GEMS Our Own Indian


Template:School GEMS Our Own Indian is a CBSE-affiliated school in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Established in 1991 to provide education to children from the Indian diaspora living in the Emirates. The school has been rated Very Good[1]by the KHDA during the DSIB Inspections for the academic year 2022-2023. The school started in 1991 as the Varkey International Private School and renamed itself to GEMS Our Own Indian in 2012.The school saw its relocation to its current campus in Al Quoz in 2002.The school motto is Nurturing Dynamic Learners in an Inclusive Environment[2]

HistoryEdit

The school started as the Varkey International Private School in an effort to provide education to the Keralite community living in the Emirates and was affiliated with the kerala state board. The school was located in Al Gharoud until it moved to the current campus on Meydan Street. The school opened its doors to children in 1991 with Mrs.Annie George as its first principal who led the school until 1999. The school began with 438 students and 30 odd teachers and basic support staff. After its relocation in 2002, it was renamed Our Own Indian School in 2004 and again to its current name GEMS Our Own Indian School in 2012.Mrs.Lalitha Suresh became the school's principal in 2012 along with other major changes that laid the foundation for the current school.[3]

The Early LeadershipEdit

The school was founded by the late Mrs.Mariamma Varkey her late husband Mr.K.S.Varkey and their son Mr.Sunny Varkey .Mariamma Varkey and her family moved to the Emirate of Dubai in 1959 12 years before the unification of the Emirates as the UAE. She was an English teacher from the Indian state of Kerala who moved to the Emirate.She and her husband K.S.Varkey established the Our Own English High School in 1968. She was also a key role in establishing the Varkey Internation Private School in 1991 and was a major part of its leadership till her death at the age of 89 in 2021.She is credited for modernizing the education industry in Dubai.[4][5]

OverviewEdit

The school has 169 teachers and 3696 students of which 291 are children of determination.The largest nationality for both students and teachers at the school is Indian.[1]

CampusEdit

The School campus covers an area of 11994 square meters with the average classroom measuring 50 square meters, there are 106 classrooms .The school also has 6 laboratories measuring 70 square meters on average.[6]

 
The Campus(Entrance)

Extra-curricular activitiesEdit

The school has multiple student-led clubs that promote communication skills,photography,art,music and so on.The school also offers a volleyball and basketball court, a ground for football and a cricket pitch.Every year the school hosts an United Nations Simulation conference debate with children representing different countries.[7]

KHDA inspection report[7]Edit

The KHDA(Knowledge and Human Development Authority) is the primary authority for education in the Emirate of Dubai.They create an inspection report every year of all the educational institutions in the emirate.This is done by the DSIB (Dubai School Inspection Bureau) a branch of the KHDA.Inspections normally start in October every year and go on till February and occasionally beyond.[8][9]

Name of School Curriculum Year Rating
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2009-2010 Acceptable
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2010-2011 Good
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2011-2012 Good
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2012-2013 Good
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2013-2014 Good
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2014-2015 Acceptable
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2015-2016 Good
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2016-2017 Good
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2017-2018 Good
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2018-2019 Good
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2019-2020 Good
GEMS Our Own Indian CBSE 2022-2023 Very-Good
 
The School uniform [10]

UniformsEdit

The Schools Uniforms Consist of an Ivory Shirt with Beige/Khaki trousers or shorts (boys and girls) beige/khaki skirts (for girls) and a black and red tie the uniform also consists of a black non-compulsory jacket which also diffrentiates the school from its counterparts at Our Own English High School with the dark beige jackets,The year 11 and 12 children have special blazers and golden black ties.The physical education uniform consists of a shirt and tracksuit in either of the four house colours(boys and girls).The kindergarten uniform consists of a blue and white polo with navy blue trackpants or shorts .[10]

CBSE and other affiliationsEdit

The school is a for-profit managed by GEMS Education since 2000 when the company was established and by the Varkey Group until then.The school is recognized by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education.The school as mentioned above is affiliated with the Centeral Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi (Affiliation No. 6630046) which is India's national-level education board managed by the Government of India.[11]

ReferencesEdit

  1. 1.0 1.1 KHDA, DSIB (2023-04-18). "KHDA DSIB Inspections". www.khda.gov.ae. Archived from the original on 2023-04-18. Retrieved 2023-04-18. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch (help)
  2. "Vision and Mission". www.gemsoo-alquoz.com. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  3. Saseendran, Sajila (December 13, 2016). "Ex-students, teachers reunite at silver jubilee of Dubai school". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  4. John, Issac (2023-05-05). "UAE: Mariamma Varkey passes away". www.khaleejtimes.com. Archived from the original on 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  5. Rizvi, Anam (2021-03-31). "Mariamma Varkey, towering figure of UAE education, dies". www.thenationalnews.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-05. Retrieved 2023-05-07. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch (help)
  6. Suresh, Lalitha (2021-05-20). "Mandatory Public Disclosure" (PDF). /www.gemsoo-alquoz.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  7. 7.0 7.1 KHDA, DSIB (2009–2022). "KHDADSIB". www.khda.gov.ae. Retrieved 2023-05-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. Al Karam, Dr. Abdulla (2023-05-18). "DSIB". www.khda.gov.ae. Archived from the original on 2023-01-28. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  9. Al Karam, Dr. Abdulla (2023-05-15). "KHDA DSIB". www.khda.gov.ae. Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-05-15. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch (help)
  10. 10.0 10.1 threads IT department, threads IT department (15 May 2023). "Threads Uniform Guide for Indian Curriculum in the UAE". www.threadsme.com. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  11. JOHRI, DR. ANTRIKSH (2023-05-15). "CBSE affiliation list". saras.cbse.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-05-15.