GEMS Education: Building Future Leaders across the Globe

GEMS Education is a visionary initiative, starting as a family-owned school in Dubai to become one of the largest private school networks around the world today. Founded by Sunny Varkey, the company has continued to build its mission on providing quality education to a diverse global student base. GEMS today operates over 60 schools in the Middle East, North Africa, and other places committed to excellence in academics and sensitivity towards cultures. The exceptional journey that GEMS Education undertook, its philosophy, and its effect on the minds of the learners are discussed further in the article.

GEMS Education had begun its journey as a small tutorial centre all the way back in 1959 initiated by Indian educators Mariama and K.S. Varkey. They answered a need for English language education to the children of expatriates who were flooding into Dubai following the discovery of oil in 1966. Sunny Varkey then took it over and under the banner of the Varkey Group, expanded this network adding schools that were offering all sorts of curricula-Indian, American and British. GEMS is distinctive in the private education arena because of its network of schools that is diversified in terms of education at various price points and serving communities around the world.

Its approach has always run along cultural awareness, academic rigor, and holistic development of students. Empowering students to thrive in multicultural environments, instil universal values, and prepare them to become international citizens’ lies in the philosophy of the company. Based on the policy of inclusiveness and diversity, GEMS schools have adopted the curriculum according to local conditions by collaborating with various agencies in the host country. Such practice has been of essence for the successful entry into the markets and good relations with the host countries.

Global Education Management Systems was officially incorporated in 2000 as GEMS, establishing its name and establishing its operational expansion. This expansion led to school institutions being set up throughout countries around the world, starting from the United Kingdom and extending into Africa, Asia, and America. In the MENA region, GEMS has primarily contributed to filling the needs of the rapidly increasing expatriate population. Significantly, in 2012, it became one of the World Economic Forum’s Global Growth Partners, considered one of its most prominent destinations on the world education map. GEMS Education has also received many awards over the years. In 2012, it was Education Company of the Year at the Gulf Business Industry Awards. The Efficiency Index also made it a hit on a “study on the world’s education systems ranked based on value for money.” Such initiatives help place GEMS Education in a good light among its private and public educational spheres as having critical input about efficiency systems across schools all over the world.

GEMS Education Solutions is a consultancy arm that GEMS launched in 2011. The consultancy aims to offer advisory services across UK, Africa, and Asia. It has been helping governments and non-profits along with various projects regarding the accessibility and quality enhancement of education in developing regions. For example, the “Making Ghana Girls Great” (MGCubed) initiative of its consultancy has set up distance learning classrooms throughout Ghana, for the first time an interactive learning program in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Leadership skills and community commitment are the bedrock of what GEMS Education schools focus on, along with academic achievements. Students are encouraged to contribute actively to their local and global communities through active social responsibility. For instance, the Emirates Innovative Teacher Award, launched in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Education, seeks to recognize those teachers who personify such ideals- a yardstick for teaching excellence in the UAE.

Through its commitment to quality and adaptive approach to education, GEMS Education has demonstrated the power of private schooling within cultural gaps; in building an informed and compassionate global citizenry. This legacy, based on the original Varkey family values, is inspiring the future of education on continents. Plans for further extension, the GEMS model of academic excellence balanced with cultural inclusivity now offers a pathway for other educational institutions seeking to make a lasting, meaningful impact.