A pioneer of early childhood education in the UAE, Jumeirah International Nurseries, part of Fortes Education, celebrates 40 years of Positive Impact in the region with its Alumni around the world.
The Jumeirah International Nurseries (JINS) legacy began 40 years ago in a villa in Jumeirah with two educationists, Shakuntala Mankani and her daughter, Veena Vaswani, who believed that an outstanding education could only be delivered by developing a young child’s values, character, and overall wellbeing. Academic and personal achievement in life would naturally follow. Thus, was born the first JINS nursery.
With these values rooted at the core of its mission, Jumeriah International Nurseries continues to deliver a high-quality education and personalised care that have been enriching the lives of children in Dubai. Today, over 12,000 children have graduated from its nurseries, with many happy and flourishing in their families, careers and lives. JINS has achieved a treasured reputation of giving every child “a head-start” in life.
In anticipation of the anniversary year, Mrs Devika Singh, Licensed Psychologist in the USA and Dubai, and a founding student of JINS said “I am thrilled to be celebrating this special milestone with JINS! JINS was the place where my confidence as a little girl grew, strong friendships were formed, and my fascination of people and the world began. JINS offers an incredibly positive and nurturing environment which is why I entrust JINS with my son and daughter’s Early Years education. They are now flourishing as students at JINS and I’d like to express my gratitude and convey massive congratulations & best wishes to JINS for their continued growth for another 40 years.”
Khadeeja Hamid, Class of 2004 at JINS the Al Safa branch, shares her delight ahead of the 40-year celebrations and said, “I started at JINS with finger painting, messy play, and the freedom to always colour outside of the lines - and left with a strong passion that I am now going to pursue for the rest of my life. I am currently studying a BA Honours in Fine Arts at the Chelsea College of Art, University of the Arts, London, UK and I thank JINS and all of the staff who nurtured my interests and talents allowing me to express my creativity and be who I am today”.
Reflecting on JINS completing 40 years in the UAE, Mrs. Mankani said, “It’s wonderful to see so many of our children leading such happy lives. This is our greatest legacy, and it fills us with such pride. As Dubai has grown, so too has Fortes Education into a group of successful and much-loved nurseries and schools. We strongly believe in unlocking the limitless potential in every child and continue to build on our strong partnerships with parents and service to our community.”
Katrina Mankani, the Managing Director of JINS, who spearheads the Positive Education initiative across all Fortes institutions said, “The values of respect, integrity, service, excellence and love have enabled our children to grow into upstanding and enterprising citizens with a lifelong love of learning, and our alumni students are proof of this. Planting the seed of values and character early – at nursery, enables our children develop their emotional intelligence and the skills needed to flourish in today’s ever-changing world.”
Celebrating this remarkable milestone, Samina Khanyari, the General Manager at JINS for the past 17 years, said, “Completing 40 years is a testament to Fortes’ incredible team – all inspirational teachers who are passionately committed to making every child flourish. It is a joy keeping in touch with our graduating students who have blossomed and have been, and continue to be, a part of our exceptional journey”.
