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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 1:42 am Post subject: |
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machita wrote: |
Does the taxi situation apply in Oman as well? |
Not sure what this question means? Could you clarify? Are you talking about the safety of taking a taxi within the town you will reside? Taking a taxi for 1.5 hours to Muscat from Ibra? Or what?
VS |
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TheSilentKind
Joined: 01 Jul 2009 Posts: 23
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Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 5:42 am Post subject: Re: Ibra |
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thegoodprofessor wrote: |
Yes, a good experience. Not a bad place with a decent respectful staff of teachers. One of the better schools not to be confused with the il respected Ibri. |
I thought that this was a new university only starting this year. How can they have "decent respectful staff of teachers" if none have previously been hired?
Am I mistaken? |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 2:35 pm Post subject: |
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This has been confusing. I think what may have happened is that they are calling it Sharqiya University now... whereas before it was just the Ibra branch of what were originally teacher's colleges spread around Oman that were converted to other fields and added 4 year degrees.
Hopefully someone will come along to verify it.
VS |
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TheSilentKind
Joined: 01 Jul 2009 Posts: 23
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Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 7:50 am Post subject: |
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veiledsentiments wrote: |
This has been confusing. I think what may have happened is that they are calling it Sharqiya University now... whereas before it was just the Ibra branch of what were originally teacher's colleges spread around Oman that were converted to other fields and added 4 year degrees.
Hopefully someone will come along to verify it.
VS |
I heard that there's a new one opening in Ibra called Sharquiya University (private) that has out-sourced the foundation program. The job advert looks like the same one from ELS Oman... It all looks confusing! Any one know more? |
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mccainjohn96
Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 93
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Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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So what's the news at Sharqiya U? Anybody arrive yet? |
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eslbear
Joined: 19 Feb 2010 Posts: 93
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Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 7:31 am Post subject: re Sharqiya |
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Yes, it is a new private university, not part of the HCT system run by the MoM. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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If you do a google, all you get is all their job adverts, discussions here, and a notice of some investment company putting in some money.
Very very vague... hopefully some of the new people will come on soon and tell us what is or is not happening. Like... have they managed to hire anyone in yet? do they have any students?
VS |
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Vorbourg
Joined: 28 Aug 2010 Posts: 7
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 1:05 pm Post subject: what is it ? it is.... |
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It is a new University, building is 'still' under construction.
They are hiring through a local company.
Ibra is a tiny dull desert town with a dysfunctional expat collection.
The money is very good because they are desperate for native speakers for the first year...after that they will not renew contracts and start the usual hiring of non native English teaching staff..once they lure students in.
Bait and switch game.
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 1:57 pm Post subject: Re: what is it ? it is.... |
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Vorbourg wrote: |
... with a dysfunctional expat collection. |
Some things never change. I must say that this factor was part of what made teaching in the Gulf interesting. One just hoped that none of them was psychotic or violent.
Part of it is bait and switch... but economics is the real cause for the change. There are just not enough students with enough cash in Oman to maintain a Western expat faculty.
VS |
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mccainjohn96
Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 93
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:24 am Post subject: |
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Dear Vorbourg,
So you're one of the new hires? Boots on the ground? Please tell us more! |
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Vorbourg
Joined: 28 Aug 2010 Posts: 7
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 2:09 pm Post subject: Western native speaking staff vs. the world |
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economics?
Western staff and OTHER staff make nearly the same money in the NEW Oman. The difference is less 200 omr at most. Often much less. VS. you were here a billion years ago it seems. And although your input is interesting it is often out of date and second hand information gaging by your millions of posts.
Bait and Switch. Why?
Bascially whitey expat staff are a pain in the bottom for locals. Western expats demand to fix what is broke more often than not.
This means the system. The system here is not good. You pay you pass.
Native expats are appealing to the locals girls and boys in more than one way. Makes the locals jealous and angry.
Western staff are less easily manipulated and come from countries with human rights. This means when abusive labour practices 'come up' too many native expats on staff will mean ...the staff will probably go 'against' the management in trying to 'right' wrongs...so to speak. Happened recently at the M.O.H.E.
Result...bye bye expat staff hello OTHERS.
Also Western staff do not easily pass students or give them 100 as they all believe they should have. So this causes headaches for management who later manipulate the grades.
See how bait and switch is less about economics as it is culture.
It's their party and they will lie if they want to - lie if they want to...
At these sweat shops i mean bait and switch operations, they will use the white face to attract money. Once they got their money for the first year it sort of guarantees them those students for the next four years. GOOD BYE whitey .
Local students are often given gov't funding to attend these places even if they are private. Money is not really the issue. Salaries are now nearly on par.
It is about WHO's THE BOSS.
It is just a fact that there are many nationalities who are decent teachers.
But in terms of being a submissive staff member with a passport from a non Western country...they are the preferred flavor because they just 'fit' easy and don't squack to the ministry or labour department when there is a problem.
squack squack squack squack .......all the way to the labour courts where the reputation of the colleges and universties becomes too public and embarrassing. Better to hire the passive ones.
Everyone sing.
It's their party and they will lie if they want to - lie if they want to. |
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mccainjohn96
Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 93
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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Good stuff. How about some specifics? Actual salary range? Housing? Offices? Internet? Transport? |
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Duffy
Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 449 Location: Oman
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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For someone who has been posting mainly about Eastern Europe you seem to have a somewhat "in depth" knowledge of Oman. Is this from experience or just what you have gleaned from "Rumour Control" ???
Duffy |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004 Posts: 3500 Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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Vorbourg...I would question the stiffness of yer back and the depth of yer intellect...especially when it comes to publicly insulting a respected and seasoned member of these ME boards. I am NOT sticking up for anyone as we are all big boys and girls.
I am suggesting respect...
NCTBA |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:19 am Post subject: |
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Presumably Mr Vorbourg has worked in Oman, and I agree with many of his points. In particular, I agree that the non-Westerners are more popular with a management that wishes to manipulate and/or overwork their staff.
By economics, I didn't say (or mean) that they would have a two tier wage system and pay the non-native speakers one salary and the native speakers another. I actually did not encounter that situation in Oman. The scales were always fair in that way. That said, these private universities are just not able to pay high enough salaries to hire the NS teachers with good credentials and experience.
But the reality is that non-Western expats do tend to be cheaper than Western expats. We are more demanding of the quality of our housing. And, our tickets alone cost significantly more. Return tickets to Lincoln, Nebraska or Sydney, Australia cost significantly more than Mumbai or Amman. That adds up quickly if we are talking about 30-50 teachers.
One didn't have to be in Oman last week to see the obvious.
VS
(I am curious as to what Mr V considers a "very good" salary as he claims above. He should inform our current applicants of that number to see if they agree) |
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