1. General Education in the UAE
R&D Department National Qualifications Authority, UAE October 2016

2. UAE Vision 2021
Development of a first-rate education system, which requires:
complete transformation of the current education system and teaching methods
all schools, universities and students to be equipped with Smart systems and devices as a basis for all teaching methods, projects and research
significant investments to promote and reinforce enrollment in preschools
Targets:
UAE students to be ranked among the best in the world in reading, mathematics and science exams
UAE students to have a strong knowledge of the Arabic language
Significant investments to promote and reinforce enrollment in preschools as this plays an important role in shaping children’s personalities and their future.
elevate the rate of graduation from secondary schools to international standards
have exceptional leadership and internationally accredited teaching staff in all schools

3. UAE Vision 2021 Indicator 2012 results 2021 targets
Average TIMSS score
 TIMSS 2011: - Mathematics Grade 4: Rank 42 - Science Grade 4: Rank 43 - Mathematics Grade 8: Rank 23 - Science Grade 8: Rank 24
Among the top 15 countries
Upper secondary graduation rate
93.16% (2015)
98%
Average PISA score
PISA 2012: - Mathematics: Rank 48 - Science: Rank 44 - Reading: Rank 46
Among the top 20 countries
Percentage of students with high skills in Arabic, according to national tests
69.14% (2015)
90%
Percentage of schools with high quality teachers
Work in progress
100%
Percentage of schools with highly effective school leadership
Enrollment rate in Foundation Year
45.3% (2015) 0%
Significant investments to promote and reinforce enrollment in preschools as this plays an important role in shaping children’s personalities and their future.

4. Occupations and Careers Handbook for UAE Nationals
From a range of national activity indicators, twelve (12) industry sectors were identified.
About 20,000 UAE nationals enter the job market every year (Emirates National Development Programme (ENDP). The Handbook acts as an important reference for employment opportunities in the key sectors.
No.
Code
Industry sector 1 A
Government services and public administration 2 B
Community, health and social services 3 C
Business, administration and financial services 4 D
Tourism, hospitality, retail and leisure services including personal care services 5 E
Arts, culture and entertainment 6 F
Education, learning and social development 7 G
Building and construction, estates and assets development and management 8 H
Utilities and infrastructure 9 I
Energy resources – oil, natural gas, petrochemical, chemical and mining/quarrying 10 J
Manufacturing 11 K
Logistics and transport 12 L
Agriculture, livestock and fishery
Education, learning and social development
Top highly demanded jobs:
School administrator/principal
Education manager
Teacher
Early childhood education
Specialist teacher
Career counsellor
Psychologist
Special needs teacher
Teachers’ assistant (aide)
Extremely low engagement of male UAE Nationals
Example employer
Public and private schools, vocational secondary schools, Abu Dhabi Education Council, Ministry of Education, etc.
From a range of national activity indicators, twelve (12) industry sectors were identified. The sectors were derived from information related to such activities as economic, social context, employment, and population size as well as synergies in the mix of occupational and vocational skills.

5. General education in the UAE
General Secondary Certificate (GSC)
Education in the UAE is mandatory until grade 9 and free for all stages (UAE Constitution, Article 17)
Secondary
Applied Technology High Schools (ATHS) (managed by Institute of Applied Technology (IAT)
Secondary Technical Schools (STS) (managed by Abu Dhabi Vocational Education & Training Institute (ADVETI)
Primary
Stage 2
Stage 1
In the final year of the secondary school, students sit for the General Secondary Certificate (GSC) exams. On completion of this stage, students can proceed to post-secondary education or seek employment. Besides general education schools, students can opt for vocational/technical secondary schools.
Kindergarten
AGE

6. General education in the UAE
Regulatory government bodies
Ministry of Education (MOE)
Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC)
Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA); and ten (10) education zones across the country:
Abu Dhabi Education Zone
Dubai Education Zone
Al Ain Education Zone
Al Gharbia Education Zone
Sharjah Education Zone
Ras Al Khaimah Education Zone
Ajman Education Zone
Umm Al Quwain Education Zone
Al Fujairah Education Zone
Khor Fakkan (Sharjah East) Education Zone. Nurseries (below 4 years old) are licensed by the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA).
Curriculum offered
MoE’s curriculum schools
British curriculum schools
American curriculum schools
Indian curriculum schools
International Baccalaureate (IB) schools
Pakistani curriculum schools
French curriculum schools
Mixed curricula schools (MOE + American, MOE + British)
All other schools termed ‘Special schools’ by MOE or ‘Others’ by KHDA following varied curricula, such as Iranian, Philippine, German, Russian, Japanese curricula, etc.

7. Public and private schools in the UAE
673 public schools (11,731 classes), &
542 private schools (29,675 classes)
across the country in the 2014/2015 academic year

8. Enrollment in general education in the UAE
Total enrollment in 2014: 961,607
Public schools: 29%
Private schools: 71%
UAE nationals:
Public schools: 66%
Private schools: 34%

9. General education in the UAE
9 private schools are expected to open in the emirate of Abu Dhabi in the academic year 2016/2017.
7 private schools are expected to open in the emirate of Dubai in the academic year 2016/2017, and up to 20 private schools in 2017/2018.

10. Education as a field of studies
2013/2014
International branch campuses in Dubai offer 237 programmes.

11. Qualifications endorsed by NQA
Industry sector
Sub- sector code
Sub-sector
Education, learning and social development
F45
Learning and social development
F90
Vocational education and training
F95
Workplace learning
105 endorsed qualifications (as of August 2016)

12. Education in Finland Teachers
Finland’s education system has long been the best in the world.
Finnish pupils:
among the top performers in international assessments
not starting school until they are seven years old
spend less time in the classroom – three to four hours a day for primary schoolchildren
do not sit national standardised tests
are given more free time to play.
Teachers
The teacher’s profession is highly respected in Finnish society.
Children grow up dreaming of becoming teachers.
Strong competition for education programmes in university
All teachers hold a master’s degree.
School days are very short, but the pedagogy is high.
An average teacher’s monthly salary is between Dh12,880 and Dh17,150.
From a range of national activity indicators, twelve (12) industry sectors were identified. The sectors were derived from information related to such activities as economic, social context, employment, and population size as well as synergies in the mix of occupational and vocational skills.

13. The perception of the teacher in society must be changed.
Teachers in the UAE
UAE Teacher Survey 2016
Teachers in Arabic societies are historically held in high regard. Unfortunately, today the teaching profession has lost its prestige and respect.
Reasons:
low salary
low social status
responsibilities outside of school hours
promotion uncertainty
The perception of the teacher in society must be changed.
Carried out among 531 teachers, including 24 principals, across the UAE, in January 2016
73% of teachers would consider moving immediately; their primary motivation is to increase their salary: only 8% of teachers received a real salary increase last year; 16% received a pay rise but below inflation; 5% got a pay rise at the inflation rate; 45% of teachers had no pay rise at all.
39% were unhappy with their current salary; 38% were somewhat happy, and 24% were happy with their current salary.
37% do not get an air ticket.
31% are not part of an insurance scheme
44% want better allowances, such as improved housing and better career development.
35% were happy with their overall package, excluding their salary.
20% get no additional benefits other than their salary.
Teachers at American curriculum schools are the most unhappy; 86% of them would consider leaving the UAE for another country if a better opportunity came up.
The average salary of teachers in the UAE is of Dh9,750 with average salaries ranging between Dh3,500 and Dh16,000. Teachers in the Indian/Pakistani curriculum tend to be paid salaries on the lower end of the spectrum.

14. Teachers in the UAE Emirate of Abu Dhabi Public schools
* Number of teachers does not include teachers in KG and multi-stage schools.
Emirate of Abu Dhabi Public schools
UAE national teachers: 42%
UAE national male teachers: 4%
Private schools
UAE national teachers (male & female): 0.4%

15. Teachers in the emirate of Dubai
Emirate of Dubai Public schools
UAE national teachers: 54%
UAE national male teachers: 2%
Private schools
UAE national teachers (male & female): 0.1%

16. Teachers in the emirate of Fujairah
Emirate of Fujairah Public schools
UAE national teachers: 74%
UAE national male teachers: 3%
Private schools
UAE national teachers (male & female): 2%

17. Key initiatives in general education in the UAE
2007: Establishment of the Dubai School Inspection Bureau (DSIB) of KHDA to provide comprehensive information on the standard of private school education in Dubai
2008: Introduction of the New School Model (NSM) to enhance English language teaching and learning
2008: Introduction of Madares Al Ghad (Schools of the Future) to develop bilingual UAE nationals
2008: Establishment of the Department of Special Education at the Ministry of Education to cater for special needs students
2012: Launch of Irtiqa’a programme by ADEC to assure the quality of education in public and private schools in the emirate of Abu Dhabi
2016: Teacher and Educational Leadership Standards (TELS) and Licensing project
2017: Mandatory licensing for all teachers
: Cancellation of the Arts and Science study streams
: Elimination of the Foundation Year at higher education institutions
Policy Vision and Strategic Planning documents
The Ministry of Education Strategy
Vision 2021 United Arab Emirates
The 7-year UAE National Agenda
Dubai Strategic Plan 2015
ADEC 10-Year Strategic Plan
Sharjah 2020 Vision Plan