Job Discussion Forums

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

Try the Oman Observer.

Duffy · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 449 Location: Oman

FANXS

Aliskander · Joined: 01 Feb 2005 Posts: 50

Call Yousuf Al Mahrooqi - 99099002 (tell him i gave your number). If he does not know he will put you in touch with someone who does - possibly from SPS.
Or contact ROP coastguard at the port. You will need an Arabic spekaer though and you may have to explain why you want this info.

steppy-boy · Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 61

Hi,

Currently teaching at Sohar College for the Ministry. Would really love to be transferred to Salalah.

Any ideas from anyone.

Thanks.

Steppy-boy.

Ian creighton · Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 5

hi Aliskander... The postings on Oman and in particular Salalah seem to be almost two years old. All very informative and interesting... particularly yours and Kitebiker. I am considering going to teach at one of the Higher Clleges of Education.

Just wondering if you are still in Oman and if anything has changed and you are still enjoying it...?

Aliskander · Joined: 01 Feb 2005 Posts: 50

Hi,
Yes stil in Salalah and YES still enjoy it. We have some new supermarkets here and a new 'lifestyle' shop that sells some good things (clothes, shoes, perfumed candles and super home furnishings). The Hamdan hospital is excellent - i speak from experience having had a severe medical problem recently. The weather now is hot, but heading to the Khareef. The students are a mix of girls and boys, northern and local, high, medium and low ability - like anywhere in the world. Bureacracy is not super and administration is frustrating, but you learn to keep quiet, smile and get on with life. Or leave!
In short - i would definately recommend Salalah. But if you want fancy 5* restaurants, bars, nightclubs etc etc then i don't recommend it. If you want any more info about the social life or places to go , let me know - either on Dave's or by email.

Ian creighton · Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 5

hi Aliskandor....

My name is Ian and my e-mail is <[email protected]>

Thanks for your speedy reply.

It is not confirmed yet, but I hope to be teaching IT in Salalah with the MOHE after November. I am not a person to be attracted by "fancy 5* restaurants, bars, nightclubs etc etc" but I do enjoy a good meal, a glass of wine and stimulating, talkative company.

I was just wondering if you have access to Broadband Internet in Salalah, since my interests are mostly related to innovations in teaching IT and in particular multimedia topics.

I am not a geek who spends most of their life on the Internet, but here in Queensland, Australia I keep regular contact with my students through e-mail and have become used to the speedy connection of a Broadband connection.

Any info. would be greatly appreciated...

cheers Ian

Zola6666 · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 34 Location: Erewhon

The non-teaching colleges, five of the six, are now called Colleges of Applied Sciences, offering degress in business, design, IT, communications and maybe another business program. Only one college - Rustaq - remains a teacher college. Oman has now successfully replaced foreign teachers in the k-12 sytem with their own Omani teachers. This is a great improvement! Kinda.... since a country with a new educational system has a long learning curve.

Yes, Salalah is nice, and the expats are not. Most of us at the college remain aloof from our colleagues to protect ourselves. When I proposed a dinner/lunch with the new teachers in September, nearly everyone groaned..... not very hospitable people.

The teaching is difficult because we - all the colleges - aren't provided with correct materials, so bring your own materials. Luckily, we recently were given a state of the art copier machine that even staples papers.

The English language units have become Departments.

Students seem to learn despite all the problems. It's rather rewarding to discover that... when it all seemed so hopelessly chaotic and unproductive.

At home, I have some kind of Internet connection that isn't dial up which is fast and reliable. The school here, thankfully, has a rather good connection, that can slow down seriously when too many students are using it. This is an improvement over Rustaq, where it took nearly half an hour or more to have students get Yahoo addresses. I hear the connection in Sur is bad. At school, all teachers now have their own computers with Internet access. I brought in my own printer to avoid problems with the school's printers. This was a wise decision.

The weather is always cooler in Salalah than up north. The date and coconut palm trees are always relaxing to drive by. But after two years, I hope to move to Sohar where I'll have much easier access to the UAE, and movies! And some good friends in Abu Dhabi.

Duffy · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 449 Location: Oman

Given all the "problems" as posted by teachers currently working at Sohar College, why would you want to leave one "allegedly" dysfunctional group for another "alleged" one?

Duffy Rolling Eyes

Ian creighton · Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 5

hi Zola6666

You did not mention where you are living. Are you in Salalah..?
Forgive my lack of knowledge of the area and institutions...but what are non-teaching colleges..? and why are the expats. not nice..? do they not take a regular shower..?

You mentioned "Most of us at the college remain aloof from our colleagues to protect ourselves" I understand aloof but I am not quite sure what you mean by protecting yourself... from what..?

Thanks for the rest of useful tips, bringing correct materials, printer and Internet connection (maybe I'll bring my own..!)

Good luck in your move to Sohar.... and thanks... Ian

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

I can't answer as to why he doesn't like the people he works with. There are some odd characters in the Gulf anyway and the agents for the ministry have tended to take any warm body. Laughing

Originally all of the MOHE colleges were for teacher training, but now they have expanded into other majors to take the pressure off SQU which can't handle the high number of students coming up through the system.

VS

Ian creighton · Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 5

mon dieu..!!! zoots alors..!!

Is there some kind of secret society... an archaeological lodge of freemasons I am not privvy to... "the agents for the ministry have tended to take any warm body" sounds like something from Kafka or the X-files.

Jesting aside.... what is SQU... and as a newcomer I am very grateful for your comments..

and as they say... "the pen is mightier than the sword".. and a lot easier to write with... cheers Ian

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

Ah... and the search mechanism is very effective... Smile

See the top of the page...

The Ministry has turned hiring over to recruiting agents... absolutely the worst way to find a job in the Gulf as you will learn if you read around a few of the threads. (KSA is different in that most employers use agents...) It used to be that the Ministry did their own hiring and required MAs and hired only experienced teachers. Now the recruiters have lowered the standards to the absolute minimum and have taken people with no credentials or experience. There has been the predictable disintegration of the situation... and lower pay.

SQU - Sultan Qaboos University...

VS

Zola6666 · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 34 Location: Erewhon

Ian, yes, I'm in Salalah.

why are the expats. not nice..? do they not take a regular shower..?

Last year, an Irish teacher didn't take showers. His Irish accent was so strong, the students and I couldn't understand him. Students boycotted his classes. He was eventually fired - the Omani way, with two warnings to change his behavior, then with a final warning with a month's pay and time to stay and look for another job. This was quite different from the firings here under CfBT this year.

From my experience, often teachers without Masters teaching at a college or without relevant experience, feel bad about themselves and thus make it a point to PROVE they are better than the people with Masters. Thus turmoil. This is my NHO, based on 20 years teaching overseas in many countries.

You mentioned "Most of us at the college remain aloof from our colleagues to protect ourselves" I understand aloof but I am not quite sure what you mean by protecting yourself... from what..?

Protecting yourself from backbiting. You need to protect yourself from people telling lies about you to colleagues to hurt you, or telling lies (or private truths) to the Department Head or Dean or God knows who else. I only know a few examples of this behavior because such behavior is pretty much done underhandedly.

So Oman, and probably other Gulf countries, is not the place to reveal personal info or secrets to new colleagues. Sit and wait. Watch. Select your friends carefully and keep your acquaintances out of the loop about you, your life, your opinions. etc. Yes, I have managed to find a few colleagues I can count as friends.

Ian creighton · Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 5

Hmmmm... I guess what you are saying makes sense and may also be applied to many academic institutions. Is this why everybody hides behind a knickname on this forum..?

Anyway... all that aside. From a google earthmap I see Salalah is very much on the ocean. I can see As Sultan Qaboos St runs throughout the length of town. Would Salalah Park be the centre..?

What would be a nice area of town to live.... close to the ocean...?

Thanks for the earlier advice....