Latest news with #GemsEducation
Khaleej Times
4 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE: How schools retain teachers beyond increasing salary
As schools across the UAE prepare to reopen on Monday, August 25, education leaders have stressed that career growth, development opportunities, and the prestige of teaching are just as critical as salaries in ensuring teacher retention. This was reiterated by Dino Varkey, Group Chief Executive Officer of Gems Education, during the annual Gems Awareness Day held at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai. Professional mobility and recognition 'I think the compensation and benefits package is always going to be important,' he told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the event. 'However, I would argue that if you're offering the other elements — professional mobility and development — that genuinely becomes a much stronger incentive for teachers to stay with us than just the financial package. At the same time, we need to ensure our compensation remains competitive.' Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. A new global study has revealed that elementary and pre-school teachers in 34 developed countries earn, on average, about 22 per cent less than professionals in other fields with similar education levels. Varkey also highlighted the importance of raising the profile of teaching. 'I think it's (also) about maybe raising the profile of teaching as a profession. We've certainly tried to do that with our Global Teacher Prize… that's part of the challenge.' He added that retention relies on more than pay alone. 'For me, at the end of the day teaching is a vocation. If you can provide teachers with that ecosystem where they feel challenged, happy, safe, trusted and enabled, they're going to stick with you. The reality is that within the international schooling space… teacher turnover typically sits at 25 per cent. Our average is actually significantly below that, sitting at about 15 per cent, so we certainly operate well below global benchmarks. But there's much, much more work to do.' Varkey emphasized the need for systemic change, calling for a cultural shift in how teachers are perceived. 'I think society needs to celebrate teachers once again. If I go back to when my grandparents were teachers, they were put on a pedestal within the society. They didn't have significant means… but the community still placed them on a pedestal because of what they were doing.' Gems, one of the largest private school groups in the UAE, has hired more than 1,700 new teachers from over 70 countries for the new academic year. Each year, it receives more than 600,000 applications for about 2,000 vacancies, making it one of the most sought-after education employers globally. Echoing Varkey's views, Lisa Crausby OBE, Group Chief Education Officer at Gems, said research continues to show that pay is not the strongest driver for teacher retention. 'A lot of the research says that it actually isn't ever really about salary. It's more about professional development and the opportunities to go through that growth experience…from an employee perspective. So, we're leaning into that. That's why we're launching our Gems Talent Academy, making sure there is really strong professional development for all of our staff.' Flexible compensation strategies She noted that salary adjustments may still be needed in specific contexts. 'There may be times where you might want to look at salary, of course, but it also needs to be benchmarked. We also need to think about maybe retention allowances, if there's a particular flight risk in a particular subject, for example, like physics… sometimes it can be hard to reach teachers with that level of specialism. So, thinking a little bit more flexibly and outside of the box is certainly something that we're open to now.' Crausby also explained how Gems is creating clear pathways for teachers' professional growth. 'So I've talked earlier about the pathway to world class. We've already designed a pathway for a teacher, so there's a whole set of descriptors, … these are people that we would start looking at for middle leadership posts or excellent fellowship. Likewise, for middle leaders becoming members of the senior leadership team. So, I think people are more interested in growth, their own professional growth and opportunities to further their careers, and we want our staff to buy into that model too.' Global teacher shortage Considering the broader global education challenge, a Unesco global report on teachers estimates that an additional 44 million teachers will be required to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030. In the context of global teacher shortage, Varkey added, 'I don't think the global teacher shortage is ever going to be addressed through traditional solutions… this is where I think, whether it's technology, artificial intelligence and or machine learning systems, are going to act as a very important bridge and a catalyst to try and resolve what I think is one of the most acute problems that the world is facing today.'
Khaleej Times
14 hours ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Students get record-breaking GCSE results, outshine England national average
Schools across the UAE began receiving their GCSE results on Wednesday, with this year's cohort achieving strong performances. Gems Education's British curriculum schools are today celebrating another year of GCSE success, with over 4,000 students from 23 schools across the UAE and Qatar sitting 28,227 examinations — the highest number in school group's history. Students have outshone the England national average at every major grade benchmark. 7,347 entries were awarded top-level grades of 9-8 or A* this year, accounting for 26 per cent of all entries across the GEMS network. Meanwhile, 45 per cent achieved 9-7 (A*-A), 65 per cent attained 9-6 (A*-B), and 87 per cent secured 9-4 (A*-C), improving by four, five, and four percentage points respectively compared to 2024 results. Lisa Crausby OBE, Group Chief Education Officer, Gems Education, said, 'We are immensely proud of our students and their remarkable achievements in their GCSEs. These outcomes are a testament not only to their hard work and dedication, but also to the unwavering support of our talented teachers and committed school communities. 'At Gems, we believe in nurturing every learner to reach their full potential, and these results show just how far our young people can go when high expectations are combined with genuine care and personalised support from their school and family.' At Jumeirah College, which has a track record of academic excellence stretching back decades, a Gems-topping 44 per cent of the school's 180-strong cohort's entries were graded 9-8 (A*), with a near perfect 99 per cent scoring 9-4 (A*-C).' Commenting on his students' performance, Nick Brain, Principal/CEO, Jumeirah College, said, 'What makes me most proud is not just the outstanding grades, but the character, determination, and ambition that lie behind them. We believe education should inspire young people to aim high, embrace challenges and grow into well-rounded individuals ready to shape the future. Today's results are a powerful reflection of that vision.' Similarly, at GEMS Wellington International School, a remarkable 42 per cent of the school's close to 2,000 entries achieved grades of 9-8 (A*), with 96 per cent securing 9-4 (A*-C). 'I am incredibly proud of our students' exceptional GCSE results this year,' said Andrew Jenkins, Principal/CEO, Gems Wellington International School. 'Every success story is a testament to a culture of excellence and ambition. These achievements are a celebration of our students' hard work and the exceptional teaching that has made it possible.' Notably, the UAE-based school group highlighted since 2013, the average percentage of GCSE entries graded 9-7 (A*-A) across Gems schools has outpaced the national average in England by double-digit margins. And the trend holds at the 9-4 (A*-C) level, where Gems schools have also outperformed their counterparts in England for 12 consecutive years.
The National
15 hours ago
- Science
- The National
Schools in the UAE look for best way to bring AI into the classroom
Artificial intelligence use in schools is 'an inevitability', but finding the right balance between embracing the technology and maintaining traditional teaching techniques is the key to success, the head of the Middle East's largest private education group has said. Dino Varkey, group chief executive at Gems Education, said it spent 'a lot of time' as educators try to determine how AI can be used more effectively in schools. Tools including ChatGPT are used worldwide, causing debate over how best to bring them into the classroom. Mr Varkey is well aware that schools have to change to get the best out of the technology, with assessment a particular area of focus. 'Typically what you're trying to do, as AI is encroaching much more into our daily lives … the nature of the assessments that we perhaps need to do with our students needs to change and be transformed a little bit,' he said. He was speaking at the Gems Awareness Day on Wednesday, where more than 1,700 newly recruited teachers for this academic year were being welcomed. How will AI change testing? When asked whether pupils would face disciplinary action for using generative AI tools like ChatGPT to write essays, Mr Varkey said traditional take-home essay assignments are 'the wrong type of assessment' in the modern world. He suggested pupils could instead be tasked with using AI tools for research at home and then produce written work independently in class. 'In an exam situation, it's different. But if you're going to ask a child today to go and write an essay on something at home and bring it back, then that's actually not the right assessment,' he said. 'We have tools to allow us to be able to identify things that are clearly sort of written and or produced with the use of AI. But again, I would argue that the assessments need to change.' How will AI be used in schools? Mr Varkey was speaking behalf of Gems, a private educator, and while all private school groups across the UAE are looking at AI use, each has a slightly different approach. However, in government schools new AI classes are to be introduced across all stages of government education in the UAE from reception to grade 12 starting from the coming 2025/26 academic year. 'The subject will matter on teaching students how to use artificial intelligence in an ethical and responsible way,' Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education, said at an event on Tuesday. 'In the first and second cycle, there will be one class every two weeks focused on raising awareness towards the benefits and potential harms of AI, while on the third cycle it will be focused on using AI effectively.' The subject will be taught by the same teachers that teach computer science; they were trained specifically to teach AI for this year. Additionally, there will be a specialised committee that makes sure the subject is being taught effectively. Focus on human values Mr Varkey agrees for private sector schools, stressing that it is important to be aware of not just the benefits of AI but also the potential harms. He stressed that essential skills such as memory-building and critical thinking are important. 'The chair of our council, Baroness Spielman, would tell you that actually the use of AI in perhaps a more typical manner will lead to cognitive debt,' he said. 'That effectively means that a student's ability to retain something in the long-term memory can be completely impacted. There is a lot to do in terms of being able to use AI in the most effective manner.' Lisa Crausby, group chief education officer at Gems, added: 'It has a value. What we're saying, though, is that you still need all the other knowledge components and skills. 'As everybody's trying to lean into AI, we're actually shining a really big spotlight on our values, because you don't want to lose that. It's one thing AI can't offer.' The UN culture agency (Unesco) said that there was a lack of guidance worldwide on how AI should used in classrooms to improve learning outcomes. It said that its research in 2022 showed that only 15 countries had included AI learning objectives in their national curriculum, but only half of them had developed AI frameworks or programmes for teachers. New teachers recruited The academic year starts on August 25 in the UAE, with Gems welcoming more than 1,700 newly recruited teachers across the country and Qatar. That is a drop from last year's 1,850 new recruits, but Ms Crausby said it was a 'good sign' because the retention rate is improving. Taaleem, which operates more than 30 schools in the UAE, said they had a 25 per cent increase from last year in the number of new educators. 'Taaleem has seen a significant increase in teacher recruitment this academic year, reflecting both the population boom across the country and the continued growth of our schools,' the group told The National. 'In August alone, we successfully onboarded more than 500 new teachers, alongside senior leaders, learning assistants and administrative staff.' Taaleem said it was seeing a 'strong interest' from teachers abroad who are interested to work in the UAE. It said their new hiring model means they start recruitment planning a year in advance and recommended teachers to demonstrate 'adaptability, cultural awareness and commitment to professional development'.
The National
15 hours ago
- Science
- The National
Schools looking for best way to bring AI into the classroom, Gems says
Artificial intelligence use in schools is 'an inevitability', but finding the right balance between embracing the technology and maintaining traditional teaching techniques is the key to success, the head of the Middle East's largest private education group has said. Dino Varkey, group chief executive at Gems Education, said it spent 'a lot of time' as educators try to determine how AI can be used more effectively in schools. Tools including ChatGPT are used worldwide, causing debate over how best to bring them into the classroom. Mr Varkey is well aware that schools have to change to get the best out of the technology, with assessment a particular area of focus. 'Typically what you're trying to do, as AI is encroaching much more into our daily lives … the nature of the assessments that we perhaps need to do with our students needs to change and be transformed a little bit,' he said. He was speaking at the Gems Awareness Day on Wednesday, where more than 1,700 newly recruited teachers for this academic year were being welcomed. How will AI change testing? When asked whether pupils would face disciplinary action for using generative AI tools like ChatGPT to write essays, Mr Varkey said traditional take-home essay assignments are 'the wrong type of assessment' in the modern world. He suggested pupils could instead be tasked with using AI tools for research at home and then produce written work independently in class. 'In an exam situation, it's different. But if you're going to ask a child today to go and write an essay on something at home and bring it back, then that's actually not the right assessment,' he said. 'We have tools to allow us to be able to identify things that are clearly sort of written and or produced with the use of AI. But again, I would argue that the assessments need to change.' How will AI be used in schools? Mr Varkey was speaking behalf of Gems, a private educator, and while all private school groups across the UAE are looking at AI use, each has a slightly different approach. However, in government schools new AI classes are to be introduced across all stages of government education in the UAE from reception to grade 12 starting from the coming 2025/26 academic year. 'The subject will matter on teaching students how to use artificial intelligence in an ethical and responsible way,' Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education, said at an event on Tuesday. 'In the first and second cycle, there will be one class every two weeks focused on raising awareness towards the benefits and potential harms of AI, while on the third cycle it will be focused on using AI effectively.' The subject will be taught by the same teachers that teach computer science; they were trained specifically to teach AI for this year. Additionally, there will be a specialised committee that makes sure the subject is being taught effectively. Focus on human values Mr Varkey agrees for private sector schools, stressing that it is important to be aware of not just the benefits of AI but also the potential harms. He stressed that essential skills such as memory-building and critical thinking are important. 'The chair of our council, Baroness Spielman, would tell you that actually the use of AI in perhaps a more typical manner will lead to cognitive debt,' he said. 'That effectively means that a student's ability to retain something in the long-term memory can be completely impacted. There is a lot to do in terms of being able to use AI in the most effective manner.' Lisa Crausby, group chief education officer at Gems, added: 'It has a value. What we're saying, though, is that you still need all the other knowledge components and skills. 'As everybody's trying to lean into AI, we're actually shining a really big spotlight on our values, because you don't want to lose that. It's one thing AI can't offer.' The UN culture agency (Unesco) said that there was a lack of guidance worldwide on how AI should used in classrooms to improve learning outcomes. It said that its research in 2022 showed that only 15 countries had included AI learning objectives in their national curriculum, but only half of them had developed AI frameworks or programmes for teachers. New teachers recruited The academic year starts on August 25 in the UAE, with Gems welcoming more than 1,700 newly recruited teachers across the country and Qatar. That is a drop from last year's 1,850 new recruits, but Ms Crausby said it was a 'good sign' because the retention rate is improving. Taaleem, which operates more than 30 schools in the UAE, said they had a 25 per cent increase from last year in the number of new educators. 'Taaleem has seen a significant increase in teacher recruitment this academic year, reflecting both the population boom across the country and the continued growth of our schools,' the group told The National. 'In August alone, we successfully onboarded more than 500 new teachers, alongside senior leaders, learning assistants and administrative staff.' Taaleem said it was seeing a 'strong interest' from teachers abroad who are interested to work in the UAE. It said their new hiring model means they start recruitment planning a year in advance and recommended teachers to demonstrate 'adaptability, cultural awareness and commitment to professional development'.
The National
6 days ago
- Business
- The National
UAE pupils look to universities around the world after record A-Level success
Pupils across the UAE were celebrating their A-level results on Thursday, as the number of top grades awarded hit their highest level outside of the Covid-19 pandemic. Graduates told The National that they were now planning to head to elite destinations including University College London, Edinburgh, Toronto and Paris's renowned Gobelins animation school. Leading school provider Gems Education had a record 1,999 pupils sitting 5,379 A-levels across 22 schools in the UAE and Qatar. This year, 32 per cent of entries were awarded A* – A, up from 26 per cent last year. The proportion of top A* grades also increased to 11 per cent. Lisa Crausby, chief education officer for the group, said the results were 'just the beginning'. Standout performances included Gems Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis, which posted an 18-point rise in A*-A grades, and Gems Founders School – Al Mishear, where A*-B results jumped by 27 points. More than a quarter (28.3 per cent) of UK pupils were awarded an A or A* grade, up by 0.5 percentage points on last year. Resilience beyond grades This time last year, Pranaw Lalwani was ready to throw in the towel. He told The National that anxiety over grades had affected his performance. 'I got to a point at the end-of-year 12, I just wanted to walk out,' he said. After sitting down with his parents and teachers at Jumeirah College Dubai, he decided to persevere and brought his grades up to gain a place at the University of Madrid. Beyond the grades, he said he had learnt a critical lesson in resilience. The National joined Pranaw and his classmates at the GEMs school, emotion filled the main reception as students collected white envelopes with their grades ready to be opened at the stroke of 11am. The parents of Rayyaan Rabbari were elated at his results which have secured him a place studying engineering at University College London. 'I haven't seen him in month,' Rabbi, Rayyaan's mother told The National. Food is delivered to his door as he was so focused on the exams. Schools across the UAE took to social media to celebrate their results. Cranleigh Abu Dhabi posted that 52 per cent of its students achieved A*-A grades. Repton Abu Dhabi shared that 72 per cent of pupils had obtained A*-B grades. Exactly half of the A-Level pupils at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi achieved A*-A grades. Nord Anglia International School Dubai, Al Barsha, posted on its Instagram account that 100 per cent of pupils had passed their exams, with 38 per cent obtaining A*-A grades. Brighton College Dubai also celebrated its strongest results yet, with A* grades surging to 28 per cent – almost double last year's 15 per cent. More than half of all grades were at A*-A and 80 per cent at A*-B. Several pupils, including Arvand Zare, Shaurya Kumar and Vibha Kumar achieved the coveted three A* grades. Vibha told The National that while she was 'still in shock', at the outstanding results, on reflection it was the school environment that made the biggest difference, with the smaller class sizes at Brighton College allowing for more one-on-one time with teaching staff. 'Previously I was in a pretty big school where the year group size was about 300-400 people,' she said. 'My classes at Brighton ranged from about five to 13 people.' Simon Crane, headmaster at Brighton College, hailed the achievement as 'among the best in the UAE', crediting the school's culture of striving for excellence. Hannah Aly, a pupil at Brighton College Abu Dhabi, received a much-coveted score of four A* grades. She said the key to success comes from planning to study early, as 'that way it'll be less stressful once exams actually come around'. Eloi Roberts, an A-level pupil at Brighton College Al Ain, has his heart on a career in architecture. But for now he has a big decision to make, considering a placing in the UK, or at home in the Emirates at UAE University as the built environment industry is moving at a rapid pace. Elsewhere, at Repton Abu Dhabi, 43 per cent of all A-Level entries were awarded A* to A grades and 72 per cent of all entries at A* to B. At sister school, Repton Dubai 31 per cent of entries received A*to A grades, and 62 per cent of grades awarded A* to B. Dubai British School Emirates Hills also posted its best A-level results, with the school's principal highlighting the 'determination, resilience and commitment' of pupils.
