Dubai to toughen licensing of education providers

EDUCATION PROVIDERS: Dubai to toughen licensing rules. Getty Images)

The Department of Economic Development (DED) and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) have announced they are to exchange information and inspect education institutions.

The aim is to ensure that every education provider - including early learning centres, schools, universities and training institutions - meets the required standard to hold both a commercial licence and an education permit.

The two arms of the Government have signed a legally binding agreement covering six areas of their activities. These include: Two-way exchange of data relevant to licensing; agreement on initial approval for licencing with KHDA or DED sharing any information regarding the validity of the service provider; choosing a commercial name; access to DED's online system; joint on-site inspections and visits sharing each other's experience; and the collection of educational tariffs by DED on behalf of KHDA.

Mohammed Darwish, KHDA's Chief of Licensing, said: "We are hopeful that most education providers will comply with, and adhere to, the Government authorities' guidelines, rules and regulations."

Darwish added: "We want the message to be clear: Only those providers who produce quality outcomes will be allowed to operate in Dubai."

"Providers will only be allowed to do what they are permitted to do. We are also in the process of signing similar agreements with other authorities so that sharing information will lead to an even better regulating process.

''The compliance team at KHDA will carry out site visits, sometimes without notice, and joint teams will visit those institutions which are deemed to be in violation of our regulations,'' he further noted.

There are about 500 education providers in Dubai who will come under the terms of this agreement.

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READERS' COMMENTS

in the right direction - how effective is to be seen!
Posted by BM, Dubai, UAE on Tuesday 19 May 2009 at 09:48 UAE time


This is a good initiative that you are cracking down on institutions to give good standard of education, but what about the private schools that are increasing fees? Our salaries have been slashed by half....when you tell that to the schools authorities they say they cannot do anything to reduce the fees and offer to send the children to another school which has less fees....what is KHDA and DED doing about this....if our salaries have been reduced then how we can pay the school fees that is only increasing!! I have lost my job in February and have recently got work for half the salary I was getting....how am I to cope with the expenses...and to add to it the landlord also does not decrease the rents!! quality and standard sounds good when you can afford it and have the luxury to give away money....here all we need is to give basic education to our children on an affordable price..!

Tuition Increase
Posted by agnes, dubai, uae on Tuesday 12 May 2009 at 14:21 UAE time


Knowing how expensive the schools fees are currently, and still schools are advicing us that there will be fee increase for the coming school year!!!
How can KHDA help with this? Salary are being reduce due to recession, how come school fee can increased still?

GO KHDA
Posted by Dan, Stockholm, Sweden on Monday 11 May 2009 at 23:52 UAE time


I’m very glad Dubai has a government office dedicated to ensure good education. There are not many of this kind in Middle East. Education has become pure business in UAE with greedy providers only goal to increase profit.

The heroic KHDA is standing in their way and taking the fight to them.

KHDA
Posted by Raj on Monday 11 May 2009 at 16:46 UAE time


After KHDAs mess up on givingt he schools a hard time, its time for the Unis or the Institutes. BTW does kNowledge Village fall in this?

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