Job Discussion Forums

wilberforce · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 647

More than twenty people have been put on the choppers block and more to come. Most of the Direct Hires have been told to leave, I've heard there are only three or four left and probably they are scared to death. Contract teachers are also going to get fired. We get varying reports of exactly how many. Two weeks before the holidays. Disgusting!

wilberforce · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 647

No news about the mass firings.

http://www.qp.com.qa/qp.nsf

karachi · Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 11

I see from the QP website that they are still recruiting English teachers for corporate training. Mind you, it seems to be one of those permanent advertisements that you never get a response to when you apply. Like a "Closing Down Sale" you always see in some shop windows.

wilberforce · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 647

Yes, they are still advertising whatever that means. However, they have now chopped most of the Direct Hires.

Word is they are going to get rid of more teachers - contract teachers - since there are only about 4 direct hires left. The new building apparently doesn't have enough classrooms for 80 teachers! This is supposed to be one reason for the cut. The other reason, it is said, is the new community colleges. Students are supposed to be slotted into these new colleges. If they make the grade, then they can apply to QP training center. Nobody knows if this is true or not but another big chop-chop is slated very soon.

Paul in Saudi · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 404 Location: Doha, Qatar

nadeem just came around and is giving (seemingly) their termination notices. He says QP is cutting back. That is about thirty in on blow.

Paul in Saudi · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 404 Location: Doha, Qatar

OK, about 25 people got the ax. It would seem that in general they were firing people over age 50 or so.

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

Hey Paul... didn't you just arrive at QP? Are you already packing again?

VS

Paul in Saudi · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 404 Location: Doha, Qatar

My first ELT job lasted five years. My second lasted seven years, my place at QP lasted four months. One guy has been here a month.

They seem to have fired all the old and old-looking people.

I did not go to the office yesterday, I had to go to the pharmacy and start to pack. I hear "they" are "upset" at me. Bummer.

karachi · Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 11

Never mind Paul. They are recruiting in Saudi for a big oil company and Bell on www.tefl.com. You seemed to prefer Saudi anyway.

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

wilberforce · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 647

Altogether maybe 36 or 37 teachers out of about 78 or 80 have been fired since January. That's close to 50% of the staff. The Golden Days of the Gulag are over. Once they move to the new premises with the survivers the morale will be low and teachers will be paranoid. Still no confirmed news about what's happening with IMTIAZ. Anyway, their contract is over end of January 2010, rumors that it could be renewed - just as many rumors that it's curtains for them just like it's been curtains for most of us.

Since the Golden Gulag days are over, it's time to move on for me so back to grad school for my MA and hand-to-mouth living. My last day is over. The end of the road and the end of the Gulag was we know it.

Since the big firings the Gulag atmosphere has been thick with anger, resentment, fear, outrage, hostility, paranoia and depression. Not a good place to work at the moment. I've been hear for more than 10 years and have seen it all. I suppose the beginning of the end for me was when Happy Henty left. He used to make us laugh and hang in and hang on.

Good-bye all you Great Gulagers. You've been a fine bunch to know. I'll miss you all, our good times down at the Oasis, down at Garvey's, the Rugby Club and Ramada. All the good places are gone so I may as well call it a day and the end of an era.

Good luck to the survivers. I hope it's worth your while. Things will never be the same!!!

jdl · Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Posts: 632 Location: cyberspace

So are there employment opportunities at QP or are the 'axings' a cutback? Do you have an idea of the number of 'new hires'?

lollaerd · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 337

Maybe with direct hire. The contract teachers have been treated very badly. First the summer hirings and now the last 30 who are left have to leave as there is no money left to pay their salaries. QP hasn't paid IMTIAZ what it owes them for the past 5 or 6 months so IMTIAZ has no money (or not enough) to pay the salaries (and rents!!!!) of the contract teachers who are left.

Clearly QP has not put the students first in this scenario. Good job I left QP last year.