New employment authorizations for United Arab Emirates citizens have been announced.
It is possible that senior leadership in schools will prohibit teachers from providing private coaching to their own students because doing so could result in a potential conflict of interest conflict.
Providing private lessons
Additionally, in order to provide private tutoring, educators who are employed in public or private schools are often required to get a "No Objection Certificate" (NOC) from their respective employers.
This practice should be limited to secondary-level classrooms and beyond, according to several head teachers who spoke with Khaleej Times. This is because students at this point may want further assistance in studying for external examinations, and if tutoring is allowed, it should be made available only to students in these classes.
Legalizing private tuition fees
As a result of the recent announcement that private tuition has been legalized in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), officials have announced a new permit that enables teachers to provide courses outside of educational institutions. This reaction follows the news.
Educators at the school level have stated that although if teachers have unique insights into the capabilities and requirements of their students, coaching their own students may present challenges in preserving objectivity or fairness, particularly in situations that include evaluation.
Avoiding clash of interest
According to Tasneem Usman, who is the Head of Secondary at Pristine Private Schools, "I believe that students do require additional support, particularly at the Advance and Advanced Studies levels." There are some students who require more reinforcement, and private tutoring can be a crucial factor in this regard. Private tutoring can be beneficial since it allows for lessons to be personalized to the unique needs of the students, which can lead to improved performance.
She emphasizes the importance of preserving this equilibrium by ensuring that assessments are fair, avoiding conflicts of interest, and being transparent about the expectations that are being placed on individuals.
"Educational institutions ought to have a collection of general rules and policies that do not result in a conflict of interest. Because of the potential for certain biases to manifest themselves, teachers should not tutor their own students. According to our institution, this is the case. "She believes that private coaching should be limited to students in secondary school and higher, where they may have a genuine need for assistance," she argues.
In addition, headteachers emphasize that instructors are able to effectively coach kids when they have defined norms and boundaries to follow. This allows them to maintain their professionalism and fairness simultaneously.
The Assistant Head Teacher at Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, Sajida Al Bashir, expressed her sentiments regarding private tuition by saying, "I have some strong feelings about it." However, if it is done, it ought to be done and designed effectively.
According to the Jordanian educator, who has been working in this field for the last 28 years, "people have asked me throughout my working career if I want to impart private tuitions, and I have always maintained a 'no'," according to the teacher.
It's not like I completely disagree with the concept. As the instructor of Islamic Education, Arabic, and Social Studies explained, "The reason for saying so is that it was not legal up until this point, and I never had the time to do so."
Teachers discouraged
It has been explained by veterans in the area that schools have the ability to make exceptions in the event that a student is experiencing unusual challenges in learning.
"While we would not be very strict about teachers creating a means for an additional income, we definitely discourage our teachers coaching their own students or even other students at the same school," said Lata Nakra, the Principal of JSS International School Dubai. "We would not be very strict about teachers creating income-generating opportunities for themselves."
In addition to the fact that some ethical problems regarding fairness and preferential treatment will be raised, Nakra emphasizes that in order to accomplish this, teachers will need to make time for themselves.
"But to tell you the truth, the salaries that teachers receive are not very attractive; as a result, some of them might have to turn to private coaching in order to provide for their families," she continued.
According to Nakra, when it comes to teachers promoting their services, a competent teacher has a tendency to organically earn attention among both pupils and their parents. "As for advertising their services, I believe that a good teacher cannot remain hidden from parents and students... the word spreads, and teachers are approached to provide additional support," the speaker said.
It is only appropriate to permit this for pupils in secondary school, where they are required to perform well on board examinations or other types of public examinations. When it comes to elementary school, there should be no private coaching because parents are able to step in and assist their child if they are having trouble understanding a concept. Therefore, while I have no problem with teachers developing ways to earn more revenue, it is not acceptable for them to do so at the expense of their ability to effectively instruct their students in the classroom. On the other hand, there are some students who might only succeed with that kind of one-on-one assistance, which is why private coaching cannot be fully disregarded.
