DPS Society ends ties with two UAE schools

Sharjah, Dubai schools legally not associated with the society in India, public notice says

The Delhi Public School Society in India, a popular Indian education trust, has officially announced the end of its association with two UAE schools bearing its brand name.

Known by its popular acronym DPS, the society on Thursday issued a public notice in the media to announce that the UAE schools — Delhi Private School, Sharjah and Delhi Private School, Dubai — “are not continuing on the basis of any legal relationship with the DPS Society”.

“This public notice is for information for all persons who are inquiring about this matter (with regard to the status of DPS Sharjah and DPS Dubai). The Delhi Public School Society, India, carries no responsibility whatsoever for actions of Delhi Private School, Sharjah and Delhi Private School, Dubai,” it added.

Some UAE parents raised concerns that the schools may lose the affiliation as the society lends its brand name and logo to the licensed schools and provides technical support.

However, it is still not clear if that would happen. When contacted, Dinesh C. Kothari, pro-vice-chairman and managing director of DPS Sharjah and DPS Dubai, refused to comment.

Last month, Gulf News had reported that the DPS Society, which lends its brand name to around 220 institutions worldwide, was re-negotiating licence fees paid by Gulf-based schools with thousands of students. Sources had then said that the negotiations which started in April will be over in two months and there is a 90 per cent chance that the negotiations will be successful and the licence will be renewed for another five years.

On the contrary, the society said the collaboration agreements it had with the two DPS schools here lapsed on April 1, 2017.

It had entered into the agreements with the Delhi Private School LLC, Sharjah for opening DPS Sharjah on January 28, 2000 and with DPS Dubai on February 13, 2002, the notice said.

Speculation about the UAE schools losing their affiliation to the society had started after the society’s website dropped their names. The Sharjah and Dubai schools that began operations in 2000 and 2003, respectively, have a strength of 11,000 students.

The website, meanwhile, lists DPS Ajman, a new entity from the society stables.