UAE: New licence compulsory for all school staff from next year

An educational licence will be mandatory for all employees in UAE schools starting next year, a top official revealed on Wednesday.

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Rawdha Al Marar, director of Professional Licensing Department at the Ministry of Education (MoE), told Khaleej Times that the Educational Professions Licensure initiative, which was previously mandatory only for teachers, is now required for other employees as well.

According to the MoE, the licence is obtained by passing two tests, one in pedagogy and the other in subject matter specialisation.

“The initiative has now been extended to all other professional school employees, including principals, vice-principals and managers working across all public and private schools in the UAE,” Al Mrar told Khaleej Times, adding that the licence will allow them to work legally in the UAE.

The Educational Professions Licensure System was introduced by the MoE three years back in line with the UAE vision to develop a knowledge economy and ensure quality education.

One of the goals is to license all education professionals "according to the high standards in pedagogy and subject matter specialisation".

By introducing this system, authorities said they want to ensure best teaching practices by building a pool of capable and skilled education professionals.

“The aspiration of the UAE is to provide world class education and we are investing a lot in uplifting standards. The professional licensing initiative is a step in this direction and it will ensure we have educational professionals with the highest credentials,” Al Marar said.

With the licence becoming a requirement for all education professionals in the country, it will ensure high performance in the education system and also equip UAE education professionals to compete globally.

In case the applicant fails to meet the exam criteria, they have to undergo training courses customised to the level shown in the exam to achieve the required outcome.

Teachers and other education workers applying for the license will be given the opportunity to redo any failed assessment during a 24-month period.

Teachers in the UAE must have a minimum qualification of a bachelor’s degree or a 4-year university degree or higher in the required field, according to the MoE.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi