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Public School Teachers to Become ADEC Employees from Today
ABU DHABI - All public school teachers and administrators in the emirate will become employees of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) from today, not of the Ministry of 
Education (MoE).
- PUBLISHED: Tue 5 Jan 2010, 9:47 PM UPDATED: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 2:22 PM
The ministry and the council announced on Monday that 13,000 school faculty and administrators are being transferred, by federal decree, from the ministry to the ADEC.
The move, expected for some time, implies not just a payroll transfer, but handing over greater authority to the Abu Dhabi Education Council in the Abu Dhabi emirate.
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“The transfer will help decentralise the education sector,” said Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qattami, Minister of Education.From now, teachers and school staff in the emirate should engage directly with the ADEC with regard to all administrative affairs, and follow the standards and procedures set by the council.
The minister said the transfer would not adversely affect the UAE's efforts to develop education to the highest standards. “The new team will start a programme, from today, of periodical meetings, setting up the agenda to continue the work of the ministry and building the education strategy,” said Al Qattami.
Since the ADEC's foundation in 2005, the organisation has been gradually taking over additional responsibility and authority over schools in the emirate and similar moves are also considered for other emirates too.
Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, director-general of Abu Dhabi Education Council, said the council would directly engage with teachers to assist them in the implementation of professional development and training initiatives that form part of the council's 10-Year Strategic Plan.
He also assured all transferred staff that their salaries and pension schemes would not change as a result of the transfer.
The ADEC would help find accommodation for teachers too.
“Last year, the ADEC interviewed 18,000 teachers and selected 500 to work in Abu Dhabi,” said Al Khaili.
In addition to these 500 bilingual (Arabic and English) teachers, the ADEC also hired 480 licensed native English-speaking teachers from countries like the UK, the USA, Australia and New Zeeland. Despite this influx of foreign teachers, emiratisation efforts would continue at the federal level, the minister said.
“Almost 75 per cent of the UAE school staff are Emirati nationals,” Al Qattami added. “We do have a challenge to attract male teachers and we do offer them incentives, but we need some planning to succeed.”