Education in Bangladesh is poised for a transformative leap with the upcoming launch of Haileybury Bhaluka, the country's first international boarding school. This branch of the prestigious Haileybury school in the UK aims to provide world-class education right at home, reducing the pressure on students to travel abroad for higher studies.
Opening its doors in June 2024, Haileybury Bhaluka will initially welcome over a hundred students. The school boasts comprehensive residential facilities for nearly 1,000 students, offering a true boarding school experience that fosters a vibrant academic community.
Established with an investment of 700 crore taka (approximately $83 million USD), the school promises a high-quality educational experience. However, at a yearly cost of 34,000 dollars (approximately 37 lakh taka), the program caters primarily to families with considerable financial resources.
Haileybury Bhaluka's arrival marks a significant development in Bangladesh's educational landscape. By replicating the renowned standards of its UK counterpart, it has the potential to attract exceptional students and cultivate future leaders within the country.
Furthermore, the school's commitment to quality education and boarding facilities presents an alternative to studying abroad, potentially retaining talented students within Bangladesh and contributing to the nation's intellectual development.
Haileybury Bhaluka’s Founding Headmaster Simon O Grady said, “Haileybury Bhaluka is a branch of Haileybury College, UK's 160-year tradition. Which is known as one of the leading educational institutions in the world. According to the latest rankings, Haileybury College is ranked sixth academically by The Sunday Times in the UK.”
“We nurture students to be prosperous, world-minded and move towards top universities. The students here have the ability to compete with the students of any institution in the world and win,” he added.
According to the school authorities, a branch of the well-known Haileybury School in the United Kingdom is being developed in the 850-acre Dhamshur Economic Zone at Bhaluka in Mymensingh, about 80 km from the capital. This boarding school has air-conditioned residential facilities for 1000 students. There are state-of-the-art facilities including spacious classrooms, world-class library and labs.
Students will get five star quality food and advanced training in sports. There students will get the opportunity to study in English medium from sixth to twelfth standard. A student up to eighth grade will spend 34 and a half thousand dollars or about 37 lakh taka per year. The admission fee is 8 thousand dollars or about 8 lakh 85 thousand taka. However, the students admitted in the first batch will be given a discount of 6 thousand dollars.
Dr Sandeep Ananthanarayanan, academic director of Haileybury Bhaluka said, “This institute makes it easy for the students to progress towards higher education through the best technology related studies. According to the results, about 61 per cent of students last year studied to join an Ivy League or Russell Group university, which includes world-renowned universities including Harvard, MIT, LSE, Oxford and Cambridge.”
“Every teacher in our institute is Harvard certified and they are proficient in technology. It is the only school in Bangladesh to introduce the MIT Summer School Program, which will begin in 2024. It will be held jointly with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. There is a scholarship system in this institution to motivate talented students from home and abroad to pursue higher education,” he added.
Educationists hope that many foreign students will come to Bangladesh through this first branch of Helibury in South Asia.
SMA Faiz, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University and adviser to Haileybury Bhaluka, said, “Many of our parents are sending their children abroad. Sending them to Malaysia or Western countries. I think if we build this world class educational institution then our children will not have to go to other countries. Here they will get the quality of education, which is highly acceptable in the global system.”
“Haileybury Bhaluka is a well-educated, sophisticated and known for shaping British history after the First World War. High standards are maintained in this institution and it educates the students with emotion and creativity. It helps to get into the best universities in the world. Haileybury Bears is a modern educational institution, working to enhance the educational opportunities of the students and make them good citizens.”
“Haileybury's past and present alumni include world-renowned personalities. From influential leaders in the fields of business and politics, the students of this institution have shown their talents in the fields of arts, science and sports,” he added.
(The article was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin and has been rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)
