GEMS Education and GEMS schools  

GEMS Education and GEMS schools

GEMS Education is a division of the Varkey Group, a privately owned company based in Dubai with interests mainly in education but also in healthcare and construction. GEMS stands for Global Education Management System, it is not the plural of GEM schools. Note that the Dubai Gem School is not part of the GEMS school network, despite the name (as far as we know - it's not in the list of schools on the GEMS school website).

List of GEMS schools in the UAE

GEMS Education profile and contact details

GEMS school general information and updates

GEMS school teacher salary increases 15 June 2010

• Some GEMS schools were awarded a fee increase in Dubai, despite the KHDA saying in March 2010 that fees for Dubai schools should be frozen for the academic year 2010-2011.
• GEMS said the fees increases were so they could offer higher salaries to keep and attract better teachers. In May 2010, GEMS sent a newsletter out saying This will help us retain our best teachers because we will be in a stronger position to increase their salaries, referring to the increases and teacher's pay packages.
• GEMS teachers disagreed according to a Gulf News report 16 June 2010, with some saying the AED 100-250 per month pay increases were mocking their hopes of a better pay structure. Teachers of classes above Grade 10 were reportedly awarded an increase of AED 650 per month.
• One teacher said "I do not understand how the management expects us to accept this increment to our already meagre salary of Dh2,650 to Dh2,900 per month."
• But the GEMS Education communication director, Richard Forbes, said "The principal of the school says that the majority of teachers were very happy with the salary increase," referring to Our Own English High School (although it wasn't clear if he meant the Dubai location or Sharjah location, or both).
• Mr Forbes also stated a few facts: "The facts are that the average teacher's salary at OOEHS has increased by 28 per cent over the past three years. In 2008, teachers received a 20 per cent increase in salary despite there being no fee increase to cover this expense. Not one of the 310 teachers at OOEHS has approached the principal over the past two weeks to complain about the salary increase."

GEMS Education admitted to World Economic Forum - 07 June 2010

• GEMS Education announced in a press release that they had been admitted to the World Economic Forum (WEF) as Global Growth Company (GGC).
• The Chairman of GEMS Education, Mr Sunny Varkey, said "This forum provides us with the opportunity to promote key issues such as; encouraging governments to support the long-term investment and commitment in education by the private sector; to end the traditional divisions between the public and private sector and to create an environment where we work with governments and global partners to design and build a better, joint solution for global education. It should be a solution that is focused on educational quality and driven by the desire to meet communities’ needs." Erm, what?

GEMS school fee increases 2010-2011 - 15 May 2010

• Some of the GEMS schools in Dubai are reportedly increasing tuition fees for the 2010-2011 academic year, by up to 15-20%. The UAE Ministry of Education has apparently approved the increases despite the KHDA fee freeze imposed in March 2010. See Dubai school fees increase for more details.

GEMS schools KHDA-DSIB ratings 2009-2010 - 03 May 2010

GEMS announced DSIB school reports for their Dubai schools in a press release:

• Outstanding ranking for GEMS Wellington International School.
• Good rankings for Cambridge International School, Dubai American Academy, GEMS World Academy, GEMS Wellington Primary School, Jumeirah College, Jumeirah Primary School, Royal Dubai School.
• Acceptable rankings for Al Khaleej National School, Westminster School, Winchester School.

GEMS schools face closure over fee freeze - 30 March 2010

• A 30 March 2010 report in the Khaleej Times (and similar reports in other UAE newspapers) said that GEMS was considering closing some of its cheaper schools if they were not allowed to increase fees as a result of the KHDA fee freeze for 2010-2011.
• GEMS Chairman, Sunny Varkey, was quoted as saying "It is impossible to run old schools at less than half the price of new ones, because we have been losing our quality teachers to the new schools on account of our inability to offer competitive salaries, ... Consequently, we will have no choice but to begin to close down unviable schools over the next two years."

GEMS education expansion in India 11 January 2010

• A Varkey Group press release 11 January 2010 had a statement from Sunny Varkey saying that "We plan to own or manage over 100 schools in India over the next few years." Which sounds about the same as what was reported in September 2009.

GEMS school expansion plans 18 September 2009

• An Arabian Business report said GEMS expansion plans by 2014 included up to 100 schools in India, another 100 schools in the MENA region, and 20 schools in the USA. The GEMS Senior Director of Business Operations, Dino Varkey was quoted as as saying:
• "In order, we're looking to expand in India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar ... In India, we're looking to grow to a hundred schools in the next five years"
• "From a MENA perspective, we will be looking at probably another hundred schools, with the balance in Saudi and Egypt just because of the macro factors ... And we're going to continue investing in the UAE, specifically in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah."
• According to the report, GEMS presently has 100 schools in 11 countries, including 5 in India, with about 100,000 students, and 6,500 teachers with 50 different nationalities represented.
• GEMS is licensed to operate in 9 US states
• GEMS has an education services consultancy licence for Saudi Arabia, where they will manage the first school in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in a deal signed with the Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority (SAGIA). Perhaps referring to the The World Academy which was due to open September 2009.

GEMS transport fee increases 02 March 2009

GEMS are increasing bus transport fees in several schools as a result of outsourcing them to Bright Bus Transport Company, and cancelling them in others from 01 April 2009, according to a Khaleej Times report 02 March 2009:

• American Academy in Abu Dhabi - bus service cancelled
• Cambridge International School - bus service cancelled
• OOEHS Abu Dhabi - fees increase 150-300 dhs & 250-330 dhs
• OOEHS Al Ain - fees increase between 42-95%
• OOEHS Fujairah - fees increase between 42-95%
• OOEHS Sharjah - fees increase of 105%
• Sharjah Boys' Branch (OOEHS?) fees increase 105%

GEMS becomes member of the Clinton Global Initiative 10 April 2010

GEMS Education will become a strategic partner of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) according to an announcement by President Bill Clinton when he visited the GEMS World Academy (press release 10 April 2010). Whatever that means.

GEMS school figures 28 January 2009

Mr Dino Varkey was on the radio discussing the Dubai Modern High School fees increases (GEMS DMHS fees radio). During the conversation he said that GEMS is now up to 26 schools with 52,000 students in the UAE.

GEMS school figures and expansion plans 23 July 2008

As of July 2008, GEMS have 25 schools in the UAE with about 70,000 students (18 schools in Dubai, 4 in Abu Dhabi, 1 in Al Ain, 1 in Fujairah, 1 in Sharjah), 75 schools worldwide. GEMS plans to spend AED 1.5 billion by 2010 or 2011, developing more facilities to provide 20,000 - 28,000 more school places (The National 23 July 2008).

GEMS free SMS text service for parents - 01 October 2007

GEMS Oasis SMS is a new text messaging system from GEMS where parents can send an SMS from their mobile phones, with their student's ID number, and receive information by SMS about attendance, exam results, timetables, exam dates, outstanding fees. The system will be available for all GEMS UAE schools.

GEMS to borrow $100m for expansion plans - 08 July 2007

National Bank of Dubai Investment Bank said they would arrange a $100m (Dh 367m) loan for GEMS by the end of July 2007. GEMS will use the money to refinance existing debt and develop more schools in the UAE.

GEMS alliance with Edison Schools - 23 January 2007

• Gulf News reported that GEMS formed an alliance with New York based Edison Schools who manage public sector schools in the US and the UK.
• Under the agreement, GEMS will be able to use the Edison name to manage schools in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.
• Maybe GEMS schools in Dubai and the UAE will be rebadged as Edison schools to give an air of prestige?
• Update: Arabian Business reported 07 September 2008 that GEMS and Edison established School Improvement Partnership (SIP), to manage four Abu Dhabi public schools.
• Other locations being considered include Bahrain, India, Qatar (Doha), UK, USA.
• Project Director of the SIP initiative is Margaret Corcoran.

General notes for GEMS schools - 23 January 2007

The GEMS motto is "Educating for Brilliant Futures". There will be many parents and teachers who might claim there's a couple of gaps and it should read "Educating for GEMS Brilliant Profitable Future". Especially after the drama in January 2007 about GEMS 70% fee increases in several of their schools (in the end it was put off till December 2007). Whilst the frustrations of parents with regards to fees are understandable, it's a harsh truth that in Dubai and the UAE, if the opportunity to run a school in a profitable manner wasn't available, there would undoubtedly be a shortage of educational institutes for expat children.

Whatever you might think about GEMS, they do provide a wide range of schools (22 in the UAE, with more under development) and pricing options for customers in Dubai. Their website has a handy selector where you can filter by place, price, curriculum to choose a suitable school for your offspring. Schools managed by GEMS vary widely in quality and working conditions with places like Dubai American Academy having a good reputation while others are less sought after by parents, students and teachers. To put it diplomatically. See individual schools (list below) for ratings and comments where available. GEMS schools are sometimes referred to as Varkey schools or Varkey Group schools since GEMS is the education unit of the Varkey Group.

List of GEMS schools in the Middle East, Europe, and rest of the world

GEMS schools in Jordan

• Aqaba International School - Aqaba

GEMS schools in Kuwait

• GEMS Kuwait International English School (KIES) - founded 1991, taken over by GEMS for September 2007.

GEMS schools in Libya

• International School, Tripoli (Tripoli International School) - Tripoli

GEMS schools in Qatar

• Al Khor International School (British Stream) - Doha
• Al Khor International School (Indian Stream) - Doha
• Doha Modern Indian School - Doha
• The Cambridge International School for Girls - Doha
• The Cambridge School - Doha

GEMS schools in Great Britain / United Kingdom (UK)

• Abbotsford Preparatory School - Manchester
• Brabyns Preparatory School - Stockport
• Bury Lawn School - Milton Keynes
• Clevelands Preparatory School - Bolton
• Firwood Manor Preparatory School - Oldham
• Kingswood College - Ormskirk
• Lady Lane Park School - Bingley
• Ladymede School - Aylesbury
• Moor Allerton Preparatory School - Manchester
• Sherborne House School - Chandlers Ford
• Sherfield School - Sherfield-on-Loddon
• St. Colette's Preparatory School - Cambridge
• The Hampshire School - London

GEMS schools in India

• Bawa Lalvani Public School - Punjab
• Cambridge International School - Dasuya
• Kothari International School - Noida
• Pailan World School - Kolkata
• Parasrampuria GEMS International School - Jaipur
• Starex International School - Greater Delhi
• The Cambridge International School for Girls - Jalandhar

GEMS schools in Saudi Arabia

• The World Academy (TWA) in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), American/IB curriculum, grade K-8 in phase I (open September 2009?), to grade 12 in phase II (open 2012). Head of school Andrew Westerman (unconfirmed).

GEMS schools in South Africa

• GEMS are planning to open schools in South Africa according to a report in The National 23 July 2008

Last update Sunday 29-Aug-2010

Related pages

• Varkey Group - mother company of GEMS Education
• UAE education providers - list of other school groups

Related websites (new window)

• www.gemseducation.com - GEMS Education website
• Dubai directory - add your link free

www.dubaifaqs.com/gems-schools.php

Abu Dhabi AUH ABD ADB, Ajman AJM, Al Ain AAN, Dubai DXB, Fujairah FUJ, Ras Al Khaimah RAK, Sharjah SHJ, Umm Al Quwain UAQ information guide

Copyright © www.dubaifaqs.com 2010, Dubai, UAE - United Arab Emirates