Dubai’s KHDA announces reopening date for early childhood centres

Dubai:  Private early childhood centres in Dubai are set for a gradual return to on-site learning, beginning with those located in government premises and commercial buildings, from Thursday, April 16 onwards, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)  announced on Tuesday evening.

This follows the latest updates issued by the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council earlier on Tuesday. The Council announced that educational institutions in the country are prepared for a gradual return to in-person learning, with nurseries set to reopen in phases starting this week.

Priority will be given to nurseries located in government buildings and commercial premises, while others will be allowed to continue providing home-based childcare services under approved regulations, it was announced.

However, reopening of early childhood centres in Dubai will be subject to KHDA approval and in line with comprehensive safety regulations and procedures to ensure a safe and supportive environment for children, KHDA clarified.

“The safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and the wider community remain the highest priority. We also encourage everyone to rely on official national sources for information and to avoid circulating unverified news,” the authority added.

On April 11, KHDA launched two new services that will allow private early childhood centres to offer centre-led home-based learning (CLHL) groups and centre-supervised home tutoring for children aged up to six years in home settings.

The initiative has been aimed at expanding learning options for families while ensuring continuity of education during periods of disruption, without compromising on quality or safety.

Under the new move, centres can offer CLHL Hubs, which are small, nursery-style learning groups conducted in approved homes. Each hub can accommodate up to eight children from different families and is supervised by centre staff.

In addition, CLHL Educators provide personalised home tutoring, where a qualified, KHDA-registered teacher is deployed by a centre to support a single child or siblings within the same family. 

KHDA also clarified that these services will only be activated during government-mandated distance learning periods. Early childhood centres are not permitted to offer them outside such circumstances.

To regulate the delivery of home-based learning, KHDA also introduced a clear framework supported by seven requirements. These include licensing approval, risk assessment, parent agreements, child protection policies, staff records, supervision and monitoring, and insurance coverage.

The guidelines made it clear that moving education beyond the classroom does not lower standards and centres must continue to deliver the same level of care, structure, and educational quality as they do on-site.