Teachers with qualifications from selected
countries will be given a provisional teaching licence that will be valid for
between 12 and 18 months.
In that time they will have to pass one
examination on professional and ethical conduct to qualify for a permanent
licence. The multiple-choice test also measures the teachers’ knowledge of, and
ability to teach, UAE culture, heritage and Islamic values.
Teachers from all other countries, including
the UAE, must also apply for a provisional teaching licence but will have to
pass four exams covering professional and ethical conduct, knowledge, practice
and development before being given the permanent licence.
Licensed teachers, managers and principals from
Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, the US and South Africa can apply
for a waiver from the Teacher and Educational Leadership Standards and
Licensing programme.
The licensing system will be rolled out across
the country simultaneously. But the Abu Dhabi Education Council, which runs
public schools and regulates private schools in the emirate, and the Ministry
of Education, which oversees public schools in Dubai and all schools in the
Northern Emirates, have yet to announce how it will be applied.
Tests focused on other standards for school
leadership were also developed.
The four professional standards are based on
studies and practices already tested in several countries, including Australia,
Canada, the US, England and New Zealand, according to the National
Qualifications Authority.
"The benchmark helped to establish clear
and measurable competencies that define teachers’ work," said Dr Thani Al
Mehairi, the authority’s director general, who leads the national steering
committee overseeing the licensing system.
Under each professional standard, there are 14
elements and 42 performance criteria in which teachers must show proficiency.
During the pilot phase of the licensing system,
which recently concluded in Dubai, the four tests covering the four
professional standards comprised 198 multiple-choice questions that
participants were given 325 minutes to complete.
Those with a provisional licence will be given
a mock examination first to prepare them for the real tests.
The
results of Dubai’s version of the pilot phase are expected to be announced next
month. It is not clear whether pilots launched by Abu Dhabi’s authority and the
ministry have concluded, or how similar they are to the Dubai trial.
Those who
pass the final exams will be given "competent teacher status", a
government document that will serve as their legal permission to work.
The
status is linked to their school, so each time a teacher changes schools it
must be revised by the authorities.
Non-native
English speakers must also score a band six or higher on the international
English standards test. Arabic and Islamic studies teachers will also have
their skills tested.
How the
scheme works: The three stages of teacher licensing pilot
Stage 1 –
Application for teacher licence
Teachers
submit an application for a teacher licence. Those teachers who meet the
initial requirements receive a provisional licence. An induction programme for
teachers will provide further information on TELS evidence guide, methods of
assessment, permissible evidence, self-assessment, mini-portfolio, training
needs analysis and professional development training.
Stage 2 –
Self-assessment and professional development
Teachers
complete a self-assessment and identify training needs. Professional
development training modules will be conducted and a mock exam will identify
gaps in knowledge and understanding of individual teachers, following which,
further professional training to continue.
Stage 3 –
TELSUAE Exam and approval of Competent Teacher Status Licence
Successful
completion of TELSUAE exam will provide ‘UAE Competent Teacher Status Licence’.
This licence will allow teachers to teach in all schools in the UAE.
