

The National Association of Examinations Officers summer conference 2022 was a great success this year with over 200 exam officers joining the event. Stirling Education’s General Partner and Global CEO Tim Fisher, who is also Chair or NAEO attended the event and presented the ‘Exams Officer of the Year award alongside Chief Regulator of Ofqual, Dr Jo Saxton. 

The event was aimed at providing examiners a range of support through representation and influence, which Chair Tim Fisher assured he would continue to dedicate himself to. 

Not only was the event a platform for examiners to have their voices heard but it also provided a networking opportunity as well as offering advice on skills that will help with effective and efficient performance on the job.’

The National Association of Examinations Officers (NAEO) is a professional membership body for examinations officers working in the United Kingdom. The NAEO influences educational decision-makers when devising policy which impacts upon the exams officer community. The NAEO is not for profit Community Interest Company (CIC) and exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders

The Stirling Foundation hosted the Iraqi-Kurdish Football Association

It is a pleasure for the Stirling Foundation to have hosted a delegation from the Iraq-Kurdish Football Association in the UK for ten days. Being the “home of football”, the objective was to introduce the delegation to the founding organisations in world football and open the doors to “ensure that the game continues to develop in the right way in Northern Iraq”, as stated by Tim Fisher. Discussions focussed primarily on the organisation, governance and community engagement in sport. The trip also coincided with the IBBC conference entitled “Sustaining Iraq’s Economic Growth”. We believe that this will be a great step in the right direction for introducing Iraqi-Kurdish football to a world-wide audience and we at Stirling education hope to extend our strong ties and government links to football in Iraq. 

Fears for leader workload as 3 in 5 exams officers ‘consider’ leaving

Over time, there has been an increasing concern over the mass withdrawal of exam officers in schools. Secondary schools are being warned of higher workloads over the summer period due to more than three-fifths of exam officers potentially leaving their position according to a survey by the National Association of Exams officers. 

Examiners have highlighted the issues they have consistently faced leading up to their decision such as the volume of work, issues with “rooming” (finding space for students to take their exams) and an increased pressure from parents who want their child’s stress and anxiety being accommodated to. It comes as no surprise that anxieties over the logistics of exams are heightened in a post-pandemic world. 

Mr Potts, Headteacher at Blessed John Henry Newman RC College in Oldham, also stresses that there has been a move away from coursework with an increased focus on exams which is also putting more pressure on exam officers as the demand for them increases. 

Examiners have additionally expressed their frustration over administrative issues such as constant changes to awarding bodies, systems crashing and late changes to admin support without being informed. Such issues have meant that school staff with no experience, have had to step into the role of examiner so that they can support the continuation of exams. 

As a result of such complications, Tim Fisher, chair of the National Association of Examinations Officers has warned of possible financial penalties for schools where there is any malpractice or administrative errors. 

#students #school #schools #education #logistics #exams #examiners

https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/secondary/fears-leader-workload-3-5-exams-officers-consider-leaving

Pre-ICET Workshops 2022 Sulaymaniyah

Pre-ICET Workshops 2022 were successfully completed in the city of Sulaymaniyah with contributions from 20 academicians and educational experts from prominent universities and institutions of Sulaymaniyah province.

As Stirling Schools Group, in collaboration with our international partners – Cambridge University Press, City & Guilds, and GEMS Education, we are proud to organize the second annual International Conference on Education & Teaching in K-12 Schools (ICET) this year with the theme “Empowering Schools in Preparing Students with Real Life Skills.”

A very important part of the ICET project within this objective is the Pre-ICET Workshops.
Pre-ICET Workshops are preliminary events of the ICET Conference. The Workshops intend to work toward solutions for the educational needs within ICET categories

  • To analyze and discuss the de facto situation and experiences in education in the country within ICET categories
  • To analyze the factors behind the educational issues and challenges to hinder the educational goals that ICET promotes
  • To scrutinize and discuss the possible solutions to the needs and challenges within ICET categories
  • To guide and report these proposals of possible solutions to the educational authorities

Pre-ICET Workshops 2022 in Sulaymaniyah focused on the “21st Century Skills” category within the theme of ICET 2022.

The event is held in 4 sessions all day: 2 panels and 2 workshop sessions.

In the introductory panel, the delegates put forward the issues to be discussed, gave insights about the factors behind the issues, introduced different aspects of the issues, introduced points to consider, and provided brief information about their studies/points of view.

During the workshop sessions, the delegates were assigned to three round table groups; and each group discussed the three elements of the “21st Century Skills” which are

  • Learning & Innovation Skills
  • Information, Media & Technology Skills
  • Life & Career Skills

They have produced reports in the given format.

In the concluding panel session, the delegates talked about the concluding insights about the issues discussed. They talked about the possible solutions, models, and considerations to the issues discussed. Based on the conclusions and recommendations of the workshop sessions, assigned delegates presented the solutions and conditions for those solutions in the panel session.

The workshop report will also be submitted to the Ministry of Education and be published for education communities in the country. A session in ICET 2022 will also present this report.

We believe the report will contribute a lot to the improvement of education in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and provide valuable solutions for the educational needs within ICET categories.

It was a great pleasure for us to bring together educational experts at this important event. We believe Pre-ICET Workshops has made a significant contribution to the awareness for institutional and professional development in education -which we believe, is essential for educational services to rise stronger from the challenges education faces.

We would like to thank the Council of Ministry of Education, Directorate of Training of General Directorate of Education in Sulaymaniyah, American University of Iraq – Sulaimani (AUIS), University of Sulaimani, Komar University of Science and Technology, all delegates and participants for their valuable contribution.

We would also like to thank our US Colleges in Sulaymaniyah for their contributions in organizing this first Pre-ICET Workshop.

British Ambassador Visits IBU

We were delighted to welcome British ambassador, Matt Field, to the International Burch University (IBU) in Sarajevo this week. Ambassador Field talked to students about the current challenges and opportunities for BiH as well as the wider region. The ambassador also expressed his opinion on the crisis in Ukraine and talked about the important job political leaders must play in improving living conditions for citizens. The visit once again establishes IBU, which is part of the Stirling Education group, as a platform for leaders and decision makers to engage in thoughtful debate. Thank you to Ambassador Field, along with the Rector of IBU, for an interesting and informative visit.

British Ambassador

British Ambassador’s Speech at the Wezary Award Ceremony and Opening Ceremony of Baghdad Stirling Girls’ School

Ambassador Mark Bryson Richardson spoke at the ceremony and congratulated Stirling Schools and students for their remarkable achievement at the Ministry exams. He also mentioned how much they care about girls’ education.

He presented gifts to successful students and took photos with them. He cut the ribbon and toured the school with administrators.

The link to his speech is below:
https://fb.watch/9Ug2PCcSmq/

Timothy Fisher – Erbil Club visit

Timothy Fisher, CEO of Stirling Education and Chairman of Coventry City Football Club visited Erbil Franso Hariri Stadium on December 7th 2021.

Our CEO Timothy Fisher met with Mr. Tariq Abdulrahman, the President of Kurdistan Football Association, Dr. Walid Arab, the President of Erbil Sports Club, and Dr. Govand Abdulkhaliq, the member of Iraq Football Federation.

In his visit, he discussed the importance of their academy in the community, and everyone agreed on the value of education and sport. Football is a wonderful way to promote health and wellness messages within the community.

Lastly, they exchanged good wishes for future cooperation and achievements.