Dubai's KHDA sets new standards for teacher recruitment

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has released two new technical guides aimed at improving staffing standards in Dubai's private education sector.

The guides focus on teacher appointments and staff deregistration, with the goal of boosting transparency, accountability and professionalism across the sector.

The move supports Dubai's Education 33 Strategy, which focuses on student wellbeing, quality education, and building a future-ready school system.

Dr Amna Almaazmi, CEO of Growth and Human Development at the KHDA, says the new guidelines will help create a stable and supportive environment for educators, while ensuring high standards are consistently met.

The Technical Guide for Appointing Teaching Staff in Private Schools introduces clear standards for hiring and retaining qualified teachers, with the aim of improving teacher quality and reducing mid-term turnover.

The guide applies to all private schools in Dubai and is effective immediately for new and transferring teachers.

Key features include:

• Standardised qualification and appointment criteria: All new teachers must meet KHDA’s approved qualifications, experience and conduct requirements, including teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies. Existing teachers who remain at their current school have until September 2028 to meet the new qualification standards. The deadline for schools that begin the academic year in April is April 2029.
• Mandatory Appointment Notices: The KHDA now requires schools to apply for an Appointment Notice for every teacher and school leader. This notice formalises their commitment to a specific school and is required again if the teacher moves to another private school in Dubai. The Appointment Notice replaces the Appointment Letter that the KHDA previously issued.
• 90-day rule for mid-term resignations: Teachers and school leaders who leave in the middle of an academic term or semester – whether or not they complete their notice period – must wait 90 days before they can begin a new teaching role at another private school in Dubai. This rule does not apply to teachers who complete their notice periods and leave at the end of an academic term or semester.
• Exit surveys for departing staff: All teachers and school leaders leaving a private school in Dubai must complete a KHDA Exit Survey before a new Appointment Notice can be issued. The data will be used to help the KHDA and schools better understand teacher turnover trends.
• Clear code of conduct and safeguarding training: All educators must complete induction training before beginning any teaching role. This includes safeguarding, inclusion, UAE values and professional ethics. A signed Code of Conduct is required for all teachers.

In line with the Code of Conduct, the new Staff Deregistration Technical Guide outlines how institutions should respond to serious misconduct and repeated violations of professional standards.

The policy is effective immediately and applies to all KHDA-approved personnel working in private schools, early childhood centres, universities, technical institutes, and vocational centres in Dubai.

Deregistration refers to the formal process by which KHDA prohibits an individual from working in any KHDA-regulated private education institution in Dubai.

Once deregistered, the individual’s KHDA Appointment Notice is revoked, and they are barred from applying for or holding a role in any KHDA-regulated private education setting in Dubai.

Under the policy, criminal convictions, serious breaches of child protection, and gross professional misconduct are among the violations that can result in termination and deregistration in the first instance.

Other types of behaviour, such as inappropriate social media use, repeated dishonesty or unprofessional behaviour, or culturally insensitive actions, may also lead to deregistration if they are severe or recurring.

Regular training on ethics, professional conduct and safeguarding is expected of all education staff as part of each institution’s commitment to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment.