Private schools and parents in Dubai have welcomed new measures introduced in the emirate to reduce turnover of teaching staff and reform how they are hired, supported and sacked.
The move, announced by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, sets out standardised hiring criteria based on KHDA-approved requirements for qualifications, experience and conduct. Teachers currently working in Dubai must meet those standards by 2028.
A 90-day restriction on staff moving between schools has also been introduced. Under the measures, employees leaving to take up roles at other schools must serve the full notice period stated in their contracts, work until the last day of an academic term and complete a KHDA survey.
Failure to abide by any of these rules will result in a 90-day hold on the staff member start their new job. This three-month period begins on the date the resignation is tendered or leaves without serving required notice.
Deepika Thapar Singh, principal of Credence High School, told The National that the 90-day rule is particularly welcome. She said mid-year resignations are "disruptive to students and learning", with the rule set to "encourage stability and allow schools to plan more effectively".
Stacey Cartwright, head of HR for executive operations for school group Taaleem, also backed the 90-day wait period for employees ignoring employment rules.
"Mid-year resignations can be highly disruptive to student learning and to the wider school community," Ms Cartwright said.
"The 90-day clause provides a more stable framework, giving schools time to plan and to ensure that transitions are managed with minimal impact on children.
"We believe it will reduce the incidence of mid-year moves and provide greater continuity in the classroom."
Parents have also welcomed the move. Sumit Augustine, who has one child, explained that the rule reduces the risk of children feeling unsettled because of a change of staff.
Additionally, all teaching staff are required to complete induction modules on safeguarding, inclusion, UAE values and professional ethics before starting in a new role.
Sackable offences
For the first time, the KHDA has published a list of offences that can lead to deregistration – effectively barring someone from working at a KHDA-regulated school, early childhood centre, university, or vocational institute.
Such offences include criminal convictions, breaches of child protection rules and gross professional misconduct. They also include unprofessional behaviour such as dishonesty, inappropriate social media use and culturally insensitive actions.
Welcome move
A representative of Gems Education, one of Dubai’s largest private school operators, said it is working closely with the KHDA to ensure it complies fully with the regulations. “Gems Education always welcomes KHDA guidance and directives designed to strengthen the education sector in Dubai, and we are working closely with the regulator and our schools and internal departments to review these new rules and ensure compliance," the representative said.
"We will be able to share further details on how we will be integrating the new directives across our operations once we have had time to fully assess the implications.”
Ms Singh described the new measures as “a progressive step forward” that will benefit pupils and teachers. She also welcomed the revised qualification requirements, describing them as “an opportunity to attract highly qualified educators committed to long-term growth". Credence High School is to introduce professional development programmes to help teachers meet the 2028 deadline, she added.
New measures
The Ministry of Education this month approved its attendance and absence guidelines for the 2025-2026 academic year. A notification system will inform parents immediately if their child misses school.
The maximum limit for unexcused absences is five days a term, or 15 in an academic year. Pupils may be required to repeat the year if they exceed the annual limit.
A pupil’s absence is to be counted as two days if they miss school on a Friday, or on the days before or after public holidays, the ministry added.
Teacher recruitment
The academic year started on August 25, with the Gems school group welcoming more than 1,700 new teachers across the UAE and Qatar. That was lower than last year, when 1,850 teachers were recruited, but group chief education officer Lisa Crausby said it was a “good sign” because the retention rate was improving.
Taaleem, which operates more than 30 schools in the UAE, told The National that it recorded a "significant increase in teacher recruitment this academic year, reflecting both the population boom across the country and the continued growth of our schools".
"In August alone, we successfully onboarded more than 500 new teachers, alongside senior leaders, learning assistants and administrative staff," it added.
Taaleem said there was “strong interest” from teachers interested in moving to the UAE. It said a new hiring model meant the group starts planning recruitment a year in advance and recommended that teachers demonstrate “adaptability, cultural awareness and commitment to professional development”.
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Barcelona 3
Messi (27’, 32’, 87’)
Leganes 1
El Zhar (68’)
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything
Director: Asif Kapadia
4/5
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
AWARDS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20Male%20black%20belt%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELucas%20Protasio%20(BRA)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20female%20black%20belt%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJulia%20Alves%20(BRA)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20Masters%20black%20belt%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Igor%20Silva%20(BRA)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20Asian%20Jiu-Jitsu%20Federation%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kazakhstan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20Academy%20in%20UAE%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECommando%20Group%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20International%20Academy%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Commando%20Group%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAfrican%20Player%20of%20the%20Year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKatiuscia%20Yasmira%20Dias%20(GNB)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOceanian%20Player%20of%20the%20Year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAnton%20Minenko%20(AUS)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEuropean%20Player%20of%20the%20Year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rose%20El%20Sharouni%20(NED)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENorth%20and%20Central%20American%20Player%20of%20the%20Year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexa%20Yanes%20(USA)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAsian%20Player%20of%20the%20Year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EZayed%20Al%20Katheeri%20(UAE)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERookie%20of%20the%20Year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rui%20Neto%20(BRA)Rui%20Neto%20(BRA)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
RESULT
RS Leipzig 3
Marcel Sabitzer 10', 21'
Emil Forsberg 87'
Tottenham 0
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
