Dubai: The concept of education in the 21st century has undergone rapid changes, with an emphasis on creating "global citizens" instead of just catering to meet the requirements of the job market.
Schools being built today are not considered merely large buildings featuring a playground and rows of classrooms, but are looked upon as nerve centres that aim to create a "complete citizen".
These schools are branded 21st century schools and are up and running in several countries. One such school that will provide its pupils with the skills to face a competitive and globalised world, opened its doors to about 620 pupils in Dubai on September 1.
The Gems World Academy, located in Al Barsha, was built in 20 months at a cost of $200 million (Dh735 million). It is operated by the Global Education Management Society (Gems), a private education group that manages and runs 26 schools catering to various sectors across the UAE.
Designed by architects and interior designers from CPG of Singapore, the school building not only takes care of the requirements needed to polish pupil's skills, but has also taken into consideration parents that will be visiting from time to time.
Rooftop garden
The school not only houses a number of cafes and a rooftop garden, but also prides itself on having its own planetarium, a 50-metre Olympic size swimming pool, a race track, a floodlit football ground, a 650-seat auditorium, science laboratories and a studio fitted with all the multi-media gadgets available. Fees range from Dh53,000 to Dh92,000 a year.
"We will follow the International Baccalaureate [IB] curriculum, which will enable pupils to have a broader knowledge that will not be restricted to textbooks but will focus on engaging pupils through projects and research," said Stuart Dennis, executive principal and chief executive officer, Gems.
"We have created an atmosphere to suit various learning needs," he added.
The Olympic-sized pool will feature six shaded lanes with a separate learner's pool. The library has 15,000 titles.
"The staff room is nothing like those we are used to, where one can see teachers sitting with their heads buried in notebooks.
"We wanted our teachers to feel relaxed and refreshed when they enter the staff room, which is equipped with telecommunication facilities. The school also has built-in staff development areas, where training will be provided to teachers from all Gems schools at regular intervals. Teachers will have a team of researchers to assist them in further polishing their teaching skills," Dennis said.
One of the highlights of the school is its planetarium, which has a seating capacity of 70. Full-view, 360-degree videos can be beamed on its dome, as well as images of the sky.
Another key feature of the school is the spacious "early childhood centre" for children between three to six years. This centre holds an exclusive lounge for parents, giving them a sense of proximity while their children are in class.
"The whole concept of education is changing and we consider ourselves as leaders in coming up with 'new generation schools'," said Sunny Varkey, chairman of the Gems group. "All our schools are well-resourced and we have plans to come up with more, catering to various sectors in the next five years."
Varkey denied claims made by certain parents that the group runs schools as commercial entities. "We do not take donations. For example, if I had invested $250 million, I should be able to recover the money in five to six years. I could have put the money in real estate but I am still here in education because we are passionate about what we have achieved and what we can do. "Parents do not have a problem in going to a five-star hotel and getting services.
"So why not spend that money on a five-star school? We have got a good balance between commerce and education," Varkey said.
Factfile
$200m - cost of building the Gems World Academy
620 - current number of students in the school
50 metres - length of the school's swimming pool
400 metres- length of the school's floodlit running track
New-age education: School's key facilities
Planetarium
Gymnasium
Climbing Wall
Symphony suite
Auditorium (largest in the UAE)
Discovery centre
Library
Media Centre
IT Centre
Institutional Practice Rooms
TV Recording
Radio suite
Black Box drama studio
Choreography studio
By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter