Abu Dhabi: The Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) in Abu Dhabi has clarified that the new recruitment policies for schools in the emirate mandate that six key positions must be always filled by full-time employees.
The roles include principal, vice principal, Chief Integration Officer, health and safety officer, social worker, and nurse.
The updated policy, which took effect at the beginning of the current academic year, emphasises that these roles must never be left vacant.
Exceptions
According to the new policy, additional mandatory roles, such as career and university counsellors, are required for schools with upper grades but are not part of the essential roles for licensing purposes.
For new schools with fewer than 500 students, the policy waives the need for a vice principal during their first five years of operation. Instead, these schools must appoint an acting senior academic leader. All schools must also ensure that teaching roles for every subject and class are always filled. In cases of vacancy, schools are obligated to temporarily assign a substitute teacher.
Conditions for new standards
The policy allows current staff who do not meet the new eligibility standards to remain in their positions under certain conditions:
-Leadership Positions: Staff members in leadership roles who lack prior teaching experience are required to obtain a valid educational leadership license by the first semester of the 2026–2027 academic year.
-Teaching Positions: Teachers who do not hold formal teaching qualifications must renew their employment contracts or accept a new position at another school only after securing a Level 6 qualification under the UAE’s National Qualifications Framework (such as a diploma) or a valid teaching license by the start of the academic year. Renewal or new appointments will be permitted upon the submission of a completed qualification or academic record showing ongoing progress in pursuing the required teaching qualifications.
Requirements for new hires
All new staff hires, apart from internal transfers between schools managed by the same operator, must comply with ADEK’s new eligibility standards.
Schools are also allowed to appoint current employees who do not meet these eligibility standards for core roles on a temporary basis to fill staffing gaps, but only for a maximum duration of six months. Examples of such roles include acting vice principals for new schools with fewer than 500 students, as well as interim principals.
Temporary appointments
The policy defines five conditions for temporary appointments:
1. A temporary finance manager may be appointed, but temporary classroom teacher positions are not permitted.
2 .The temporary appointee must be an existing staff member who possesses the necessary qualifications but lacks specific experience for the role.
3. The term “acting” must be included in the job title throughout the temporary period (e.g., Acting Head of Department).
4. Written consent is required for the staff member to assume a temporary role that differs significantly from their current position.
5. Temporary experience will be counted toward the individual’s overall professional experience in that role.
Training status
The new policy permits schools to place staff who do not meet the eligibility standards for core roles under a “training” status, subject to the following six conditions:
1. Staff must have the necessary qualifications for the role.
2. They must be supervised by a qualified staff member.
3. Employees under training are not permitted to assume the actual role until they meet eligibility standards but may be promoted after demonstrating their capability.
4. The term “under training” must be added to the employee’s job title throughout the training period.
5. The maximum duration for training is two years.
6. Training experience will be considered part of the employee’s overall work experience.
Employment of minors
In line with Article 5 of Federal Law No. 33 of 2021 concerning the regulation of labour relations, ADEK’s policy also permits schools to employ minors under strict conditions, including age limits, parental consent, and work hours as specified in the law. Minor employees must be always supervised while working in schools. Students enrolled in the school may be employed only after school hours or during periods when they have no scheduled classes or activities. Minors who are not students at the school must receive the same rights as outlined in ADEK’s student protection policy.
Job termination
The policy stipulates that employment agreements for full-time teaching staff must have a minimum duration of two years, including annual leave and holidays. Additionally, schools are not permitted to terminate the employment of teachers or administrative staff during a school term without prior approval from ADEK. This rule applies to both voluntary resignations and involuntary terminations.
