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Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) has revised employment policy for private schools in the Capital. The education authority mandated specific full-time roles, qualifications, termination rules and conditions to ensure educational institutions' proper functioning and protect staff and student rights.
Schools must have six full-time positions filled at all times, including a principal, vice-principal, head of inclusion, health and safety officer, social worker, and nurse. However, new schools with fewer than 500 students may appoint a senior leader as acting vice- principal for their first five years.
Other roles may be mandatory as per other ADEK policies, like career and university guidance counsellors for schools with upper cycles, but do not fall under the scope of compulsory positions for licencing purposes.
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All teaching positions for all subjects and classes must be filled at all times. If a vacancy occurs, a substitute teaching position should temporarily fill it.
While the policies went into effect from the academic year 2024/25, schools are expected to be fully compliant with the updated policies by February 1, 2026.
The Adek school staff eligibility policy permits staff hired before the new requirements to remain in their positions with specific timelines for upskilling. They are authorised to continue work in schools under the following conditions:
Leadership staff without prior teaching experience are given until the 2026/27 academic year to obtain an educational leadership licence. Similarly, teachers without formal teaching credentials must acquire a QFE 6 (Diploma) qualification or teaching licence by the same deadline to continue employment or move to new schools.
Renewal or acceptance in a new school will be authorised upon submission of either the completed qualification or a transcript demonstrating continuous enrolment and progress in the initial teaching qualification programme.
All new hires must meet all eligibility requirements outlined in the Adek staff eligibility policy.
However, schools can appoint existing staff who do not meet eligibility requirements for core positions in an acting capacity to fill temporary staffing gaps for a maximum duration of six months. Acting staff are authorised under the following conditions:
1. Only non-teaching positions, such as acting finance director, are eligible for this provision, and appointees must consent to the temporary role.
2. The candidate is a member of existing staff who meets the qualifications but not the experience requirements for a specific position.
3. Have the term "acting" appended to the title of the position for the entire period.
4. Acting experience shall count towards work experience.
Adek has strongly emphasised diversity and inclusion in the revised policy. Schools are prohibited from discrimination based on race, colour, sex, religion, national or social origin or disability status.
However, gender restrictions apply to specific positions, and schools shall adhere to the staff gender requirements.
Private schools are also encouraged to support People of Determination (PoD) during recruitment and to provide any necessary accommodations to ensure equal employment opportunities. At the recruitment stage, schools should actively encourage PoDs to apply for roles within their organisation.
The needs of PoDs must not be a barrier to their application, nomination, and selection for a position. Their needs should be taken into account when evaluating the candidate’s competency for any position.
Schools are authorised to appoint staff to up to three roles, provided they consent in writing. Additionally, staff are allowed to hold multiple extracurricular roles (e.g., club supervisors) in addition to the three roles. All additional roles must be declared in Adek pass.
Schools must register all staff on Adek pass (staff licensing portal) and obtain an appointment letter/work permit for each internal/external candidate respectively, prior to their engagement in the school.
The policy also specifies strict criteria for juvenile employment, ensuring roles for students are well-supervised and, when applicable, limited to non-academic hours.
In addition to the employment conditions regarding age, parental consent, etc stipulated in the law, juveniles who attend the school where they are employed may only work during free periods or after regular school hours.
Minors who are not students of the school in which they are employed must be treated with the same protections and rights as regular students.
Adek’s policy mandates transparency around working hours, employment probation periods and all types of leave entitlements.
Schools must specify any probation period, which may not exceed six months from the staff member's start date, along with detailed terms regarding probation termination and related conditions. Staff must be paid their full wages during the probation period, even if this falls during school holidays.
As per the regulations, schools must circulate a staff calendar outlining all school holidays and the required working days with their approved calendar for the academic year. They can have different calendars for different types of staff (teaching vs. administrative, etc.).
Staff must be informed of all leaves they are entitled to, such as maternity leave, sick leave, bereavement, parental leave, study, and sabbatical leave (UAE Nationals only).
Schools can decide on working hours for staff, defined by teaching and non-teaching hours, and communicate in the employment manual and staff employment agreements to ensure transparency.
Employment agreements for teaching staff must cover a minimum term of two years, which includes annual leaves and breaks.
To ensure stability, termination of leadership or teaching staff is not authorised during the academic term without Adek’s approval. This applies to voluntary (resignation) and involuntary terminations.
In cases of serious misconduct, schools are authorised to terminate the services of staff without notice in exceptional cases involving serious misconduct after conducting a written investigation.
Adek aims to create a secure, equitable, and professional environment for staff and students by establishing clear standards for essential positions, promoting inclusivity, and reinforcing labour protections.
[Editor's note: This policy is effective 2024/25 academic year. Schools are expected to be fully compliant with the policy by the beginning of the 2025/26 academic year.]
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