Education ‘needs to be relevant’

At an introduction to Global Education Management Systems (GEMS), which manages 12 UAE schools and many others across the world in Europe and India, one of the core values that was discussed was universal citizenhood.

"One of our core values is world citizenship, which means that students are taught communication," said Monica Harter, Marketing Manager, GEMS.

In a world where disparate demographics have made immigration the great equaliser, this is one of the most important lessons for children across countries. "Children cannot be restricted to being only nationals anymore. They have to learn to communicate, deal with and operate in other countries," said Harter in an exclusive interview to Khaleej Times.

In response to a question, and as reaction to the report published recently, she also commented on the recent fee hike which has been a subject of much concern amongst parents. Defending the schools’ stance, Harter said, "It is a misnomer that the hike is across the board. In fact, not all of the 12 schools managed by GEMS have announced a fee hike."

Justifying the increase, she said, "The norm for hikes is once every three years. One of the schools has not had a fee hike in 12 years. Schools are also affected by rising inflation, rents and land prices. We also put resources back into teacher development and infrastructure."

Harter also said that there has been some salary increase for the staff, though the figures were not available for that.