20K kids to benefit from Gems package

dubai — Over 20,000 students across the Gems Network will benefit from Gems Education’s Covid-19 relief package, the leading education group in the UAE announced on Thursday.

“The relief package offers respite for the current term’s (Term 3 for most schools/Term 1 for Indian schools) tuition fees to those parents who have experienced income reductions, lost their jobs or businesses, or been placed on unpaid leave and who therefore now have limited means to settle tuition fees during this period of uncertainty,” a statement from the group said.

Apart from the graded relief earlier provided by the education giant, it’s said the current relief package will also in some certain cases of ‘extreme hardship’, provide discounts of

“50 per cent or more”.

Commenting on the recent relief provided by the school group, Dino

Varkey, chief executive officer at Gems Education, said: “We are directing assistance to parents who have lost a part of their income or their jobs entirely, as well as parents who are self-employed and have suffered business disruption. We firmly believe that this targeted approach is more equitable and effective in helping those who have been most impacted, enabling us to make a more meaningful difference.”

He further said: “The move to remote learning was unexpected and unprecedented — not only for the Gems community, but for the majority of schools around the world. Our teachers and education leaders are putting a tremendous amount of time and effort into providing the highest quality remote learning for all our students. Protecting our teaching and academic staff is critical to ensure that when we resume normal operations, our schools, our people and the quality of provision remain intact.”

We are directing assistance to parents who have lost income or their jobs entirely, as well as who have suffered business disruption.” Dino Varkey CEO, Gems Education

Parents’ concerns

The relief package comes at a time when many parents have flagged continuous concerns, asking for greater relief from the education provider, to provide greater fee waivers, as many are facing difficult financial conditions.

Meanwhile, several Gems parents seeking support on the matter have already proposed to execute a social event on Twitter on Friday from 3-6pm and all of the following weekend, to make collective voices heard by their schools.