UAE work permit for private tuitions makes at-home studies more affordable for parents
Parents in the UAE are noticing that licensed tutors help them with customised learning support more frequently. Expanded teacher access has allowed parents to select from more tutor options while creating more competitive tuition rates.
The UAE government legalised private tutoring in December 2023 by introducing permits for lessons outside educational institutions.
Registered teachers and current employees as well as unemployed individuals along with students between 15 and 18 years old and university students can apply for the permit.
Value for money
Dubai resident Arijit Nandi whose son learns Arabic from a tutor based in Abu Dhabi said: My son receives additional Arabic instruction from a private tutor because his school performance was poor and I wanted to prevent him from having difficulties.
The prospect of adding in-person tutoring to his schedule became impractical because he was already busy with extracurricular activities and the added inconvenience of transportation logistics and costs. My wife successfully located an Arabic tutor who received excellent recommendations online from the Capital to simplify things for everyone involved.
He added: He explained that since the UAE legalized private tutoring many qualified teachers have joined the market and now provide affordable hour-long lessons at Dh60 which I choose because parents have other options. Some people pay even less. Since tutors need licenses now I'm confident that my son's teacher is credible and approved.
'Makes this service more accessible'
American expat Natalia Miranda sends her eight-year-old son to private classes for English and Math.
The tutoring centre quoted Dh200 per hour for each subject during a tutorial club session which lasted just 45 minutes. The weekly cost of two sessions became unaffordable for me. I signed him up for on-site classes at a JLT centre with a payment plan of Dh100 per subject class per term. Each session runs from 45 minutes up to around an hour.
While I support the licensing initiative for private tutors I remain doubtful about what standards and performance criteria these tutors are applying. I will seek recommendations if I need to engage their tutoring services for my son. I believe this approach suits older students because they already possess foundational knowledge in subjects such as English and Math.
Their focus will be to reinforce existing knowledge. The service becomes more accessible which enables more people to join. Our group can share learning resources together by inviting a tutor to my home so that my son and his friends can join the session. Our group of students may qualify for a discount if we enroll together.
Seeking transparency
Tutoring professional Sajida Al Bashir from Jordan and Palestine with three decades of experience expressed her approval of the country's decision to issue private tutor licenses. Sajida Al Bashir highlighted specific inconsistencies within the practice.
Both laws and fees require additional transparency. The wide difference in tutoring fees between Dh500 per hour and Dh100 per hour depends on the financial capabilities of families. This pattern has been my observation.”
Bashir, currently a supervisor for Quality and Assessment at the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Knowledge stated that tutoring results in more available teachers but requires clear policies and security checks to ensure safety. I think that additional support should be unnecessary for children who maintain attention in class and do not face learning challenges.
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