Good conduct certificates got 15 seconds of fame
Those looking for jobs in the UAE needed a good conduct certificate, for a while. Basically, job seekers needed a clean chit — till they didn’t. First, there was an announcement on February 4 that newcomers to the UAE would need to provide a such a good conduct certificate or at least a police clearance certificate before they even sought a job in the UAE.
The idea was to ensure an even safer environment in the UAE. Then in March, there was a change of plans. A cabinet decision said that from April 1, said certificate would no longer be required. This new announcement was welcomed by consulates and embassies in the UAE. Navdeep Singh Suri, ambassador of India to the UAE told Khaleej Times that it was a “great development”.
The Philippine consul-general to Dubai, Paul Raymund Cortes, reiterated the same. The UAE urged embassies and consulates not to request for the certificate any more. Khaleej Times, in several reports in the first quarter of 2018, brought attention to the unnecessary inconvenience such a certificate would be to procure.
Our coverage brought readers updates on the certificate back and forth, with stories on how it would be an added financial burden especially for the economically weaker sections, who would have to pay off agents and touts. The profession that did, however, still need a good conduct certificate was teaching — a measure to ensure the safety of students. An official at the National Qualifications Authority told us, “This is a normal requirement everywhere around the world. You have to know who is coming to work for you — does he or she have a criminal background?”
All teachers in the UAE, as Khaleej Times reported in September, need a clean chit from the police of the country they last taught at in order to get their licence approved. The requirement also applies to those currently teaching in the UAE.
A UAE teacher’s licence is mandatory, as is a teaching permit, depending on the rules in the emirate where the school is located.In Dubai, teachers have to get a permit from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) after they receive their teaching licence, which is issued by the Ministry of Education (MoE). The licence and permit will have to be renewed every three years. However, a teacher can switch jobs within the emirate using the same permit.