'Human Mentors', No Timetable: Dubai School To Test AI-Powered Personalised Learning

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) What if school did not require every child to learn the same thing, at the same pace and at the same time?

A school group in the UAE is testing that idea with a new school model that puts AI-powered personalised learning alongside teachers, mentors and real-world experiences.

Recommended For You

GEMS Education on Thursday unveiled GR8 School, which it describes as a global-first model designed around the individual learner rather than a fixed classroom timetable. The first GR8 School is expected to soft launch in January 2027, initially operating as a“school within a school” in an existing GEMS campus.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

The model comes as Dubai continues to explore new approaches to education and how schools can prepare students for a rapidly changing workplace.

At its heart is a simple proposition: students could progress through core academic material at their own pace, while teachers spend more time working directly with individual students and specialists bring real-world expertise into their education.

Sunny Varkey, Chairman and Founder of GEMS Education, said the model was shaped by the changing world children are entering.

“Today, artificial intelligence is changing how we learn and work, but the answer cannot simply be to put more technology into classrooms.”

Instead, he said, the bigger question was what education should look like if it were being designed for young people today.

“GR8 is our answer to that question. It starts with the individual child and asks what combination of technology, great teachers, industry experts and real-industry experiences will help that young person achieve academically and discover what they could become.”

Students get more control over how they learn

Under the model, students will use adaptive AI learning systems to work through academic content at their own pace. The system will track progress, identify areas where students need help and flag when they are ready for more challenging work.

But the education network emphasised that technology will not replace teachers.

Instead, teachers will become“Human Mentors”, using information from the learning system to provide more targeted one-to-one support while continuing to oversee academic standards and practical aspects of the curriculum.

The school day will also look different. Students will combine self-paced, AI-enabled learning with around“90 minutes to two hours of teacher-led learning”, alongside further enrichment of around two to three hours.

That additional time could be used for projects, collaboration, creativity, sport, the arts, specialist learning and practical experiences.

Varkey stressed that the model is not intended to replace conventional schooling for every child.

“GR8 is not for everyone, nor is it intended to be. No single model of education is right for every child.”

He said the model was likely to appeal particularly to students who are ready for greater independence and ownership of their education.

“For the right student, we believe it can be transformative.”

From classroom learning to real-world experience

GR8 will also connect students with specialists, industry experts and practitioners based on their interests and potential future ambitions.

Alongside academic subjects, the model will focus on skills including critical thinking, communication, teamwork, financial literacy and practical life skills.

GEMS said these experts, teachers and specialists will form a wider GR8 Learning Collective, bringing industry closer to students while creating pathways towards higher education, entrepreneurship and employment.

The model is intended to be available across different GEMS school segments and price points. Indicative annual fees are currently expected to range from about US$8,000–10,000 (Dh29,000–37,000) for affordable offerings to US$20,000–40,000 (Dh73,500–147,000) for premium offerings, although final fees will depend on the school and market.

GEMS said the model builds on approaches already used across its schools, including personalised support, teacher-student relationships and learning beyond the classroom.

Varkey said the role of people would remain central even as AI becomes more prominent in education.

“Technology can help us understand and personalise how a child learns. But education is, and will always remain, deeply human.”

The first GR8 School will soft launch in January 2027. GEMS will use the period before launch to continue developing and testing its learning technology, academic model, teacher roles and network of specialists and industry experts.

ALSO READ

Play-based lessons, real-world applications: UAE schools begin rolling out AI curriculum Commentary: The classroom of 2075 may look nothing like the one we know today UAE students reveal how they use ChatGPT for learning as schools lay down rules

MENAFN08102026000049011007ID1111779955