DUBAI // A proposed nationwide teacher licensing scheme that was due to come into force last year is still on the cards, according to the head of the emirate’s education regulator.
The Ministry of Education had initially said in 2014 that the licensing scheme was due to be introduced in 2015.
The scheme aims to create a standardised system to improve the quality of teaching.
Initially slated to be introduced last year, the scheme would nevertheless be rolled out in time to meet the goals of the National Agenda 2021, said the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
“We are working with the National Qualification Authority to develop the criteria for the licence, but the aim is for everybody to have this qualification before they will be allowed to teach in class,” said Abdulla Al Karam, KHDA’s director general. He was speaking on Monday on the sidelines of a KHDA conference.
Principals and teachers welcomed having the licensing scheme, although the KHDA did not say when it would be introduced.
“In Germany you have to spend five years at university before you are even allowed into a kindergarten to teach,” said Ludger Bar, head of kindergarten at the German International School Dubai. “In other countries it may be two or three years, so there needs to be some way to bring about a standard that will be applicable to everyone.”
One possible solution was to have a system that requires teachers to meet a central standard that demands varying degrees of extra training depending on teachers’ experience and qualifications, said Mr Bar.
There are 157 schools in Dubai that provide early years education to 55,034 pupils, who make up 22 per cent of the total pupil population.
“There needs to be discipline in learning and, more importantly, early years educators have to build trust with the children in their classrooms,” said Bogusia Matusiak Varley, an early years educator from Britain. “It is in early years that we set the foundations for learning.”
Presently, teachers are expected to have at least a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent university degree.
The licensing scheme will require expatriate and Emirati teachers in public and private schools to register for a course and successfully complete a test before being given a licence.
An estimated 60,000 teachers will have to do that when the licensing scheme takes effect.
Stephen Chynoweth, principal of Gems Wellington Primary School in Dubai, said great strides had been made in the past five years to lift teaching standards in the emirate.
“I would like to see the criteria for the licences to at least include a high standard in the core curriculum like maths, English and Arabic, as well as newer things [such as] digital literacy,” he said.
However, academic qualifications should not be the sole focus for the teaching licence to be awarded, Mr Chynoweth said.
“I’ve seen cases where people have amazing qualifications from the top universities but they are simply not cut out to be teachers,” he said. “At the same time, there are people with degrees and diplomas from less well-known universities but due to their life experiences are fantastic teachers.”
nhanif@thenational.ae
* This story has been amended since it was first published.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
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Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
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Director: Raed Zeno
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Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
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● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Thank You for Banking with Us
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Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
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Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
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Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
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Kerb weight: 1580kg
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Company%20Profile
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
