It’s now known that the new Teaching Licence Scheme developed by the Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates is even more likely to be implemented soon. The new scheme will see over sixty thousand teachers from across the region having to undertake a rigorous test in order to live and work as a teacher in the UAE.
Both Expatriates and Emirati Nationals alike are due to be affected and will require at least a Bachelor’s Degree or an equivalent University-level qualification in order to apply for the course. Following completion of the course the candidate must undertake a final exam and pass before being given a teaching license.
However, it should be noted that some experienced teachers and holders of certain teaching licenses from particular countries could be exempt from this process. This of course means that now, more than ever, the bar has been raised up a notch and this is in order to drive a system similar to a Doctor’s Medical Certificate, except for Education.  “You know the medical certification if you are a doctor? If you come to practice here in the UAE, there is a certain regulation. So for teachers this will be the same.†– Marwan Al Sawaleh, Ministry of Education Undersecretary. The whole system has been developed in order to set a universal standard of teaching throughout the country and could even see the same system catch on throughout the gulf region.
Studies have shown that the main weakness of students in the Emirates is in Arabic Language Skills and Islamic Studies and this is being placed squarely on the head of teaching standards, calling for an increase of skill levels in the field. “We will not allow just a normal country’s standard teacher to come and teach our kids, our future leaders. It’s a right for the students and parents to have very sound, quality teachers certified in the schools.†The new scheme is due to be presented to the Cabinet for approval in September or October this year and will likely be installed throughout 2015.
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[Source: TheNational - New Licencing System for Teachers in the UAE]