Dubai: All private schools in the UAE have six years to apply for academic accreditation by the Ministry of Education.
Following the acceptance of new by-laws for private education, the ministry announced at a press conference that an accreditation commission will be formed within two or three years.
All schools will have to acquire academic accreditation.
In future, if a private school wants to renew its three-year school licence, which is issued by the Ministry of Education, it must provide evidence of accreditation, as stated in article 19 of the new by-law, or provide evidence that it has made a formal application for accreditation, said Rashid Al Nuaimi, director-general of the Ministry of Education.
"The school licence may be renewed for another three-year period if a school is making reasonable progress toward accreditation.
"The ministry has the authority to revoke its licence or suspend the operations of a school, or take any other action that may be reasonable and necessary upon failure to obtain accreditation in that period," said Al Nuaimi.
Mark Stapleton, education consultant for the office of policy and planning at the ministry, said standards for accreditation should be issued within a year.
"Accreditation criteria will cover all aspects of education, be it health and safety standards in schools, the curriculum, self-assessment, quality of education, teachers’ qualifications, facilities and if the school is in line with international standards and practices," said Stapleton.
For the first time the new private education by-law will include an article on family rights in their dealings with private schools.
This regulation will protect the privacy of students and families, and promote fair dealings between both parties.
Al Nuaimi said there is an ongoing study to "possibly" bring fee increases at school in line with hikes in teachers’ salaries, since the minimum salary for teachers is still Dh2,000.
"The purpose of the by-law is to establish national minimum standards for the quality of private school education, promote the effective operation of private schools, attain national educational objectives and participate in the development of a national educational system for the benefit of the whole society. They will also provide appropriate educational opportunities for the children of expatriates who live in the UAE, a quality alternative to the public school system," said Al Nuaimi.
Article (9), Tuition Fees
School fees shall be included in the application for licence and are subject to approval by the ministry. Increases in fees require prior approval in accordance with guidelines specified by the ministerial decree.
Article (10), Compliance Review
Each licensed private school shall be subject to periodic review and inspection by the ministry to determine compliance with these by-laws and associated rules.
Article (11): Private Schools with Curriculum Taught in Arabic Language
The curriculum provided in these private schools shall be consistent with the curriculum provided in the public schools, however, it may include such additional courses and subjects as identified in its approved plan for operation. Any such private school may request approval of the Ministry to provide a different program of instruction than that used in the public schools so long as it produces a plan acceptable to the ministry that meets the ministry instructional standards.
Article 12: Private Schools with Curriculum Taught in Non-Arabic Language
The curriculum provided in these schools shall be approved by the ministry or authorised accrediting organisation and taught in a manner consistent with the culture and values of the United Arab Emirates. The curriculum shall include Arabic language, Islamic studies and civic studies taught in accordance with ministry guidelines.
Article 13: Reporting Requirements
All private schools shall file annual comprehensive reports and data as required by the ministry.
Article 14: School Calendar
1) All private schools must close on all public holidays that are announced by the government.
2) The school must conduct at least 175 days of school sessions with at least 790 hours of actual class work each school year.
Article 15: Evaluation, Examinations and Diplomas
1) The Ministry requirements for evaluation and examination of public school students shall apply to Arab language private schools.
2) The secondary school completion certificate in the non-Arab language private schools shall be equated with the General Secondary School certificate in the UAE, in accordance with the conditions specified by the ministry.
Article 16: Student Affairs
All schools should have an integrated and comprehensive system for school activities, student counseling and student health care in accordance with ministry rules and regulations.
Article 17: Family Rights
The minister shall issue a list of rights for families in their dealings with private schools that protects the privacy of students and families, promotes fair dealings between the family and the school, and encourages the parents to be active and supportive members of the school community. Families shall be notified of these rights.
Article 18: Personnel Affairs
All rules and regulations that govern school employee contracts and working conditions must be in accordance with the provisions of federal labor law. All persons employed by the school shall be of good moral and ethical character. The Minister may issue a decree establishing minimum educational qualifications for school staff.
Article 19: Private School Accreditation Commission
1) A Private School Accreditation Commission shall be established. The functions of the commission, its membership and the system of operation shall be determined by a Federal Cabinet decree based on a proposal of the minister. The commission will develop standards for accreditation, which will be issued in the form of a ministerial decree.
2) The Private School Accreditation Commission may award accreditation to private schools that meet its approved standards either by means of direct review by the commission or by review and approval by another accrediting authority determined by the commission to have standards consistent with its own.
3) All private schools must be accredited as a condition of continued authority to operate under the conditions imposed by Article 7.
Article 20: Additional Requirements for Unaccredited Licensed Schools
Licensed schools not yet accredited shall be subject to the following additional requirements until they are accredited: 1) Any new educational programmes and any substantial programme revisions must be approved prior to operation by the ministry; 2) An annual on-site inspection and review.
Article 21: Access to School Information
1) The ministry shall have the right to visit any private school during its regular hours of instruction. The ministry shall have the authority to review records, visit classes and conduct such other activities as are reasonably necessary to determine whether the school is operating in compliance with its licence, the by-laws and associated rules and to determine the adequacy of the school programme.
2) Each private school shall provide copies of documents and reports as may be requested and provide resources to the ministry officials as needed to complete their work.
Article 22: Penalties
1) The ministry may establish a system of progressive penalties to ensure compliance with these by-laws and any implementing regulations or decrees. The system shall include provisions for warning and fines; and probation and revocation of the licence to operate.
2) The ministry shall establish a process that provides written warning notice to the school prior to the imposition of a fine and allows the school to explain its actions and remediate the violation.
3) The ministry may establish a schedule of fines to be assessed against a school that violates these by-laws or rules adopted under the authority of these by-laws. The minimum amount of a fine shall be Dh5,000 and the maximum amount of a fine shall be Dh50,000 per offence.
4) The ministry may assign a probationary status to a license for serious or habitual offenses as a final step prior to revocation and require that corrective action be taken within a specified time period.
5) A licence may be revoked if:
a) The application is untruthful
b) The school is operated in substantial deviation from its approved plan of operation
c) The school becomes financially insolvent
d) The health and safety of children or staff are at serious risk E) The school operates in serious violation of other federal or government rules or regulations
F) Any violation of these by-laws that is worthy of the action of revoking a licence
6) In the case of licence revocation, the school shall be placed under financial and administrative supervision until the end of the school year after the appointment of a person who shall supervise its activities until the closing date set forth in the Ministerial resolution.
Article 23: Decency
The minister may order the permanent closing of any school that knowingly and intentionally violates the Islamic Sharia, the United Arab Emirates regulations, the public morals or public orders.
The private education by-laws mentioned that eligibility for licensure depends on the following conditions:
1) Include a citizen owner that controls at least 51 per cent of the capital of the company.
2) Be registered with the appropriate government authorities.
3) Maintain its basic operation in the UAE.
4) Be of sufficient financial capacity to fulfill all of the financial requirements as determined by ministerial decree.
5) Identify a person to act as the company representative provided he or she satisfies the conditions identified in subsection B.
A) If an applicant is a person, then the following conditions must be met:
1) The applicant must be a UAE citizen.
2) Be at least 25 years of age.
3) The applicant must be legally competent.
4) The applicant shall not have a record of conviction involving a serious crime related to honour or moral turpitude.
5) The applicant shall have sufficient financial capacity to fulfill all of the financial requirements as determined by ministerial decree.
By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter