Drawing on SABIS^® experience in managing schools, notably the International School of Choueifat – Erbil, the Kurdistan Regional Government selected SABIS^® to implement a three-year educational project focused on developing schools in the area. Under SABIS^® management, staff and teachers in the public school will be trained so that they can satisfy local educational and professional criteria. This project will serve as a model for improving education in Iraq at both the primary and secondary levels.

As per an agreement signed between the Kurdistan Regional Government and SABIS^®, the first SABIS^® Public-Private Partnership (PPP) school, the Fakhir Mergasori School, opened in September of 2008 in Erbil. Due to the success of this school and the demand for high-quality education in the Duhok region, another agreement was signed with the KRG to open a similar PPP school in the upcoming 2009 academic year.

In September 2009, the second PPP school, Sardam International School, will open its doors to more than 300 children in Duhok. Sardam International School will welcome students from Kindergarten through Grade 3 in the upcoming academic year.

Through the unique PPP program, Sardam International School will implement the SABIS^® Educational System including adopting the SABIS^® international curriculum and SABIS^® books. In addition, the school’s teachers and staff will benefit from a 3-year training program provided by SABIS^® education trainers until the school becomes fully operational with local Kurdish staff.

In preparation for the opening in September 2009, seasoned teachers from SABIS^® schools began a training program to assist local staff and teachers in the implementation of the core SABIS^® curriculum, particularly the English language, and management of the school’s operations. In fact, the teachers will tap into the expertise of SABIS^® expat teachers in teaching ESL to adults. Through the use of effective teaching methods, the Ministry of Education teachers will acquire more confidence in conducting English classes and implementing a phonics-approach to teaching the English language to students in September.