More than 600 teachers across Dubai and Abu Dhabi are nearing the end of a pilot project that is paving the way for the country’s first national teacher licensing system.
"It is going to really change the profile of teachers," said Rebecca Antony, assistant headmistress at the Indian High School, who took part.
"You will need to prove your commitment to this profession by taking the licence."
Teachers in Dubai were selected by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) to participate in a trial run of the Teacher and Educational Leadership Standards (Tels) Licensing pilot that was launched in September by the National Qualifications Authority.
In Abu Dhabi, another 400 teachers were identified by the Abu Dhabi Education Council to participate.
The pilot is part of a broader drive to ensure every teacher in the country has a licence by the end of 2021.
The British University in Dubai and the Emirates College for Advanced Education were also enlisted to provide professional development, training and assessment.
Teachers participating in the preliminary phase, which was expected to last about six months, were required to complete a lengthy, essay-type self assessment, attend hours of professional training to attain the standards in which they were found to be deficient, and write a final exam consisting of four sections, each of which took between one and two hours to complete.
"It is quite a long process and it is quite a detailed process, but you will find some teachers who can go through and pass through it because they are experienced," said Prof Abdullah Alshamsi, vice chancellor the BUiD. "Some new ones will take longer time to get passed."
Linda Rush, senior vice president of the Institute of Teacher Learning and Leadership for All, which offers teacher training in partnership with Gems Education, said many of the institute’s graduate trainees sat the test.
Initial feedback of the experience was varied. One trainee told her: "I thought the questions were bit tricky. You must read between lines to understand fully each scenario."
Another noted: "Knowing the teacher standards, being familiar with the UAE code of conduct, the 2020 vision for education reforms, and studying a variety of theories for learning will help in one’s preparation for the exam."
Asked how the pilot could be improved, Ms Rush echoed the sentiments expressed by a number of educators.
They suggested that teachers be given advice on ways to prepare for the test, including suggestions on reading material and training.
"The initial self-assessment form took a long time to complete and participants were not confident on what the expectations were," said Dr Rush.
Sheryl Rogers, Tellal’s senior manager for digital professional learning and development, said training and support for teachers were critical to their success.
While teachers did not have to pay to take part in the pilot phase, many asked what costs would be associated with getting teachers and school officials licensed, and who would have to pay – schools or individuals – when the system is eventually introduced nationwide.
Mr Alshamsi said the pilot was a good opportunity to iron out procedural wrinkles.
"It will be a great thing for the country to have a licence for teachers. This would be a very, very good step for the country and the education system. Having a precise set of standards that teachers have to fulfil is extremely important.
"I mean, yes, the process is a bit long, it is tedious because we will be licensing thousands of teachers across the country," Mr Alshamsi said.
"It is a big effort, it is time consuming, but by the end of 2021 things will be more streamlined and much easier."
The National Qualifications Authority has said it expects to introduce the licensing system over five years to ensure that all teachers, cluster managers, vice principals and principals are licensed by the end of 2021.

Source: The National