Job Discussion Forums

mli_vet · Joined: 11 Jun 2003 Posts: 99

Sources, schmources. Ya, ya, yaaaaaaa ha bald bibi hover, hover.

On behalf of all MLI Vets, can we have our $$$ now, GHQ? Please? We'll promise to be good, suck up, come back after vacation, and get those tatoos and MLI brands without complaint. Honest!

MLI Vet
Over and Out
[email protected]

Bindair Dundat · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 1123

tefllifer · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 81

MLI Vet and BD,
Nobody cares if Vet has a dog, or BD is bald or anything like that - let's stick to the point -
MLI Vet - what is this money you mention - hasn't everyone now got their back pay and 10% and such?
And is there any more on bans or no bans? What's the latest gos?

mli_vet · Joined: 11 Jun 2003 Posts: 99

Thanks for the timely reminder of forum etiquette TEFLiffer. We needed that. No, everyone has not gotten their back pay, 10%, etc., and there are still a lot of $$$ problems and other issues related to vacation (accrued days), visa bans, no objection letters and so on. This is not just gossip or hearsay.

MLI Vet
Over and Out
[email protected]

django · Joined: 31 May 2004 Posts: 37

4sure · Joined: 14 Mar 2004 Posts: 13 Location: Middle East

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

4sure

A good sign, but does that person have a new job for next year in the Emirates? Or was s/he one who was resigning to not come back anyway?

VS

bobo_the_circus_chimp · Joined: 28 May 2004 Posts: 19

My sources inside the MLI have confirmed that several people with distance MA's have already begun to resign and that this is expected to continue throughout the summer and next year. Looks like people with distance MA's will have to leave or take a pay cut and work for the BA salary. There is good news, however, as the staff were told recently that they would not incur visa bans if they choose to leave. That is a positive development.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Hi all,

I hear that the MLI has sent out an official memo today stating that no teachers will be banned if they resign to take up new jobs in the Emirates.

That is certainly good news, not only for the teachers who may need to leave because of the pay cut, but because it is positive that the management has realized that the uncertainly was harming their reputation in the EFL community.

VS

django · Joined: 31 May 2004 Posts: 37

now it just remains for commonsense to prevail over the issue of distance masters

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

django,

I expect that this may happen eventually. But, we can't blame that one on MLI. That came from the Ministry of Education.

But, since the Ministry of Higher Education still accepts them, common sense may prevail.

Or so one hopes.

VS

django · Joined: 31 May 2004 Posts: 37

hard to see how when the ministry insists on benchmarking against uae-type qualifications and currently uae doesn't have distance masters, right?

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

django,

Sorry, but I don't understand your question here. 'benchmarking?' what is that here? 'uae-type qualification?' not sure what you mean by that either. And I don't know if there are any UAE institutions that give classes or degrees over the internet or not. I would guess not, but that is only a guess.

The fact is that the Ministry of Higher Education accepts distance degrees, so you can use them to teach in the colleges and universities and be eligible for the higher salary.

The Ministry of Education had stopped accepting them, so they are not recognized in primary or secondary or at military training, which is apparently under their jurisdiction.

Because of the number of people getting distance degrees, I expect that this is not the last that we will hear of this.

VS

django · Joined: 31 May 2004 Posts: 37

Sorry VS my tongue was in firmly my cheek. For 'benchmarking' let's try establishing an equivalent. Again, yes, distance education is in its infancy here in the UAE and so there is no equivalent according to the Min of Ed for distance masters in MLI. It would be nice to think that the Min of Ed could take a similarly pragmatic view to this issue as the Min of Higher Ed. That's all.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Yes, it can be sometimes difficult to transmit humor on these boards. I tend to use those stupid emoticon thingies, tho I don't really like them all that much. Rolling Eyes

If I had to put money on what happened to change things, I would bet that the Ministry of Ed found out that a number of the DL MAs that they had were bogus. So, rather than coming up with a system to verify them, you just stop accepting them. Following which they all had a round of tea and went back to reading the newspaper.

Bureaucracies around the world are nothing if not predictable. I expect that they will only change it if it interferes with getting enough teachers at the affected institutions.

VS