GEMS Cambridge International School, Kampala (CIK) will close after the first term of the new academic year in December this year, leaving thousands of students stranded and putting more livelihoods at risk.
In a statement to staff members, Riz Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer, GEMS Africa, communicated that the school will close after the first term of the new academic year, with 31 December 2020 as the tentative closure date.
Commenting on students who will be affected by the closure, Riz revealed that they will remain with the option of enrolling through remote learning offered at Hillcrest International School in Nairobi, Kenya either now or at the start of term two.
“We very much intend for all of our staff to continue working and serving the school through until its closure date, and will endeavor to assist you with the next steps in your education career,” says the statement.
Riz noted that the #Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting uncertainties have proved exceptionally testing, and our enrolment numbers have been severely impacted as well as our ability to sustain our operations, despite our best efforts, “the statement reads.
It added that: “This decision has been an incredibly hard one to make and comes as a last resort. Over the summer period, we have been assessing the impact of the pandemic whilst exploring options with our regulators. We have communicated this at the earliest possible time after exhausting all options.”
The decision by GEMS Cambridge International School to close leaves Kampala Parents School (KPS) as the leading player in providing high-quality international studies, with the school having embraced E-learning during the COVID-19 lockdown.
