Hi there,
I’m a parent at Wellington International School of Dubai. We are facing the same problems as you and are trying to start collective actions to solve our problem. Please let us know if we can and should and in which way unify our actions. Our web log will be live from Sunday 26/10: wisconcernedparents.blogspot.com.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation,
WIS-parents
Monday, October 27, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Letter to Sunny Varkey
This is the letter that was sent to Mr Varkey along with the signed petition:
Thursday, 15 October, 2008
Sunny Varkey
Founder and Chairman
GEMS Education
Jumeirah Primary School – achieving a brilliant future or sliding into mediocrity
Dear Mr Varkey,
We write to you as protagonists of “for-profit” quality private education, business leaders and foremost as the parent community of the Jumeirah Primary school, JPS.
We fully acknowledge the increasing pressures placed on the school’s economic model, and hence the school’s management, from:
increased operating costs (teacher salaries and accommodation, utilities, rents, ...)
fee caps imposed by the Ministry of Education limiting JPS’s ability to bring fees up to the level of sister GEMS schools in Dubai
intense demand for places at JPS (primarily due to the excellent reputation of the school)
We have however, been greatly disappointed by the way GEMS has implemented the decision to increase class sizes at JPS yet again:
Poor timing – the decision was made during the summer with most parents already committed to another year at JPS
Poor communication – parents only found out about increased class sizes when they walked into class rooms on the first day of school. This has led to an atmosphere of rumours, and further fuelled the perception that Abraaj Capital’s involvement with GEMS will ultimately impact the quality of GEMS education.
Poor subsequent handling – responses to many parent queries over the past few weeks have been impersonal, avoided transparency and assumed that parents would “just fade away”.
Sadly, GEMS has missed a great opportunity to openly share its challenges with a very powerful and influential parent body and harness “parent energy and creativity” to help JPS bridge the period until fees are brought up to the required levels for adequate profitable return.
So we find ourselves in a situation where the trust and goodwill built over years within the adult JPS community has been seriously betrayed and instead that “parent energy and creativity” is now being channelled against the school. Increasingly interactions between staff and parents are becoming bitter and hostile; the children are losing their pride in JPS as they overhear parent rumblings at home and at school drop-offs; a web blog is up and active and many parents have registered for other non GEMS schools for next term/year.
JPS remains one of the most admired schools in the GEMS portfolio and in Dubai, but the school is at a very critical juncture in its evolution and positioning within the community. You have personally stated that GEMS “has a singular, uncompromising commitment to communities, parents and students - to prepare the next generation for the challenges of a brilliant future”.
We urge you to intervene and to cap class sizes to 20 for FS1 - FS2, and to 24 for Years 1–6, through a freeze on new places being offered as well as natural wastage. Thereby, demonstrating your personal commitment to JPS, your willingness to work with the parents to refocus on quality, heal the wounds and putting JPS back on track by keeping the educational as well as the health and safety levels at their excellent best!
We are available for a “Chairman-Parent” meeting at any evening of your convenience in October and look forward to your response
The Parents of JPS
Cc: Arif Naqvi, Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Abraaj Capital
Thursday, 15 October, 2008
Sunny Varkey
Founder and Chairman
GEMS Education
Jumeirah Primary School – achieving a brilliant future or sliding into mediocrity
Dear Mr Varkey,
We write to you as protagonists of “for-profit” quality private education, business leaders and foremost as the parent community of the Jumeirah Primary school, JPS.
We fully acknowledge the increasing pressures placed on the school’s economic model, and hence the school’s management, from:
increased operating costs (teacher salaries and accommodation, utilities, rents, ...)
fee caps imposed by the Ministry of Education limiting JPS’s ability to bring fees up to the level of sister GEMS schools in Dubai
intense demand for places at JPS (primarily due to the excellent reputation of the school)
We have however, been greatly disappointed by the way GEMS has implemented the decision to increase class sizes at JPS yet again:
Poor timing – the decision was made during the summer with most parents already committed to another year at JPS
Poor communication – parents only found out about increased class sizes when they walked into class rooms on the first day of school. This has led to an atmosphere of rumours, and further fuelled the perception that Abraaj Capital’s involvement with GEMS will ultimately impact the quality of GEMS education.
Poor subsequent handling – responses to many parent queries over the past few weeks have been impersonal, avoided transparency and assumed that parents would “just fade away”.
Sadly, GEMS has missed a great opportunity to openly share its challenges with a very powerful and influential parent body and harness “parent energy and creativity” to help JPS bridge the period until fees are brought up to the required levels for adequate profitable return.
So we find ourselves in a situation where the trust and goodwill built over years within the adult JPS community has been seriously betrayed and instead that “parent energy and creativity” is now being channelled against the school. Increasingly interactions between staff and parents are becoming bitter and hostile; the children are losing their pride in JPS as they overhear parent rumblings at home and at school drop-offs; a web blog is up and active and many parents have registered for other non GEMS schools for next term/year.
JPS remains one of the most admired schools in the GEMS portfolio and in Dubai, but the school is at a very critical juncture in its evolution and positioning within the community. You have personally stated that GEMS “has a singular, uncompromising commitment to communities, parents and students - to prepare the next generation for the challenges of a brilliant future”.
We urge you to intervene and to cap class sizes to 20 for FS1 - FS2, and to 24 for Years 1–6, through a freeze on new places being offered as well as natural wastage. Thereby, demonstrating your personal commitment to JPS, your willingness to work with the parents to refocus on quality, heal the wounds and putting JPS back on track by keeping the educational as well as the health and safety levels at their excellent best!
We are available for a “Chairman-Parent” meeting at any evening of your convenience in October and look forward to your response
The Parents of JPS
Cc: Arif Naqvi, Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Abraaj Capital
Monday, October 13, 2008
A response letter has been drafted to M. Atack's note to the school outlining that 27 is unacceptable and that we want classes capped at 24 for Y1-Y6 and 20 for FS1/FS2. A petition is attached to that letter. For those of you who have not already signed the petition and who would like to, please be on the lookout for the 3 or 4 mums who are standing outside the school at drop off times waiting for your input.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
FYI, Margaret Atack's response to the letter outlining our disatisfaction with capping at 27......
Dear .....
Thank you for your mail.
My apologies for the delay in the response as I was out of the office until today.
I have spoken with Mrs. Curtis today who indicated that the new arrangements for parking/drop of seemed to have a positive effect.
At this point in time I am unable to confirm any further reduction in maximum class size from that identified in the letter of the 25th September. Should there be any further downward movement, either the school or I will let parents know immediately.
Yours Sincerely
Margaret Atack
Dear .....
Thank you for your mail.
My apologies for the delay in the response as I was out of the office until today.
I have spoken with Mrs. Curtis today who indicated that the new arrangements for parking/drop of seemed to have a positive effect.
At this point in time I am unable to confirm any further reduction in maximum class size from that identified in the letter of the 25th September. Should there be any further downward movement, either the school or I will let parents know immediately.
Yours Sincerely
Margaret Atack
Sunday, October 5, 2008
In addition to pressure on GEMS we also need to get the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau involved. They are currently inspecting many English speaking schools and I believe JPS is due later this term. The schools inspected obviously want to be seen to be doing well compared to others. Parent views are collected by the Inspection Bureau as a part of the inspection but we could pre-empt this by informing the Bureau of the situation and our concerns particularly regarding health and safety. How about we send a letter from JPSConcerned Parents?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The letter below was written in response to the GEMS letter we received last Thursday:
Dear Ms Atack,
Many thanks for your prompt response.
Also, thank you for the note that went out from school on Thursday.
We are delighted that Gems recognises the strength of concerns felt by the parent body of JPS and has shown willingness to repsond positively. I think this will help restore faith and trust in Gems. Parents need to know that their collective voice is listened to, responded to, and where reasonable, heeded. So a big thank you for what you have done so far.
The parking measures you have suggested will hopefully help the drop off problems in the morning, so thank you for that initiative. However, the dangers inherent in over-crowding remain at pick up time.
We thank you too for your willingess to reduce class sizes through natural wastage. It is fantastic that you have responded in this way. However, 27 students per class from Years 1 on is still way too many:
1) The academic interests of our children are not adequately served in a class of that size and
2) the over crowding and associated dangers therein -parking and safe movement of children around school -remain.
So we reiterate: we wish you to allow class numbers to fall via natural wastage and a freeze on new places so that numbers are capped at 24.
We would all actually like class sizes capped at 22, but we recognise the environment in which Gems operates and so in the name of compromise we suggest 24.
We look forward to your positive response.
Dear Ms Atack,
Many thanks for your prompt response.
Also, thank you for the note that went out from school on Thursday.
We are delighted that Gems recognises the strength of concerns felt by the parent body of JPS and has shown willingness to repsond positively. I think this will help restore faith and trust in Gems. Parents need to know that their collective voice is listened to, responded to, and where reasonable, heeded. So a big thank you for what you have done so far.
The parking measures you have suggested will hopefully help the drop off problems in the morning, so thank you for that initiative. However, the dangers inherent in over-crowding remain at pick up time.
We thank you too for your willingess to reduce class sizes through natural wastage. It is fantastic that you have responded in this way. However, 27 students per class from Years 1 on is still way too many:
1) The academic interests of our children are not adequately served in a class of that size and
2) the over crowding and associated dangers therein -parking and safe movement of children around school -remain.
So we reiterate: we wish you to allow class numbers to fall via natural wastage and a freeze on new places so that numbers are capped at 24.
We would all actually like class sizes capped at 22, but we recognise the environment in which Gems operates and so in the name of compromise we suggest 24.
We look forward to your positive response.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Dear "Concerned Parents",
Below you will find an article published on Times in 2005. It seems that this is not the first time GEMS is facing angry parents because of class size increases.
We need to put pressure on them in a structured and organized way and it has to media driven.
Please come up with suggestions on how to channel the info between the 200 different families and how to take decisions - Thanks
From The Times
May 25, 2005
Private school parents in revolt
Sunny Varkey promised top quality schools at bargain basement prices, but after four head teachers in a year his first venture has hit troubled waters
By Alexandra Blair, Education Correspondent
THE company that promised to introduce “no frills” private education to England is facing a revolt from parents at the first school that it took over.
Parents of pupils at Bury Lawn school in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, passed a vote of no confidence in Global Enterprise Management Systems (Gems) after the departure of four headteachers within a year.
Hundreds of parents complaining of an “atmosphere of fear” and a collapse in morale will present Gems today with an ultimatum to hand control of Bury Lawn back to the headteacher and demand that they have a say in hiring staff.
Before the action plan had even been submitted, however, parents had received a letter from the company’s lawyers warning them that a meeting on school grounds “without consent is totally irresponsible and will not be tolerated”.
Gems promises “no frills” private education at low prices and with 13 schools is the second largest provider of independent education in the country. Sunny Varkey, the Indian-born chairman, who runs the schools “for profit”, said he aimed to manage 200 schools and has been in talks about investing in two city academies.
Related Links
Education: Independent schools must ignore the government, not parents
Private companies urged to compete with state schools
More choose private education as parents lose faith in state schools
Parents were reassured of Gems “gold standard” with high-profile advisers, such as Sir Gareth Roberts, an education adviser to Tony Blair, Sir Mike Tomlinson, the former chief inspector of schools and Sir Michael Bichard, who led the Soham inquiry.
Gems schools are day-schools and claim to provide a service like an airline, from “no frills” economy to business class. But with fees of around £6,000 for 5-year-olds at Bury Lawn to just under £10,000 a year at “premium schools” such as Sherfield, they can cost much the same as more prestigious institutions.
Parents say that with 500 pupils from nursery to 18, Bury Lawn was the model school — small, with a family ethos that nurtured its children. But within months of Gems taking over, class sizes had grown from 18 to 24 and they became concerned.
“Bury Lawn school was different, a caring school where each child was treated as an individual. But since July that’s changed, now it’s being run more as a business,” Sue Plummer, mother of Christopher, 14, said. She said her son had grown into a bright outgoing boy, but she claimed that his progress had been hampered after four headteachers and more than a dozen senior staff left in the past year. For the parents the tipping-point came last week, when Mark Olejnik, deputy head for 15 years, was dismissed to be replaced by the fifth head, Dr Sheila Kaye. With a week’s tuition to go, A2 level history students broke down in tears.
Ms Plummer, 43, is now considering removing her son. She said: “We are paying for a service we’re no longer getting. We were told classes would be 15-18 and yet Gems is trying to force 24 into the rooms.” She went on to claim that some children did not have desks or chairs and sometimes had to stand during lessons. Other parents are also considering removing their children. Phil Martin, 32, has three daughters at the school and moved to Milton Keynes because of Bury Lawn.
He alleged that there was an “atmosphere of fear” in the school and, like others, was concerned that the profits were being ploughed into the company and not back into the school.
“Gems is very quick to say they’ve invested £2 million into a new sports hall but now there’s not even enough money to buy a new Hoover,” he said.
Dr Kaye, who has been head for just a week, promised yesterday to meet parents and hear their allegations. No one was available at Gems to comment.
At his suite in the Dorchester hotel, Sunny Varkey told The Times in February, however, that his schools could deliver a good education cheaply by maximising economies of scale.
With 55,000 students and 4,900 staff in 120 countries, he said he was well placed to transfer best practice and dismissed concerns about class sizes. He said: “If a parent has 24 children in a class, he says it’s too much. But we charge less than £5,000. If he really wants 18 or 20 in a class he should send them to Eton for £25,000.”
The Independent Schools Association confirmed that the Independent Schools Inspectorate would investigate “governing and management issues” at the school.
Below you will find an article published on Times in 2005. It seems that this is not the first time GEMS is facing angry parents because of class size increases.
We need to put pressure on them in a structured and organized way and it has to media driven.
Please come up with suggestions on how to channel the info between the 200 different families and how to take decisions - Thanks
From The Times
May 25, 2005
Private school parents in revolt
Sunny Varkey promised top quality schools at bargain basement prices, but after four head teachers in a year his first venture has hit troubled waters
By Alexandra Blair, Education Correspondent
THE company that promised to introduce “no frills” private education to England is facing a revolt from parents at the first school that it took over.
Parents of pupils at Bury Lawn school in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, passed a vote of no confidence in Global Enterprise Management Systems (Gems) after the departure of four headteachers within a year.
Hundreds of parents complaining of an “atmosphere of fear” and a collapse in morale will present Gems today with an ultimatum to hand control of Bury Lawn back to the headteacher and demand that they have a say in hiring staff.
Before the action plan had even been submitted, however, parents had received a letter from the company’s lawyers warning them that a meeting on school grounds “without consent is totally irresponsible and will not be tolerated”.
Gems promises “no frills” private education at low prices and with 13 schools is the second largest provider of independent education in the country. Sunny Varkey, the Indian-born chairman, who runs the schools “for profit”, said he aimed to manage 200 schools and has been in talks about investing in two city academies.
Related Links
Education: Independent schools must ignore the government, not parents
Private companies urged to compete with state schools
More choose private education as parents lose faith in state schools
Parents were reassured of Gems “gold standard” with high-profile advisers, such as Sir Gareth Roberts, an education adviser to Tony Blair, Sir Mike Tomlinson, the former chief inspector of schools and Sir Michael Bichard, who led the Soham inquiry.
Gems schools are day-schools and claim to provide a service like an airline, from “no frills” economy to business class. But with fees of around £6,000 for 5-year-olds at Bury Lawn to just under £10,000 a year at “premium schools” such as Sherfield, they can cost much the same as more prestigious institutions.
Parents say that with 500 pupils from nursery to 18, Bury Lawn was the model school — small, with a family ethos that nurtured its children. But within months of Gems taking over, class sizes had grown from 18 to 24 and they became concerned.
“Bury Lawn school was different, a caring school where each child was treated as an individual. But since July that’s changed, now it’s being run more as a business,” Sue Plummer, mother of Christopher, 14, said. She said her son had grown into a bright outgoing boy, but she claimed that his progress had been hampered after four headteachers and more than a dozen senior staff left in the past year. For the parents the tipping-point came last week, when Mark Olejnik, deputy head for 15 years, was dismissed to be replaced by the fifth head, Dr Sheila Kaye. With a week’s tuition to go, A2 level history students broke down in tears.
Ms Plummer, 43, is now considering removing her son. She said: “We are paying for a service we’re no longer getting. We were told classes would be 15-18 and yet Gems is trying to force 24 into the rooms.” She went on to claim that some children did not have desks or chairs and sometimes had to stand during lessons. Other parents are also considering removing their children. Phil Martin, 32, has three daughters at the school and moved to Milton Keynes because of Bury Lawn.
He alleged that there was an “atmosphere of fear” in the school and, like others, was concerned that the profits were being ploughed into the company and not back into the school.
“Gems is very quick to say they’ve invested £2 million into a new sports hall but now there’s not even enough money to buy a new Hoover,” he said.
Dr Kaye, who has been head for just a week, promised yesterday to meet parents and hear their allegations. No one was available at Gems to comment.
At his suite in the Dorchester hotel, Sunny Varkey told The Times in February, however, that his schools could deliver a good education cheaply by maximising economies of scale.
With 55,000 students and 4,900 staff in 120 countries, he said he was well placed to transfer best practice and dismissed concerns about class sizes. He said: “If a parent has 24 children in a class, he says it’s too much. But we charge less than £5,000. If he really wants 18 or 20 in a class he should send them to Eton for £25,000.”
The Independent Schools Association confirmed that the Independent Schools Inspectorate would investigate “governing and management issues” at the school.
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