Gems withdraws from Indian school after landlord dispute left teachers without pay

The UAE's largest private school operator said it would pursue legal claims to return all school assets

Gems Education announces its withdrawal from an Indian school in Fujairah. Satish Kumar / The National

Gems Education has withdrawn from an Indian school in Fujairah following a dispute with the school’s landlord.

Gems Our Own English High School had been involved in the row for more than a year, which even led to the UAE's largest private school operator becoming unable to pay the teachers' salaries for July.

A spokesperson said Gems had been forced to withdraw “very reluctantly” from the school in Al Faseel area due to the ongoing legal dispute.

“The school has been faithfully serving thousands of families and playing an integral part in the community for the last 30 years.”

They said the dispute arose after negotiations over the terms of renewal of their long-term lease with the landlord fell through.

“The professional licence of the school was unilaterally, and without our knowledge or consent, transferred into the name of the landlord in March 2018. As a result of these actions it is no longer possible for us to continue to operate the school from the current site,” Gems said.

It is believed that Our Own English High School is still open and is operating under the landlord but Gems said it would continue to rigorously pursue various legal claims through the courts and seek “the reversal of the transfer of the professional license and return of all school assets”.