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KHDA’s authority over Dubai schools increases

Bestowing more powers on Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) to oversee private schools, regulations related to educational institutions in Dubai have been made stricter as Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, has issued a new Executive Council resolution.
The resolution No. (2) of 2017, issued on Saturday, also enlists the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders, including the school administrations, teachers and parents, reported Gulf News.
Though the KHDA has been regulating the private school sector in Dubai for over a decade now, the new resolution gives it a clearer mandate and greater authority to enforce the rules.
Among the key changes that could be seen with the implementation of the new regulation is the greater integration of students with special education needs in private schools, with schools having no choice but to provide the necessary facilities for the students with different abilities, the report said.
The resolutions also reportedly empowers the KHDA to set the requirements and standards that deliver quality education, receive and investigate complaints, issue initial permits and licences for private schools and determine the adequacy of the proposed location and academic plan for new schools.
Apart from inspecting schools and ensuring compliance, the KHDA is also now authorized to levy penalties in case of violations, said the news portal.
Broadening the reach, the resolution allows the KHDA to manage a database of private schools in Dubai as well as mandating it to forecast and plan the emirate’s future educational needs, the report pointed out.
The KHDA’s other powers will include specifying the terms, conditions, policies and procedures required for curriculum accreditation as well as issuing school certificates’ equivalency and attestation, reported Gulf News.
Taking into consideration the interests of other stakeholders in the sector, the new resolution also reportedly establishes the legal framework to further the interests of parents, school operators and investors in Dubai.
The resolution aims to encourage investment in private schooling and best international practices, the report said.
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