The Education and Training Evaluation Commission announced a strategic shift in the professional licensing system for educational positions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It approved expanding the scope of mandatory professional licensing to include new categories not previously required, namely school principals and their deputies, educational supervisors, and student counselors, in addition to teachers. This decision comes as part of the project to amend the professional licensing regulations, which the Commission launched through the "Istilaa" platform, with the aim of raising the quality of performance across all aspects of the educational process.
Development context and the objectives of Vision 2030
This decision comes within the framework of the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to achieve the objectives of the Human Capacity Development Program, one of the programs under Vision 2030, which focuses primarily on enhancing the efficiency of teachers and school leaders. After years of applying professional licensing to teachers, the Authority deemed it necessary to extend these standards to school and supervisory leaders, given the pivotal role that principals and supervisors play in guiding the educational process and improving the school environment, thus ensuring the integration of the quality system from leadership to the classroom.
Unifying fees and simplifying procedures
In a widely welcomed move, the new regulations included a financial framework that standardized fees for all services and tests at just 100 riyals. This unified fee covers registration for the general education exam, the specialized exam, and fees for issuing, renewing, or upgrading professional licenses. This standardization aims to eliminate previous cost discrepancies and streamline financial procedures for all educational practitioners.
Types of licenses and classification levels
The new regulations adopted four main and independent types of licenses to ensure specialization, namely:
- Teacher's license.
- School management license.
- Student mentor license.
- Educational supervisor license.
Licenses were also classified into three progressive levels reflecting experience and competence:
- Practitioner level: Requires a test score between 50 and 69.
- Advanced level: Requires a test score between 70 and 79.
- Expert level: Requires a score of 80 or higher.
Expected impact on the quality of education
This decision is expected to bring about a qualitative shift in the educational field, as linking administrative and supervisory practices to obtaining a professional license ensures that those assuming these positions possess the minimum necessary knowledge and skills. This will consequently lead to improved professional development for teachers and enhanced school management's ability to address educational challenges, positively impacting student achievement and overall educational outcomes.
License validity and renewal requirements
The amendments set the license validity period at five years from the date of issuance or upgrade. Regarding renewal, the authority stipulated the requirement of recent test results, warning that failure to renew within two years of the license expiry will result in the application being considered for a "new issuance," necessitating retaking all tests. In recognition of the initiative taken, the authority granted those who obtained licenses before these amendments came into effect an additional year free of charge, added to the validity period of their existing licenses.
