5,200 take tests for UAE teacher licence

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Teachers of six subjects of schools following ministry curriculum take exams under new licensing system.

[Schoolteachers of Cycle 3 Arabic, English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology take tests under the Teacher Licensing System at an exam centre.]
Dubai: More than 5,200 teachers and educational leaders sat for tests on Saturday as part of the first phase of the Teachers Licensing System (TLS), the Ministry of Education said on Twitter.

The TLS aims to have all teachers licensed by 2021 in the UAE, in line with the UAE Vision 2021.

There are 70,845 education professionals in the country, according to ministry figures.

The teachers who took Saturday’s tests, at various locations in the country, were Cycle 3 Arabic, English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology teachers in public and private high schools following the Ministry of Education curriculum.

Specialised tests

This initial assessment, known as specialised tests, was related to the specific subjects taught by the teachers.

Teachers who do not pass the assessments will have two chances to retake the tests after attending the approved training, which will vary in length and scope.

The teacher licensing system is expected to improve education standards in the UAE.




The next assessment phase, known as the professional exams, will help the ministry understand teachers’ level of professionalism, their grasp of pedagogy and classroom management skills, and their ability to incorporate the UAE’s heritage and values in their teaching, Gulf News reported earlier.

The professional exams are planned to be held early in the coming academic year, which begins in September.

Teachers who pass both assessments will earn a UAE teachers licence, which could be valid for one to three years, depending on his or her qualifications, test scores and experience.

Re-test

Teachers who do not pass the assessments will have two chances to retake the tests after attending the ministry-approved training, which will vary in length and scope, according to how the teachers performed in the assessments and depending on their individual needs.



Last June, more than 100 teachers from more than a dozen private schools in Dubai were among the first to receive a UAE teachers licence under a pilot roll-out of the TLS, then called the Teacher and Educational Leadership Standards (Tels) and Licensing programme.

Source: Gulf News