Dean Pyrah, CEO of VISS Schools Group discusses the rapid expansion of the group, its future vision for education in the UAE and the dynamic changes shaping education in Sharjah 

With a career spanning nearly two decades in the UAE’s education sector, Dean Pyrah has been at the forefront of shaping international education in the region. As CEO of the VISS Schools Group since 2021, he has overseen the rapid expansion of the group, growing its footprint to five campuses across the Northern Emirates, with more on the horizon. Prior to this role, he served as Executive Principal at the main VISS campus in Al Taawun, Sharjah, for nearly ten years, playing a pivotal role in strengthening the school’s academic standards and reputation. 

Originally from Victoria, Australia, Pyrah holds a master’s in international education from Monash University and is passionate about learning in a global context. His expertise spans multiple international curricula, including the Australian curriculum, the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the English National Curriculum. Under his leadership, VISS has strengthened its ties with the Sharjah government and Victoria’s education authorities, ensuring a high-quality learning experience for students. His vision extends beyond academics, focusing on holistic student development, teacher upskilling and leveraging technology, including AI, to enhance learning outcomes. 

In an exclusive interview with Education Middle East, Pyrah discusses the journey of VISS, its expansion plans and the evolving education landscape in Sharjah. 

Tell us about the VISS Schools Group and its journey so far. 

VISS is the preeminent schools’ group in the Northern Emirates, which aims to enhance the educational environment in the UAE.  

The first Victoria International School Sharjah was established in 2007 under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. His Highness’s vision was to originally create a ‘lighthouse’ school in Sharjah at VISS. 

Owned by the ruler of Sharjah, though through the government, the not-for-profit institution operates as a private international school.  

Meanwhile, we have witnessed rapid expansion between 2021 and 2024. In 2022 it was placed under the control of Sharjah Asset Management.  

Today the VISS Schools Group, which was established as a central management group to manage all of the schools, manages all our five K-12 campuses (two premium international schools and three regional schools) across Sharjah, including on the East Coast of the UAE.  A new regional campus is scheduled to open in 2026 and another in 2027. We have a total of 4,000 plus students. The number is expected to increase to 7,000. 

All the schools are strongly supported by an international group of educational experts in the central group office. 

At VISS, we prioritise the efficiency and quality of teaching, and most of the leadership team and teaching staff are internationally hired.  

Thanks to an MoU signed between Sharjah and the Government of Victoria in Australia, the schools offer Victorian Curriculum (Australian Curriculum) and is supported by the VCAA and the Victorian Education Department. International Baccalaureate is also offered in year 11 and 12. VISS is also establishing Australian curriculum nurseries across all of its schools over the next two years under a directive from the Ruler of Sharjah.   

Tell us about the new branch at Tilal and its significance.  

Established in August 2023, our newest branch at Tilal city is strategically located next to Al Suyoh suburb with good access to both Sharjah city and Dubai on the 611 road.   

This is a premium school brand with a purpose-built, modern facility with open educational spaces, along with a sports centre, swimming pool, STEM facilities and a 500-seat performing arts auditorium. VISS Tilal offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (PYP) alongside the Australian curriculum.  

As part of phase one, we have opened the primary and middle school facility. The senior secondary campus is being designed and will open in 2028 next to the primary campus.

What are your expansion plans to other emirates or outside the UAE?   

Currently we are still in a rapid growth stage in Sharjah. VISS might look to open campuses in the Northern Emirates or Abu Dhabi in the coming years if the environment is conducive. Post this stage we are interested in expanding our operations to Saudi Arabia.  

How is the education sector in Sharjah expected to perform in the coming years? What are the prospects for new international schools within Sharjah?     

Sharjah has seen steady population growth over the past three years, particularly in the middle- to upper middle-income bracket. New schools are required to meet the growing demand in the growing outer suburban belt.  

A diversification of curriculum offerings is required as there are many American curriculum schools for instance and very few IB schools or other foreign offerings.  

The environment from the regulators, including SPEA, is cooperative and collaborative particularly when it comes to school inspections etc.  

The Group has partnered closely with the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) in promoting education across the emirate. Could you tell us more about the association?   

The SPEA has prioritised establishing a collaborative approach in dealing with schools and fostering community involvement.  

It has set up ‘School Improvement’ clusters to support schools, and the result has been a rapid improvement in the quality of schools over the past few years. More than just regulating schools, SPEA is directly involved in improving the quality of education.  

The Sharjah Educational Academy (SEA) was established with a goal to help train teachers and for educational research.  

VISS has worked closely with both the SPEA and SEA on school improvement initiatives and professional development initiatives. 

Have you faced challenges related to recruitment of new teaching staff, and could you elaborate on your recruitment process?   

We have a multi-faceted recruitment process across our schools which includes direct recruitment from Australia and New Zealand.  We mostly use dedicated partner agencies and also rely on our growing network.   

One particular challenge that we face is in meeting the salary packages of Dubai schools, especially when hiring within the UAE. However, its less challenging hiring directly internationally.  VISS has an attractive renumeration package, so we have been able to hire teachers quite readily on the international market.   

Also, what makes working in Sharjah more attractive is the four-day work week.   

Another key challenge is to find quality teaching staff for secondary specialty subjects and nursery age teachers.  But this seems to be a problem all over the world and not just in Sharjah.  

How do you view the rapid advancement in technology in education, and how have you gone about incorporating it across your schools?  

We believe AI, if developed positively, will support education by enabling schools to scale better and to offer more individualised tuition to children in collaboration with existing teaching and learning models. 

We work closely with Apple and Microsoft on the ground, including working with their educational advisors to maximise the educational relevance of the student-used technology.   

We have developed robust polices for responsible use of technology in schools for students. We have established a cross-school committee looking at technology adoption in our schools. We are also stablishing a subcommittee to look at the impact of AI in the future.