UAE: New govt entity to regulate private schools in RAK

The transition is expected to happen in phases until the end of the year

Web Desk

Published: Fri 14 Jun 2024, 5:03 PM

Last updated: Fri 14 Jun 2024, 10:59 PM

Private schools in Ras Al Khaimah will be regulated by a new government entity, it was announced on Friday.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) will be "gradually delegating the powers" to oversee the emirate's private education sector to Ras Al Khaimah Department of Knowledge (Rakdok), the authority said in a statement published on news agency Wam.

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The transition is expected to happen in phases until the end of the year. The MoE signed a memorandum of understanding with Rakdok to seal the strategic collaboration.

The knowledge department will adopt "a new approach", which will be focused on improving educational services in the emirate and keeping pace with international standards.

Rakdok is stepping in at a time when the emirate's education sector is seeing rapid developments, said Abdul Rahman Al Naqbi, a member of the department's Board of Directors.

“[This partnership with MoE] provides an important opportunity to raise educational standards to international levels, and will enable us to keep pace with the different needs of our students, including students of determination," Al Naqbi said.

Ras Al Khaimah currently has 107 public and private schools, offering various curricula.

In 2022, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) announced that the emirate will be included in its global network of learning cities.

4 main departments

Rakdok consists of four main departments that oversee different aspects:

Institutional licensing and compliance for educational institutions
Operations management and customer relations
Quality management and evaluation
Strategies and policies

The activities of these departments are integrated in order to build a comprehensive system for all levels of education.

The ministry vowed to provide all possible means of support to the department, said Rabaa Ali Al Sumaiti, undersecretary for performance improvement at MoE.

By advancing the education sector's growth, the ministry aims not only to fulfil students' potential but also to encourage the best international educational institutions to operate in Ras Al Khaimah, Al Sumaiti said.

"We look forward to continuing close and constructive cooperation with the department and all local partners and working together to develop the educational system in the UAE," she said.

(With inputs from Wam)

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