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lcanupp1964
Joined: 12 Dec 2009 Posts: 381
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:05 am Post subject: KBS Recruitment and Kuwait Bilingual School in Jahra |
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Hello All!
Can anybody please provide any feedback on KBS Recruitment? They want to work with me regarding a position for Kuwait Bilingual School in Jahra. They would like me to teach 4th and 5th grade classes. All I know is that Jahra is not a very good area. I'm very interested in how well this company and the school treat their teachers. The offer is for 3000 USD per month with a furnished, non-sharing rent-free apartment. They provide a �settling in allowance� and an attendance bonus, but did not state how much. Transportation to-and-from school is provided. They �say� that it�s only a five min. drive, but I tend not to believe that � we all know what recruiters will say just to get their commission. I think the teaching hours are going to be 30, but hey, it�s a middle school. I have nine years exp. teaching ESL (2 of those years in the Middle East). In addition, I taught English at a public school for a year in the states before all the crazy kids ran me towards ESL. I also have a 120-hour (on-site) TESOL, a 50-hours TESOL for "young learners" and another 50-hour TESOL for "Business English" � both of the last two was on-site as well. OH, I have a BA in English and I am working on my MA in ED, but I have another year before I'm done. Thanks very much for any information you can give me. Cheers! |
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15yearsinQ8
Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 462 Location: kuwait
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 4:54 am Post subject: |
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jahra is exclusively beduoin - families are extremely tribal, conservative.
to say beduoins are bad is like saying black people (or any other group) is bad
jahra and beduoins , some say, have a bad rap.
i've had beduoin adult students (men and women) who never talked to me. others were very warm, very sharing, very relating to the aspects of my life which i shared with them.
my advice is to remain professional and be respectful or at least non-judgemental of their ways - learn their language - pm me for more
KBS was set up with a lot of money and strict school procedures - almost unbelievable that beduoin parents who answered to no one except their tribe were made to willingly wait quietly IN LINE during parent teacher conferences - when i heard that a while ago, i knew the principal really got the respect of the community - now i don't know
that was a while ago, i don't have any recent info
but could be a very viable offer.... |
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rowntree
Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 55
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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LOL i went to Jahra once, 19 years ago.
I'd rather work in Salmiya for 600KD as in Jahra for 1600.......
A few years back, the British Council sent some teachers out there on contract work- one was a blonde. They trashed her car and all teachers had to have a police escort back to civilisation.......
Teaching Bedou from Jahra is completely different from teaching Bedou in Jahra..... |
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usa_in_gulf
Joined: 10 Aug 2009 Posts: 133 Location: Gulf
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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Jahra has changed drastically in the past 19 years. Its completely safe--no need to worry. I am very, very familiar with the area--lived there for a couple years, have relatives in the area, and my husband has a business in Jahra. (FYI-I am a blonde, blue eyed American woman... absolutely no problems.)
Nineteen years is a long time ago--Jahra is not the same as it was back then. As mentioned by 15yearsinQ8, go there with an open mind--its a concervative community--its not America--but you will find plenty of shopping centers, Burger King, Pizza Huts and McDonald's.
If you simply respect the culture, and you are willing, most likely you will have some wonderful experiances and make some great friends. |
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rowntree
Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 55
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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Oh paleeez. LOL.
I've lived here for 24 years, don't try and tell me you and your blonde hair and blue eyes go walking round Jahra on a regular basis.......
BTW- this school brought a guy over from the US in September and terminated him a month later...... |
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usa_in_gulf
Joined: 10 Aug 2009 Posts: 133 Location: Gulf
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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Oh paleeez. LOL.
I've lived here for 24 years, don't try and tell me you and your blonde hair and blue eyes go walking round Jahra on a regular basis.......
BTW- this school brought a guy over from the US in September and terminated him a month later...... |
I don't understand your rudeness or how you can live in Kuwait for 24 years and have only been to Jahra once?? And then feel that you know Jahra well enough to post any information here??? Oh paleeezzz LOOOL It amazes me that people can live in a foreign country but know nothing about it. Sad, really sad.
I see that you have edited your post. But for your information- No, I did not meet my husband in the US, he is bedu- but not from Jahra-- and I am not "starrey eyed". I first came to Kuwait over 25 years ago as Director of Operations (Middle East/Gulf) for a large US corporation. I met my husband in Kuwait. I am a vetern of the US Army--was an Arabic Linquist. I currently hold both US and Kuwaiti passport--as do my children. I have a MBA, MA, and will receive my PhD this spring. Take me out of the "starrey eyed" category you have me in--please.
And what point are you trying to make about letting an employee go within the first month? The probation period in Kuwait is 90 days.. so again, whats your point?? |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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OK... let's say that both of you have a point. It is not as bad as it used to be, but is probably not a good location for a newbie to the Gulf. Our OP has had Middle East experience and she isn't a kid, so she might get along fine out there.
I would expect that the kids are probably a handful, but Ms 1964 is likely more interested in knowing if she can trust the employer to fulfill the contract and support its teachers.
VS |
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15yearsinQ8
Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 462 Location: kuwait
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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whoa - ladies, fighting over who knows the bedu and jahra the most is not becoming on this branch.
i know rowntree and you don't want to mess with her....cut her some slack, she may be british/irish, whatever.
as such beware those who wore the uniform - never know what PTSD and a knowledge of weapons can create.....don't mess with those types either.
kuwait is too small to have many enemies - now ladies, how about coming over to my diwaniya for a 'beer summit' (i may get a nobel prize afterward.....) |
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rowntree
Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 55
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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Yes I'm from Dublin, beware.
It was because I am not rude that I edited the comment..............however.
People avoid Jahra. Teachers rarely want to work there. It is tribalistic and what people anywhere else would call ''the sticks''.
I know plenty about the country I have chosen to call home for 24 years and do not try to paint it anything other than it is- with its faults and glories.
I also met my husband in Kuwait, hold an Irish and Kuwaiti passport as do my four children, a BA a Masters and will get my PhD in December- tho what that has to do with the price of eggs is anyone's guess.
And the probation period is 100 days.
Have a nice one.
PS- how many fatalities now from the wedding fire in Jahra? |
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rowntree
Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 55
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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Jahra? Oh it's divine....
''58 boys arrested: Security officials from the Jahra Directorate conducted a security campaign against miscreants in private schools near a market area and managed to arrest 58 boys for throwing stones at shop windows. The campaign was conducted after the officials received information about the misbehavior of the boys upon leaving the examination halls. All the arrested boys - who are also minors - were referred to the authorities and strict action for damage to property and misbehavior is expected to be taken against them. Above: Securitymen arrive at a school to arrest miscreants'' |
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bedwiya
Joined: 24 Jan 2003 Posts: 66 Location: Kuwait
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Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:01 pm Post subject: Jahra |
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I've had Kuwaiti students who have never been out to Jahra in their lifetimes, nor do they ever plan to. They are always amazed that I would want to venture out "there" to visit the Red Fort or look around. I don't have anything against the bedu, as many are lovely people, but I would not want to teach or live out there. |
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rowntree
Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 55
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Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:22 am Post subject: |
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Exactly.
To the Original Poster- KBS is not one of the top recruiters in Kuwait and none of the 'top schools' own schools in Jahra. Kuwait Bilingual School does not have a 'good' reputation and kids don't travel 20 minutes in the morning simply to attend that school- as they would for example for UAS, KES, NES, AIS etc. It is exclusively for Bedu families living in Jahra.
I've never in my time here ever heard anyone say....'I'm going shopping in Jahra tomorrow...I can't wait!!' or 'God I hate Salmiya, I really wish I could get a job in Jahra....'...'Jahra, that's the place for me'....etc....etc... |
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usa_in_gulf
Joined: 10 Aug 2009 Posts: 133 Location: Gulf
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Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:17 am Post subject: |
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Quote: |
I also met my husband in Kuwait, hold an Irish and Kuwaiti passport as do my four children, a BA a Masters and will get my PhD in December- tho what that has to do with the price of eggs is anyone's guess.
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Refer to your post before you edited ... very clear why I replied the way I did.
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PS- how many fatalities now from the wedding fire in Jahra? |
Don't understand why you would put that in.. but the answer is over 40-- including my neice...
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as they would for example for UAS, KES, NES, AIS etc. It is exclusively for Bedu families living in Jahra.
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Really?? You consider UAS, KES, NES, and AIS good schools??? Funny!
I guess I shouldn't be surprised to the reactions when I simply said that Jahra had changed a lot in 19 years... I said it politely...I guess I was "starrey eyed" thinking that updated and first-hand information would be appreciated. Its sad that the "tone" of this site is so rude. Mostly its the same 15 people or so talking to each other... passing on outdated and 3rd, 4th, and 5th hand--myopic-- information.
Typically, people go overseas to experiance a new culture--meet new people--have adventures..etc... not sit in an apartment located in an area with only a small number of locals living near by--such as Salmiya in Kuwait....
BTW: The overwhelming majority of Kuwaitis are bedu.. whether they live in Jahra, Dasman, Fahaheel, or Salwa... |
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rowntree
Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 55
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Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:52 am Post subject: |
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No my original pre edited post didn't ask anything about how many degrees you had, you just wanted to tell us.
Yes there are Bedu families all over Kuwait, of course there are-Dasman,Salwa,Qordoba,Fintas.....but ,what did you say?
''The overwhelming majority of Kuwaitis are bedu.. '' ??????
Jahra may have changed a lot, physically but the tradition is still the same,and the population the same too- I have taught Bedu kids from Jahra who announce their entrance into a class room, by tossing their shoes in the corner, and my reference to the fire at the bedu wedding? Well it was pretty predictable that this would be the area it would happen if it was going to happen- illegal tent, Bedu in Jahra completely ignoring the laws and bylaws in the rest of the country banning the use of such tents, uneducated Bedu woman killing 40, with callous regard for other human beings , similar to the mentality of the ones who trample you at the check out trying to pay first.........
I think you mistake rudeness for realism- give me 5 people who think Jahra is heaven and I'll give you 50 ( long termers) who think it's hell.
As for ''Really?? You consider UAS, KES, NES, and AIS good schools???''
I don't know about the American ones really, but yes, KES and NES are considered in the ''top 5'' English Private Schools in Kuwait, which is why every year they have a waiting list as long as your arm. |
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15yearsinQ8
Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 462 Location: kuwait
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Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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bam, bam (the sound of shots fired in the air)
ladies, you all need to come to my diwaniya and we'll talk |
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