The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has announced the formation of the Dubai Parents Council and the Dubai Educators Council, with 30 members in total beginning their work at the start of the 2026–27 academic year. KHDA received 152 applications for the Parents Council and 160 for the Educators Council, including applications from Emirati parents and teachers across the emirate.
This article reflects KHDA's announcement of 8 June 2026 and supporting UAE press reporting. Further details, including the next application window, may be updated by KHDA closer to the start of the 2026–27 academic year.
What the two councils will do
The Dubai Parents Council, with 15 members drawn from across the emirate's private school community, will advise KHDA on student wellbeing, inclusion and support services, community engagement, school-parent partnerships, and educational policies more broadly. The intent is to give families a structured channel of input into the decisions that shape their children's day-to-day school experience.
The Dubai Educators Council, also with 15 members, will sit alongside the Parents Council and focus on the practitioner side of those same issues, including student learning, wellbeing and inclusion, teacher-related matters, and classroom practice. Together, the two councils give KHDA structured input from both sides of the school gate.
Membership of both councils is voluntary and unpaid, and runs for a one-year term. Members may apply for a second term, subject to performance and eligibility. KHDA has described the selection as a transparent, evidence-based process designed to ensure fair representation across school types and family backgrounds.
A three-council structure under Education 33
The two new councils complete a three-council architecture that KHDA has built quietly over the past year. The first was the Dubai Students Council, launched for the 2025–26 academic year with 16 representatives from Grades 9 to 12. With the addition of the Parents and Educators Councils, KHDA now has a standing channel of input from each of the three groups most affected by school policy.
The councils sit within Dubai's Education 33 (E33) Strategy, the city's long-term plan for the education sector through 2033, and connect to both the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) and the Dubai Social Agenda. Dr Amna Almaazmi, Chief Executive of KHDA's Growth and Human Development Sector, said the councils reflect a commitment to ensuring that parents and educators are active contributors to the policies, programmes, and initiatives that shape education in Dubai.
Why this matters for parents
For most families, the Parents Council will not change anything visible at their child's school in the short term. The longer-term significance lies in the principle: a named, ongoing channel through which KHDA can hear parent perspectives in a structured way, rather than only through one-off surveys or consultations. With 15 council members, the role is to surface themes that affect Dubai parents broadly rather than to advocate for any single school. The council's work is advisory; it informs KHDA's policy direction without replacing KHDA's regulatory role.
The wider shift in how KHDA operates
The councils sit alongside other recent KHDA changes that point in a similar direction. KHDA paused full inspections for two academic years and is resuming them in 2026–27 with a short-notice approach. Together, these moves suggest a less calendar-driven, more continuous model of education governance, with parent and educator voices feeding into policy on a standing basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Dubai Parents Council?
The Dubai Parents Council is a 15-member advisory body launched by KHDA to give parents a formal role in shaping education policy in Dubai. It begins its work at the start of the 2026–27 academic year.
How many members do the new councils have?
Each council has 15 members. KHDA received 152 applications for the Dubai Parents Council and 160 for the Dubai Educators Council, with appointments running for a one-year term and members eligible to apply for a second term subject to performance and eligibility.
What will the councils advise KHDA on?
The Parents Council will focus on student wellbeing, inclusion and support services, community engagement, school-parent partnerships, and educational policies. The Educators Council will focus on student learning, wellbeing and inclusion, teacher-related matters, and classroom practice.
Can parents apply to join a future council?
Future application rounds will follow as the one-year terms cycle. Parents interested in serving in a future round should monitor KHDA's official communications channels for the next intake.
