improvements require funding
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today
Egypt Today, egypt today
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today

Wilson a director of Gems schools

Improvements require funding

Egypt Today, egypt today

Egypt Today, egypt today Improvements require funding

David Wilson is the new Director of Asian Schools
Dubai - Arabstoday

David Wilson is the new Director of Asian Schools Dubai - Arabstoday Private school companies should not have to apologise for being profit-based businesses, a director of the country's largest education group says. David Wilson, a former director of education for the British Army who was appointed director of Gems Education's Asian schools in January, says improvements require funding. "Making Asian schools sustainable is going to be a constant challenge," Mr Wilson said. "In the last five to six years fees have not kept pace with inflation and other pressures. We shouldn't be apologetic about being a company with profit." He said parents' demands for affordable fees were justified but "they also want the very best education opportunities for the children. "I don't think there will ever be a situation where everything is perfect but it is a healthy tension faced by all providers. "A lot of the improvements - like an AstroTurf playing area, better sports facilities or introducing education innovation in the classroom - are done through the fees parents pay for education. "If the fees are low there is a limit to how much we can innovate, and how much we can change and develop." A handful of Gems Indian schools in Dubai were the only ones to escape a fee freeze introduced by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) two years ago. Gems reached an agreement with the Ministry of Education in 2010 allowing them to circumvent the freeze and increase their schools fees by 30 per cent over three years. This has led to demands from parents for clearer, more consistent regulations. "How can some schools be allowed to do something and others not?" asked a father of a Grade 5 pupil at Gems' Our Own Indian School. "I think the authorities need to work on fair rules," the parent said. "If Gems could go to the ministry once when they were unhappy with the regulations they can do so again for higher increases." Mr Wilson said the ministry ruling gave schools some respite, allowing them to increase teachers' salaries by 10 per cent this year. But that was not enough. "The schools built recently are in a much healthier financial position than our old schools that have had years of regulated fee increase," he said. "We feel there is discrepancy between newly opened schools and the older establishments." Mr Wilson said the fee structure of the older campuses should be allowed to rise to a level that would cater for a consistent increase in quality. The solution, he said, would be to increase the supply of Indian schools to meet the overwhelming demand. "The ideal circumstance, and we look forward to this in Gems, is that you have an excess of supply," Mr Wilson said. "In the interim we have to negotiate with the ministry, as from time to time there will be a school which we cannot develop as rapidly as we would like because the fee structure prevents it." He said there was a pressing problem of finding qualified Indian teachers, something he discussed with his predecessor, Dr Farooq Wasil. Mr Wilson said he worked closely with Dr Wasil before taking up the position. "Initially I was going to be chief academic officer in India and only later got the appointment to the director's position," he said. "To understand my role, a lot of my discussions were held with him. "Recruitment has become harder and this is my top concern - partly because of the competition and partly because of the quality of teacher training in the home country." One teacher at a Gems Indian Schools said the challenge was not finding good teachers, but having them agree to low salaries. "You won't attract the best on a salary that makes it hard to sustain the standard of living in the country," said the teacher, who earned about Dh4,000 a month. "More initiatives to support teachers with learning resources and training will also be beneficial." Mr Wilson gathered a wealth of experience as the director of education for the British Army in the rank of Brigadier General, where he led more than 700 professionals globally. Last year, he was awarded the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to education.

egypttoday
egypttoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

improvements require funding improvements require funding



GMT 21:06 2017 Monday ,01 May

Will Smith at all-star Jazz Day in Cuba

GMT 06:25 2017 Monday ,27 November

Bali raises volcano alert to highest level

GMT 12:45 2018 Monday ,26 November

Israeli forces close entrance of village in Ramallah

GMT 12:14 2018 Monday ,08 October

HM King congratulates Ugandan President

GMT 13:49 2017 Thursday ,17 August

Alibaba posts 94% surge in quarterly profit

GMT 08:47 2017 Saturday ,10 June

CDD responds to 236 various incidents

GMT 00:31 2015 Saturday ,16 May

Canada plans 30% CO2 emissions cut by 2030

GMT 03:31 2017 Wednesday ,22 February

‘Man-made’ climate change a major woman’s problem

GMT 10:42 2017 Thursday ,16 November

Algeria FM leaves Cairo following tripartite meeting

GMT 11:08 2017 Tuesday ,03 October

Moscow, Riyadh willing to boost cooperation
 
 Egypt Today Facebook,egypt today facebook  Egypt Today Twitter,egypt today twitter Egypt Today Rss,egypt today rss  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
egypttoday, Egypttoday, Egypttoday