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Historic UAE school celebrates 30th Anniversary with release of rare and mysterious photograph capturing opening in 1992. GEMS Education and its children recognise anniversary of the very special Our Own English High School Al Ain.
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In a twist, GEMS education has marked the 30th anniversary of the founding of one of its most loved and historic schools, GEMS Our Own English High School – Al Ain, with the release of a rare photograph of the school taken in 1992. At the time of its founding on the nineteenth of April 1992, the school had just 17 teaching staff serving a total of 340 pupils – and operated from a converted villa in the same location in Falaj Hazzaa.

Extraordinarily, one of the school’s first teachers, Mr Pappy Joykutty, Education Supervisor at GEMS Our Own English High School Al Ain, joined the school on its very first day and remains a teacher at the school.

Its longest-serving teacher, Mr Joykutty too celebrates his thirtieth anniversary with the school this year.

The mystery around the photograph includes not knowing whose photographs were taken outside the school, but stands-out in no small part for the flying of the UAE flag in pride of place outside it, this in recognition of the deep-seated commitment of GEMS to the force of education as a power for good in the emirates and its key role in empowering the future generations.

A deeply moved Mr Joykutty could not shed light on the mysterious photograph, but told SchoolsCompared:

“My heartfelt congratulations to all at OOL in the completion of 30 years.

This school has always held a special place in my heart.

I am so proud to be associated with OOL.

I wish the school many more decades of growth, progress and success.

May God bless this school always.”

The official thirtieth gala celebrations, which took place at the school on the 22nd September 2022, saw Our Own students, parents, global alumni, leaders, teachers and support staff, gather together on campus to celebrate the significant milestone in the school’s journey and to share stories of its founding and impact over its first three decades.

Rocky Miller, Principal/CEO of GEMS Our Own English High School – Al Ain, told us:

“It’s just so difficult to capture in a few words the very special and historic impact of this school.

But I think it is the pioneering history here of perseverance, of dedication…  and the feeling of being part of the school, something bigger than ourselves, that helps us most understand and give context to the unique, and wonderful, achievements and cherished moments of students, teachers and GEMS Education leaders at GEMS Our Own English School Al Ain over the past 30 years.

Our now dual-curriculum school has come such a long way over the last three decades and is today a very loved and highly respected education stalwart in the city of Al Ain.

I am so privileged to lead this outstanding school.”

Mr P Joykutty (centre) with Principal Rocky Miller (right) and Kelvin Hornsby (left) at the thirtieth anniversary of GEMS Our Own English High School in Al Ain

A proud and speechless Mr Pappy Joykutty (centre) being presented with his certificate recognising 30 years of outstanding service to GEMS Our Own English High School Al Ain by delighted Principal Rocky Miller (right) and Kelvin Hornsby, Vice President and Cluster Lead of GEMS Education, at the thirtieth gala anniversary of GEMS Our Own English High School in Al Ain on the 22nd of September 2022.

Mr Miller continued by recognising the scale of the celebrations, and the long journeys made to the school by many of the former pupils and teachers who joined the school to recognise the anniversary:

“It is humbling and inspirational to welcome so many of our former pupils and teachers, including our school’s very first Head Boy.

We all come together, with our current student body and faculty, to celebrate our collective successes.” 

Photograph of a celebration in dance of the thirtieth anniversary of Our Own English High School Al Ain on 22nd September 2022 at the school.

Anniversary celebrations included dance performances by current students, guest speeches and awards for the school’s longest-serving staff members.

Glorious colours flooded the stage as dancers celebrated the 30th anniversary of one of the UAE's best loved schools

As well as celebrating the thirty years service of Mr Joykutty, many other faculty were celebrated whose service at the school exceeded twenty years, a lifetime in UAE education where many teachers change schools within just five years.

The Our Own Schools, across the UAE, play a special role in the history of GEMS Education. Al Ain’s sister school, GEMS Our Own English High School, Al Warqa’a 3, was “the goose that laid the golden goose” for GEMS according to Sunny Varkey, Chairman, GEMS Education, drawing its history back to 1968 when the school opened with just 27 children and 3 teachers, providing the foundation of GEMS subsequent launch of its family of “Our Own” across the emirates. Read more here.

Today Our Own English High School – Al Ain is an established international school in Abu Dhabi which offers an exceptional standard of education to children from kindergarten to grade 12. The school welcomes students of all nationalities, and special care is given to the teaching of English at all levels, particularly to children from non-English speaking backgrounds. The school follows the Indian and English curriculum to reflect its international outlook.

At kindergarten and primary level, the school follows an internationally accepted syllabus to meet the particular needs of children from different backgrounds.

At the secondary stage, the school is affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, which conducts the All India Secondary School Examination (grade 10). It is also affiliated with the University of Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), United Kingdom, which conducts the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE).

At the end of the senior secondary stage, pupils sit either the All India Senior School Certificate Examination (ISC), or the Advanced Subsidiary (AS Level) or Advanced (A Level) examinations, depending on their programme of study.

Rare GEMS photo section Our Own English High School Al Ain

Do you recognise any of those pictured? Can you shed light on the mystery? Contact Tabitha Barda, Senior Editor SchoolsCompared, at [email protected], with your stories of this extraordinary school. We would love to hear from you.

Read more about the extraordinary history of the Our Own schools, GEMS Education and the Varkey family here.

Visit the official GEMS Our Own English High School – Al Ain web site here.

© SchoolsCompared.com. A WhichMedia Group publication. 2022. All rights reserved.

About The Author
Jon Westley
Jon Westley is the Editor of SchoolsCompared.com and WhichSchoolAdvisor.com UK. You can email him at jonathanwestley [at] schoolscompared.com

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