Enrolment figures up despite UAE exodus fear - GEMS

Enrolment figures next term at GEMS international schools are up 12 percent on last year, bucking the trend despite fears of an expatriate exodus from the UAE.
 
Waiting lists are also up five percent at GEMS’ Asian schools, but the education provider said the true scale of expatriate pupil departures will be known at the end of the summer.

A GEMS spokesman said: “We only really know what is happening in terms of enrolments at the beginning of next year. At the moment we just don’t know.”

“There’s been an [population] exodus going on for the last six months because of the global financial crisis. Clearly a percentage of the population has waited before the end of the school year before flying off. But right now our numbers are looking ok,” the spokesman added.

Massive lay-offs in mainly construction and real estate has led to speculation that thousands of jobless parents will pull their children out of school and return home.

International schools in the UAE broke up last week. But it is understood that parents wanting to put their children down on GEMS waiting lists for next term only have to pay a AED500 deposit - a small fee for expatriates who could be still be undecided about leaving the Gulf. 

GEMS runs 26 schools in the UAE, 17 of which are in Dubai. It is the largest private education provider the world.

In May GEMS said it was monitoring enrolment figures for next term on a ‘week by week’ basis.

Arabian Business revealed that removal companies are overwhelmed with bookings in June. ISS Worldwide Movers said it was handling six moves a day, compared to two per week this time last year.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM