James Monaghan, Founding Principal of GEMS SRI Dubai, on why teacher training hasn't kept pace with technology
“The most successful students I’ve ever taught, who’ve gone out into the world and been happy, have been the busy ones. Being busy teaches students to be resilient, flexible, adaptable. It prepares them far better for life on their own.”
James Monaghan is the CEO and founding principal of GEMS School of Research and Innovation in Dubai, the group's new ultra-premium flagship which opened in September 2025. A former rugby player with an MBA from Buckingham, James has spent 30 years in international education across the UAE, UK, USA and South Korea, most notably with North London Collegiate Schools in Dubai and Jeju. This is the third school he's opened from day one. In this conversation, James explains what makes launching a new school so uniquely challenging, why teacher training has failed to keep pace with technology, and how SRI is investing in dedicated research and innovation time for every teacher. He also reflects on the importance of human skills in an AI age and shares what taking students to build biogas units in rural Nepal taught him about education.
Episode highlights
What it's really like opening a school from scratch: "Your main job is to keep everyone happy. And that's more of a challenge when it's new for everybody."
Why James believes teacher training has not kept pace with technology, and how SRI gives every teacher dedicated time for research and innovation each week
His approach to phones and devices: zero tolerance in school, but consulting parents on the broader policy
The Nepal trip that captures his philosophy: students spending a week with no wifi, no phones, no air conditioning, building biogas units with farming communities
His controversial opinion: busyness is good. "Parents who raise children to believe that being busy is a good thing create the most success for people moving forward."
The challenge of raising independent children in Dubai's air-conditioned bubble, and why outdoor experiences matter even more as a result