The UAE government issues a federal decree law regarding the governance of the national educational curriculum

The UAE government issued a federal decree law regarding the governance of the national educational curriculum, which establishes, for the first time in the UAE, an integrated legislative framework that regulates the process of designing, adopting, implementing and reviewing the national educational curriculum, and establishes a comprehensive governance system that defines the roles and responsibilities of the relevant federal and local authorities, ensuring integration, effective coordination, transparency, accountability, and community participation in the development of education.

The decree law aims to regulate the adoption of elements of the national educational curriculum within a framework that balances stability and flexibility in response to future changes and the needs of society and the labor market, and ensures that any updates are made according to a clear and thoughtful methodology in a way that enhances the quality of the content of the national educational curriculum, raises the competitiveness of the education sector, and contributes to preparing generations capable of effective integration into society and the economy locally and internationally.

The provisions of the Decree-Law apply to all governmental and private educational institutions that apply the national educational curriculum in the various educational levels from kindergarten to the twelfth grade. The scope of its application also extends to private schools that do not apply the national educational curriculum, as these schools are committed to teaching the approved compulsory subjects, namely the Arabic language, Islamic education, and social studies, to ensure the unification of national educational foundations and the promotion of common identity and values.

The decree law stipulates that the National Charter for Education in the UAE represents the supreme reference document that defines the national goals of education, the characteristics of the graduate, national identity, societal values, targeted competencies, and general educational principles, and directs the design and development of the national educational curriculum.

The decree law specifies the elements of the national educational curriculum, which include national learning standards and outcomes, the principles of designing the national educational curriculum, teaching methods and methodologies, educational paths, the language of instruction, learning time, and compulsory and optional educational subjects, in addition to the educational content of each subject, in a way that ensures the clarity of the academic and educational framework and the sustainability of its quality.

The decree law sets a clear framework for classifying changes to the national educational curriculum according to four categories, specifying the powers and mechanisms for approving each category. These categories include: radical changes, which affect the philosophical or structural foundations of the national educational curriculum, in accordance with a change in the National Charter for Education. These changes are approved by the Council for Education, Human Development and Society and approved by the Council of Ministers, and are required to be subject to mandatory field testing and a comprehensive evaluation to ensure the readiness of the educational system before adopting full implementation at the state level.

As for partial changes, they are those that concern specific parts within academic subjects based on an amendment or change to the learning outcomes or the inclusion or deletion of topics or study units, and they are approved by the Education, Human Development and Community Council.

As for technical or formal changes that aim to increase clarity in educational wording, correct language, improve the visual presentation of content, or reformat it, they are approved by the Ministry of Education. There are exceptional and urgent changes, which are changes made in response to a national or global emergency and their goal is to address a new circumstance that has a direct impact on students or the educational process. These changes are approved by the Council of Education and Human Development and the community, and a report is submitted to the Council of Ministers if the change is widespread.

The decree law permits any governmental, private or non-profit entity, including entities operating in free zones, to submit proposals to develop or amend the national educational curriculum, provided that they are based on reliable studies and analyzes proving the compatibility of the proposals with the national objectives of education, labor market requirements, national identity and societal values, in accordance with the mechanism approved by the Ministry of Education to submit, evaluate and study proposals. The Ministry is responsible for studying the proposals and ensuring their educational feasibility and not creating any additional burden on students, and submitting evidence proving their justification and impact. It is clear to the competent authorities according to the approved mechanism.

The decree law specifies the main responsibilities for the governance of the national educational curriculum, as the Council of Ministers is responsible for approving the National Charter for Education, the National Educational Curriculum, and the radical changes to it, while the Council for Education, Human Development, and Society is responsible for general strategic direction and ensuring the consistency of the national educational curriculum with national policies. The Ministry of Education is responsible for preparing, writing, developing, and reviewing the national educational curriculum, providing resources, educational resources, evaluation tools, and mechanisms for equipping educational personnel and monitoring implementation.

Educational institutions are responsible for implementing the national educational curriculum, participating in experimentation processes, collecting feedback, and submitting observations to the Ministry of Education. Local educational authorities are responsible for monitoring the implementation of the national educational curriculum and compulsory subjects in private schools that fall within their jurisdiction, and submitting the results to the Ministry of Education. The National Center for Education Quality is also responsible for evaluating the quality of the application, measuring the impact, and submitting periodic reports to the competent authorities.

The decree law also obligates private schools that do not apply the national educational curriculum to teach approved compulsory subjects, subject to supervision by the Ministry of Education and local educational authorities, each according to its jurisdiction, to ensure compliance with the approved content and the requirements of teachers’ academic and professional qualifications.

This decree law reinforces the UAE’s vision of building a flexible and stable national educational system, based on good governance, keeping pace with global changes, and supportive of the comprehensive development process and building the human being as the basic pillar of the country’s future.