The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) of Dubai has begun the process of introducing Education Services Permits for all schools, universities and training institutions in the emirate.

The permits are the result of two years of work by KHDA to find out what people involved in education in Dubai want or expect from their regulatory authority.

The permits will be given in line with the needs of Dubai. New education establishments will be judged on the added value they would bring to Dubai in line with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015.

Education providers will need the permit to operate in Dubai, which will be issued by the Regulation and Compliance Commission at KHDA. It will apply to approximately 700 educational establishments in Dubai, from nurseries to schools, universities to training institutions.

The permit clearly shows agreed rates of fees and the grades or programmes the institution is permitted to offer. For schools, the inspection category is stated, and for higher education establishments the approval of the Universities Quality Assurance International Board (UQAIB) is shown.

This move follows the legally binding agreement KHDA has signed with the Department of Economic Development (DED) in May. The two authorities will work closely together so that no educational institution can be given a commercial licence to open in Dubai without KHDA’s approval.

Similarly, if KHDA recommends that no permit is issued to an establishment, or that it should not be renewed, then no commercial licence will be granted and it will be unable to operate as a business.

“Everything we are doing is towards creating a quality framework within which education providers can operate and benefit so that parents and students can be confident they are getting the best service possible,” said Mohammed Darwish, chief of KHDA’s Regulation and Compliance Commission.-TradeArabia News Service