![St Joseph’s School in Abu Dhabi has been refurbished and now is looking to the future. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FI2QESHOENHN3P4SLG5DV7YRSM.jpg?smart=true&auth=a0927df75c47001a3168dc417cb8c5df7e32da8148cd93390dac1fc2ceed3376&width=400&height=225)
![St Joseph’s School in Abu Dhabi, which opened in 1967. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6GMD2ETRYRCUFC2EBXCR7GUABI.jpg?smart=true&auth=2cdc6714253912300d7379b6a56b177a27620d13c6d07eda1a5969c0b032b989&width=400&height=225)
![Sister Carmen, principal of St Joseph’s School in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EMV3SRLGCJGPBCVXVJ4FIY5UAQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=9b65aee8053868d4adcec30c5b4f25a24e4ecb6fb9219a47080be31bec3a204a&width=400&height=225)
![The first building for St Joseph's School opened in 1967.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MLXXPKN2GFA77POOYZEORGA2UU.jpg?smart=true&auth=30bf3e69ac06fa393fd60f34f2be598ba8db13429cddbc4a5df23d36e512fa7d&width=400&height=225)
![St Joseph’s school in Abu Dhabi once had 50 pupils but now more than 1,200 study at its modern campus in Mushrif. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AFYNSQKFUVEVTDTN2LQ4EG6CMA.jpg?smart=true&auth=e67790f7c598239f8d19ac20531075af8c57393f690c27a335b691c0304a55d6&width=400&height=225)
![Music teacher Shanthi Thinaharan, left, and Mariamma Rameshkumar, learning supervisor at St Joseph’s School in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MAXGAHXWTRA23JIAOFGZTPKGBU.jpg?smart=true&auth=f26008d698985d6f05d5f3c93c30be599e784123ae35e8f7c5dd3dd1cec03e22&width=400&height=225)
![Pupils in the playground at St Joseph's School in times past. Photo: St Joseph's School](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3FFXS6YUF5GDNIEGSO7QJWTJMM.jpg?smart=true&auth=4e4dd7293bf141518980f7e8175ba357e07f8b9ff148f8b266f92d9fb34f7875&width=400&height=225)
![Teachers at the private, Indian-curriculum Catholic school believe low costs, strong values and solid education have kept them going strong for more than five decades. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/A4O5BDXJWRGHNJONEIF7JQLKWI.jpg?smart=true&auth=358837df71be47d46c745f9dc259e8f656eafe5aa5777ae98cd6aad9295b0362&width=400&height=225)
![St Joseph's Cathedral opened in 1964, while the school opened three years later. Photo: St Joseph's School](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/JSCG4DWAL5FB5G2UYELSLLNBIU.jpg?smart=true&auth=469f448fe08eaffdadbd5d917213827ccc45a5fa73c30e60636cb1db7e607faf&width=400&height=225)
![Pupils attend class at St Joseph’s school in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/X4G3E2Z6NJHE5HGKLHM545WRGE.jpg?smart=true&auth=e15966c75fa49d843b9c1781a6f0592392f5d49912fb53cfcd9f6fc60fa4c1a1&width=400&height=225)
![Pupils arrive at St Joseph's School across sand tracks in times gone by. Photo: St Joseph's School](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KLBEN37LRRBC5OD6SGL4GBKJ3I.jpg?smart=true&auth=895b1248689f43321eac21c457eb3594c371293a5ca15e31b77057c5c072fe67&width=400&height=225)
![Bishop Bernard G Gremoli addresses parents during an event at St. Joseph's School, Abu Dhabi, in 1987.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GAE5G6ZIPFE7HJCXA7VT5LNLS4.jpg?smart=true&auth=7245b6844110bed0252baa40a372f96e501f7c77b829ed4dba27469020dd4fd9&width=400&height=225)
![St Joseph’s School in Abu Dhabi has been refurbished and now is looking to the future. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FI2QESHOENHN3P4SLG5DV7YRSM.jpg?smart=true&auth=a0927df75c47001a3168dc417cb8c5df7e32da8148cd93390dac1fc2ceed3376&width=400&height=225)
![St Joseph’s School in Abu Dhabi, which opened in 1967. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6GMD2ETRYRCUFC2EBXCR7GUABI.jpg?smart=true&auth=2cdc6714253912300d7379b6a56b177a27620d13c6d07eda1a5969c0b032b989&width=400&height=225)
![Sister Carmen, principal of St Joseph’s School in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EMV3SRLGCJGPBCVXVJ4FIY5UAQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=9b65aee8053868d4adcec30c5b4f25a24e4ecb6fb9219a47080be31bec3a204a&width=400&height=225)
![The first building for St Joseph's School opened in 1967.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MLXXPKN2GFA77POOYZEORGA2UU.jpg?smart=true&auth=30bf3e69ac06fa393fd60f34f2be598ba8db13429cddbc4a5df23d36e512fa7d&width=400&height=225)
![St Joseph’s school in Abu Dhabi once had 50 pupils but now more than 1,200 study at its modern campus in Mushrif. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AFYNSQKFUVEVTDTN2LQ4EG6CMA.jpg?smart=true&auth=e67790f7c598239f8d19ac20531075af8c57393f690c27a335b691c0304a55d6&width=400&height=225)
![Music teacher Shanthi Thinaharan, left, and Mariamma Rameshkumar, learning supervisor at St Joseph’s School in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MAXGAHXWTRA23JIAOFGZTPKGBU.jpg?smart=true&auth=f26008d698985d6f05d5f3c93c30be599e784123ae35e8f7c5dd3dd1cec03e22&width=400&height=225)
![Pupils in the playground at St Joseph's School in times past. Photo: St Joseph's School](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3FFXS6YUF5GDNIEGSO7QJWTJMM.jpg?smart=true&auth=4e4dd7293bf141518980f7e8175ba357e07f8b9ff148f8b266f92d9fb34f7875&width=400&height=225)
![Teachers at the private, Indian-curriculum Catholic school believe low costs, strong values and solid education have kept them going strong for more than five decades. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/A4O5BDXJWRGHNJONEIF7JQLKWI.jpg?smart=true&auth=358837df71be47d46c745f9dc259e8f656eafe5aa5777ae98cd6aad9295b0362&width=400&height=225)
![St Joseph's Cathedral opened in 1964, while the school opened three years later. Photo: St Joseph's School](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/JSCG4DWAL5FB5G2UYELSLLNBIU.jpg?smart=true&auth=469f448fe08eaffdadbd5d917213827ccc45a5fa73c30e60636cb1db7e607faf&width=400&height=225)
![Pupils attend class at St Joseph’s school in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/X4G3E2Z6NJHE5HGKLHM545WRGE.jpg?smart=true&auth=e15966c75fa49d843b9c1781a6f0592392f5d49912fb53cfcd9f6fc60fa4c1a1&width=400&height=225)
![Pupils arrive at St Joseph's School across sand tracks in times gone by. Photo: St Joseph's School](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KLBEN37LRRBC5OD6SGL4GBKJ3I.jpg?smart=true&auth=895b1248689f43321eac21c457eb3594c371293a5ca15e31b77057c5c072fe67&width=400&height=225)
![Bishop Bernard G Gremoli addresses parents during an event at St. Joseph's School, Abu Dhabi, in 1987.](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GAE5G6ZIPFE7HJCXA7VT5LNLS4.jpg?smart=true&auth=7245b6844110bed0252baa40a372f96e501f7c77b829ed4dba27469020dd4fd9&width=400&height=225)
![St Joseph’s School in Abu Dhabi has been refurbished and now is looking to the future. Victor Besa / The National](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FI2QESHOENHN3P4SLG5DV7YRSM.jpg?smart=true&auth=a0927df75c47001a3168dc417cb8c5df7e32da8148cd93390dac1fc2ceed3376&width=400&height=225)
'The classroom on the beach': Inside Abu Dhabi's oldest private school
St Joseph’s School was one of the few buildings on the Corniche when it was founded in 1967 - and it is still going strong
Shireena Al Nowais
November 29, 2021
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