The Star - Creating GEMS from the start
CHILDREN are eager learners and it is their natural curiousity that needs to be tapped to the fullest to make them holistic pupils. It is this philisophy of bringing out the best in each child, that has prompted the GEMS Education global network to set up an international school at Tropicana Metropark in Subang, Selangor. The school's principal Simon O' Grady says that children are all capable of greater things and we need to make them pursue their learning journey from a young age. "While there are people who have have pre-conceived ideas about children's abilities, we at GEMS will shape them to become outstanding individuals." The Subang school will open on Sept 4, while its induction week starts on Aug 20. It is GEMS' second international school in Malaysia. Its other school is in Bandar Tasek Mutiara, in Simpang Ampat near Bukit Mertajam, Penang. "Our objective is to deliver high-quality, outstanding education at an affordable price to all our pupils. "In our terms, 'outstanding' means an established curriculum, first class teachers and the belief that children can be taught to achieve the highest possible standards," O' Grady shares. from the "We are determined to have a happy school. We want pupils to understand one another, respect each other's culture and have positive vibes.
Only then will the children be excited about going to school. This is also the type of school culture we want to cultivate." Facilities will include science and computer labs, multiple specialist classrooms, a black box theatre, swimming pool, sports hall and sports field. It will offer kindergarten to secondary schooling and prepare students for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and the Cambridge International AS and A-Level examinations. O'Grady says the school has an established and proven British-based curriculum. "The broad curriculum we have is for both in and outside the classroom. It is a partnership between qualified and able teachers and professionals whom we provide for our pupils," he says "Carefully-selected foreign and local teachers of the highest quality will be in charge of educating those enrolled in the school. We are sourcing most of our teachers from overseas. "They are experienced international teachers, many of whom are British, but we also believe in having local teachers' he adds. O' Grady says that the school will deliver "outstanding" education at an affordable price to all its pupils. O'Grady says that having capable teachers on board is more important than facilities or "how great the place looks". "We do have great facilities, but so do other international schools. It is the quality of the team we have here that is going to make us different," he adds. The school will be an inclusive one and will take in children of different nationalities as well as those from middle class families, who previously did not have the privilege of an independent quality education because of the higher costs. O'Grady, who currently sits on the board of the Council of British Modern architecture and bright colours at the school makes it a conducive place for fun learning. International Schools (CoBIS), says he would ensure GEMS will be one of the few international schools in Malaysia to be accredited by the council - which is the largest educational association for international British schools.
Accreditation and inspection are very important. "We want to be validated by independent parties to show prospective parents and teachers that we are a very strong school," he adds. Response towards the school so far, has been good following a successful social media campaign, he adds. While there are plans to expand the GEMS global network founded 55 years ago, it is a long term journey. "You can't achieve a great school overnight. We will grow in a planned and measured way to keep our success in control, as we are not keen to grow fast just for the sake of numbers," says O'Grady who left the British International School Cairo, Egypt, for his new position here. He says that parent engagement is also important. "Parents place their trust in schools to do a good job, so it gives them the right to know the progress of their children and to give feedback. "We are of the view that each child has room for improvement and is capable of attaining success at his or her own pace," shares O'Grady. For more information on the school, visit www.gems.edu.my.
