Homeschooling as a form of education has continued to gain popularity especially among families in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, homeschooling in the UAE has certain rules and procedures that are followed strictly and therefore parents must be well informed on them. 

Let’s take a look at some of the common aspects of homeschooling UAE regulations so that the parent can make the best decisions for the future of their child.

The Homeschooling in the UAE: A Brief Introduction

Home-schooling is legal and acknowledged in the UAE but still home-schooling is under the supervision of some educational bodies. The rules and such may indeed differ from one emirate to another as well as in regards to certain families’ situations. It is therefore important for any family who wants to homeschool in the UAE to understand the legal requirements which are the laws and the procedures required in order to meet these laws.

Registration with the Ministry of Education (MoE)

The MoE may need periodic checks or examinations with the child with a view of ascertaining whether the child is accessing an education that meets the national minimum standards. Some of these may involve writing tests, taking standardised tests or providing samples of their work.

Compliance with Curriculum Standards

Homeschooling families in the UAE are required to adopt the national curriculum or an accredited curriculum. This makes sure that children under homeschool solutions get an education output that is similar to one that is received by children under the traditional school solutions. A teacher can also prefer UAE national curriculum, or any other internationally recognized curriculum or a mix of both. However, the selected curriculum has to include the subjects that are mandated by the MoE including Arabic, Islamic studies for the Muslim students, mathematics, science and English.

Assessment and Reporting

The MoE may force homeschooled children to take tests at some preset frequencies so that their progress can be observed. Such assessments may include normal tests, portfolios or end term examinations. These are done with an aim of making sure that the child meets the legal educational requirements so that he or she can be promoted to the next class or level of learning adequately. The parents may also need to provide specific reports to the MoE at regular time intervals, which may include information on child’s development, subjects taught, issues faced and such other things. Such reports are useful to the MoE as they track the progress of the child in education and offer assistance where necessary.

Parental Qualifications

In the UAE there are no strict legal provisions about the academic qualification of parents who decide to homeschool his/her children. However, the parents are supposed to possess adequate educational standards and the capacity to impart knowledge on the areas of learning as stipulated in the curriculum. Certain families go for the services of qualified tutor or even put their children through online programs that offer help. This can help especially when parents are unsure as to whether they can teach their child that particular lesson or when a parent simply wants to be very sure that their child is being taught by experts.

Challenges and Considerations

While homeschooling offers many benefits, it also comes with challenges that parents should be prepared for:While homeschooling offers many benefits, it also comes with challenges that parents should be prepared for:

Socialisation

A milestone which is often raised as an issue with homeschooling is the limited social contacts with other children. To counter this, parents can get engaged in homeschooling co-ops, join a homeschooling association in their area or make kids register for academic classes, sports, games and other social activities.

Time Commitment

Teaching in homeschooling involves commitment from the parents in the preparation for teaching, the process of teaching and even the evaluation. Parents should know that it will not be easy to give a quality education at home, time and dedication is needed for it.

Access to Resources

The Special needs learners homeschooling may require to incur certain expenses including purchasing of learning resources like books, internet programs, and many others. Libraries, other education centres, and internet services might also play an important role in homeschooling and the child's education process.

Long-Term Planning

Homeschooling parents should contemplate with the future consequences of homeschooling especially in a situation whereby the child will be transferred back to school or moved to tertiary institutions. It's important to ensure that curriculum is in consonance with national or international standards in order to make a transition.

Support and Resources for Homeschooling Families

There are several resources and support networks available to homeschooling families in the UAE.

Homeschooling Groups and Co-Ops

It is helpful, informative, and fun to become a member of a local homeschooling group or cooperative for the parents and children much less the being homeschooled kids. Such groups may include field trips, workshops as well as group learning sessions.

Online Resources

There are literally thousands of web sites with homeschooling curriculum, lesson plans, and other learning aids. Some of these are Khan Academy that offers free education, edX, Coursera which can be used side by side with homeschooling.

Educational Consultants

With homeschooling, some families may opt to seek the services of educational consultants who can create personalised homeschooling plans for their children as well as provide home schooling tuition and advice on how to go about meeting the MoE standards.

Through homeschooling in the UAE, the families are given an opportunity to help design an individual and efficient learning environment for the kids. However, in order to provide the proper education to your child, it is necessary to follow the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Education that have been enacted and are in force with proper criteria. In conclusion, if parents are in touch with the laws, use resources available and join the homeschooling community they will be able to successfully homeschool their children in the UAE and offer their kids quality education.