10 | October 2012 www.womanthismonth.com InterviewNurturing Minds For almost 35 years, Nadeen School has remained a cosy place for young children to start school. Pauline Puri and daughter Shanee Puri tell us why they intend to keep it that way. As a child-centred educator for over 40 years, it is hard to rival Pauline Puri’s passion for children and their learning. Seldom in course of her nearly three decade career at Nadeen School has she lost sight of her priorities. “For me, it’s always been about the children,” she says with trademark candour. “The children come first and we look at them as individuals, focusing on all aspects of their development, rather than just the academic.” It’s easy to see how young children warm up to Pauline instinctively. Her sunny demeanour coupled with a boundless enthusiasm for life and learning is infectious. A qualified teacher from Tasmania, Pauline had taught in Australia and Singapore before she arrived in Bahrain with her family in 1982. Nadeen School was an establishment for infants with around 120 children when she took over as principal in early 1984. A natural progression since then has seen the institution develop into a primary school with four buildings. Despite the constant pressure to expand, Pauline’s dedication has ensured that the school remains small and intimate, without losing its warm, caring and nurturing atmosphere. Pauline’s daughter Shanee shares her mother’s passion for education and has been assisting her as the school administrator.
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