52% of teachers in Abu Dhabi public schools are Emirati

Abu Dhabi: The number of Emirati teachers is steadily growing. And about 90 per cent of them are female, said Dr Khalid Al Abri, division manager of personnel services for school operations at Adec, the emirate’s education sector regulator.

More than a year ago, in March 2015, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) told Gulf News that its aim was to have Emiratis in 50 per cent of teaching positions in the emirate’s public schools by 2018. On Wednesday, Dr Al Abri announced in the capital that 52 per cent of all public schoolteachers are now Emirati.

Dr Al Abri was speaking at a press meeting held to discuss the standards for teaching recruits at Abu Dhabi public schools.

This year, the emirate’s 251 public institutions have about 12,000 teachers, including 876 teachers who were recruited ahead of the ongoing 2016-2017 academic year. Among the new recruits were 68 Emiratis, 95 Arab expatriates and 600 Western expatriates.

In order to ensure greater Emiratisation, the Adec had increased Emirati teachers’ pay in 2014, and also increased the opportunities for professional development.

Dr Al Abri also said all public schoolteachers will have to undergo licensing procedures from the start of the next academic year (2017-2018). These licensing procedures will also apply for other newly recruited teachers, and a pilot programme will be conducted in the current academic year (2016-2017).

“We are interested in selecting and retaining the best and most qualified teachers to help drive educational standards forward, and the Adec is rigorous in selecting only applicants who are qualified,” he added.

For instance, the authority’s policies for teacher recruitment require that teachers possess at least university degrees that pertain to the subjects they teach. In addition, expatriate teachers must hold teaching licences in their home countries and at least two years of experience as schoolteachers, to be considered. In addition, English proficiency is also required for teachers of Science, Maths, Physical Education and Information Technology.