GEMS International School, Dubai | Fees, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

Amazing school! I have been here since 2018, and I enjoy it. Right now, I’m in grade 5, and throughout these years, the teachers are getting better and better. Amazing work!

I have been at this school for a few years, and it was great in primary. However, in secondary, all the teachers are horrible. They call you out for the tiniest things. I definitely do not recommend staying at this school after primary.

From the moment I stepped into GIS (Global Institute of Sciences), lured by promises of a world-class education and cutting-edge facilities, I quickly realized how misleading those claims were.

Let’s start with the infrastructure. The school boasted state-of-the-art buildings in its brochures, but what I found was far from modern. Cracked walls, leaky ceilings, and classrooms that felt more like abandoned warehouses than places of learning greeted me. The so-called “advanced laboratories” were outdated and poorly equipped, with malfunctioning equipment that often broke down during experiments.

Then there were the educators. Marketed as experts in their fields, many seemed indifferent to teaching. Some lectures were simply readings from outdated textbooks, while others were canceled last minute without explanation. The few teachers who did show up often lacked enthusiasm and were more concerned with meeting their own agendas than engaging with students.

The curriculum, touted as rigorous and enriching, was anything but. Classes were outdated, relying on decades-old textbooks and methods that failed to inspire. “Interactive learning” sessions amounted to watching prerecorded videos that were barely relevant to the coursework. Assignments lacked creativity and were more about busywork than actual learning, and exams were poorly designed, sometimes including material we hadn’t covered in class.

Extracurricular activities, which promised a vibrant campus life, fell flat. Clubs were poorly organized and rarely met, sports facilities were run-down and lacked proper maintenance, and arts programs were underfunded and overlooked. Despite promises of guest speakers and field trips, these events were either nonexistent or so rare they felt like tokens rather than enriching experiences.

The administration, tasked with addressing these issues, proved ineffective. Emails went unanswered, meetings were postponed indefinitely, and concerns were met with generic responses that offered no real solutions. It became clear that GIS excelled more in marketing its image than in delivering a quality education.

In conclusion, GIS is a perfect example of how appearances can be deceiving. For anyone seeking a genuine educational experience, I would strongly advise looking elsewhere. This institution is a disappointing investment of time and money, offering little in return for its lofty promises.

From the moment I stepped into GIS, the school that promised a “world-class education,” I knew something was off. The glossy brochures, the flashy website, and the endless boasts of excellence had built up my expectations to a dizzying height. But reality hit hard, and it wasn’t pretty.

Let’s start with the infrastructure. The school buildings, which were supposed to be state-of-the-art, were old, poorly maintained, and frankly, falling apart. Peeling paint, broken lockers, and bathrooms that looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in months were just the tip of the iceberg. The supposed “smart classrooms” had outdated technology that barely worked, and the Wi-Fi was practically nonexistent.

Then there were the teachers. Described as “highly qualified and passionate,” many of them seemed to be the exact opposite. A few were clearly there just to collect a paycheck, showing no interest in the students or the subjects they taught. The science teacher spent more time on personal phone calls than conducting experiments, and the math teacher’s idea of instruction was to hand out worksheets and leave the room.

The curriculum, which the school touted as “rigorous and enriching,” was a joke. Lessons were outdated, and the teaching methods were as uninspiring as possible. Group projects turned into chaotic messes with little guidance, and “interactive learning” was just code for watching low-quality YouTube videos. Homework assignments were busywork with no real educational value, and the tests were so poorly written that half the questions didn’t even make sense.

Extracurricular activities, supposedly one of the school’s highlights, were another major letdown. Clubs were poorly organized and often canceled without notice. Sports teams lacked proper coaching and equipment, and arts programs were severely underfunded. Promises of exciting field trips and guest speakers turned out to be rare occurrences, if they happened at all.

The administration, which should have been addressing these issues, was completely ineffective. Emails went unanswered, and meetings were constantly rescheduled or canceled. When concerns were finally voiced, they were met with dismissive responses or empty promises of improvement.

All in all, GIS is a textbook example of how good marketing can mask a truly subpar institution. If you’re looking for a school that actually delivers on its promises, look elsewhere. This place is a complete waste of time and money.

A set of highly manipulative people with extremely thick skin manages this school. It is the only school in Dubai with broken, unpaved roads. For the last two years, the supervisor and his team have asked parents to email them, creating a false sense of action to be taken, as this is still their position— “please send an email.” The reality is that the master developer is not allowing them to use their roads, and the school will not invest in paving the current ones while constantly increasing term fees.

Educational quality and standards are mediocre.

Teacher quality is mediocre—some teachers are clearly chosen based on low cost and not teaching skills to maximize school profits.

There are cases of bullying in the school, as well.

Multiple new children are brought in mid-term, as anyone willing to pay fees can join this school anytime, it seems.

We will move our child from here!

I would not recommend this school at all. My son spent four years there, but the last year was particularly awful. My complaints about my son being bullied were completely ignored and swept under the rug.

I had genuinely liked the school when I enrolled my son in 2019; the principal was open, respectful, and had a strong disposition toward listening and problem-solving. Not anymore!

Currently, the strategy is to do nothing, sweep all problems under the rug, and revel in inaction. The situation is similar with the school’s parent association, which sits in its utopian ivory tower, with no sense of cooperation or consensual decision-making with parents.

Lastly, the parking and entry/exit options are awful. On any given day, it would take over 30 minutes just to leave the school grounds, whereas it would normally take only 20 minutes to get home. After a long day of learning, I wouldn’t want to put my children through such traffic agony.

I am happy to be gone; it is such a relief!

As a Grade 12 student who has spent ample time at this school from Grade 7 until Grade 12 (and continuing), I love this school because you can express yourself freely. For example, I enjoy swimming, and the school has a lovely swimming pool and swim team. We compete often, but above all, there is so much to do. If you like writing, there’s a club for that; if you like football, there’s a big team for that.

This school is internationally diverse, with many people from different backgrounds. I have made friends with people from Poland, Brazil, Denmark, and more. I’ve had a great time at this school, and I will miss it when I graduate.