Does KHDA require schools to accept an external shadow teacher?

The Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework, published in 2017, set out the expectation that every private school in Dubai identifies students of determination, provides appropriate support and accommodations, has an inclusion team led by a designated member of staff, and does not refuse admission on the basis of a child's needs. Schools are inspected on this provision. The framework is written at the level of outcomes for the child; it does not prescribe who provides the support or how it is staffed.

Nothing in the framework requires a school to admit a specific person chosen by a family into its classrooms. The school remains responsible for everyone on its premises and for safeguarding, so it retains the right to vet, to set conditions, and to decline a candidate. A school cannot use that right to avoid providing support altogether; it can use it to insist that support is provided by someone it has checked.

Identity and residence documents, attested qualifications, a police clearance certificate, safeguarding training, an agreement setting out conduct and confidentiality, a trial period, and an understanding that the shadow teacher takes direction from the school's inclusion lead in class. Some schools also require the shadow teacher to have a background relevant to the child's needs. These are conditions, not refusals, and a well-prepared candidate meets them within a couple of weeks.

Ask for the reason in writing. If it concerns the individual, the remedy is a different candidate. If the school says it does not allow external shadow teachers at all, ask how it intends to provide the support its own inclusion team has recommended, and ask for that answer in writing too. Parents can raise unresolved concerns about a school's inclusion provision with the regulator; that is a last resort, and it is far more effective to reach an agreement with the inclusion lead first.

Abu Dhabi and Al Ain schools operate under ADEK's inclusion policies, Sharjah private schools under SPEA, and schools in Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain under the Ministry of Education. Each regulator expects schools to support students of determination; none, to our knowledge, obliges a school to accept a specific external adult. The practical position is the same as in Dubai: most schools accept external shadow teachers under conditions they set themselves. Confirm the process with the individual school rather than assuming an emirate-wide rule.

Does the school accept parent-hired shadow teachers? What documents and training does it require? Is there a school agreement to sign? Who supervises the shadow teacher in class? Is there a trial period? How often will the arrangement be reviewed? Once you have those answers, you can brief candidates accurately. Verified teachers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi can be messaged directly from their profiles, and our explainer covers what the role involves day to day.