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smitty
Joined: 26 Jan 2010
Posts: 11
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 Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Captain Willard wrote: |
Wasn't someone laying odds on how long the director here would last?
Who won?
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Odds were laid as soon as we heard he was hired. The winner still works there, but he won't be able to collect much. The PYP Director increased the already high turn-over rate for teachers and most people involved quit or had their contract bought out. |
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Captain Willard
Joined: 11 Sep 2010
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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Well the winner should collect as much as he can get. Maybe he can use PayPal, Moneybookers, Neteller, or one of the other e-wallets?
How long did the last PYP director last?
| smitty wrote: |
| Captain Willard wrote: |
Wasn't someone laying odds on how long the director here would last?
Who won?
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Odds were laid as soon as we heard he was hired. The winner still works there, but he won't be able to collect much. The PYP Director increased the already high turn-over rate for teachers and most people involved quit or had their contract bought out. |
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bulgogiboy
Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 803
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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| ghdtreb wrote: |
Thanks guys for your succinct information. Fledex, one month is fast, I hope you've gone on to better things. Smitty, one year seems a long time for that place, would it be possible to have your email add? I really would like to pick your brain some more. I'm about to make a huge decision.
Cheers |
I'd like to give you some sincere advice to help you in your decision. I only wish my previous thread hadn't been deleted, as I listed most of the main problems in detail. I'll try and sum up the place in as few sentences as possible.
I understand what other posters are saying, in that JEC-PT is most likely just one of many nightmare-jobs in Saudi Arabia (I only ever worked at JEC-PT, nowhere else in Saudi), and probably not far from the norm in KSA, but it still doesn't detract from the fact that it's a dire place to work. It's dire. The whole college is a money-making enterprise for CADRE, the semi-governmental/semi-private company that runs JEC-PT. Education isn't the main concern. Making money from government funding is.
Living environment: Bleak, depressing and intolerably hot and humid for most of the year. Both 'compounds' are not real compounds. They are more like apartments with a big wall around them. Facilities are minimal, and, as another poster already highlighted, there are constant problems with things like internet, electricity, laundry facilities, etc. The new compound looks and feels like a prison block. It's one of the most horrible places I've ever lived.
Work environment: ZERO job satisfaction. You are always fighting a losing battle, with incompetence, cynicism and apathy running throughout the management, staff and student body in varying degrees. The incompetence is mostly on the part of management however, as most teachers at JEC-PT are trying their best under very difficult conditions. Seriously, the lack of job satisfaction is deeply demoralising. The cirriculum is a complete mess, with no clear direction whatsoever. There are one or two teachers with serious drink and/or personality problems, who get drunk and send round inflammatory and offensive circular emails, just to cope with the boredom, I think.
Security: A complete and utter JOKE, both at the compounds and on campus. If any angry radical gets it in his mind to slaughter whiteys with his AK-47 (easily acquired from the Yemeni border, no doubt), then the teachers will be SITTING DUCKS.
Holidays: Fluid. The number changes, often at very short notice, according to the whim of CADRE. I personally had 6 weeks of 'academic breaks', promised at the time of hiring, taken away from me upon arrival at JEC-PT. These fictional holidays are still being used in most of their adverts.
Positives: The salary, which many teachers think to be only slightly more than average for a Saudi college position, is paid on time. Or, at least it was during the little over 6 months I was there. As with all things in JEC-PT, it wouldn't surprise me if salary payment became irregular, in line with every single other policy and procedure at JEC-PT. Also, there are some nice teachers there (most of them miserable and looking desperately for somewhere else to work).
Living in Jazan is not 'living' as I understand it, and JEC-PT is not a 'college' as I understand the definition.
If you choose to go and work in JEC-PT you are entering a world of bleakness, frustration, rock-bottom workplace morale and constant stress and hassle. This may be the norm when it comes to living and working in Saudi Arabia (I don't know because I've never worked anywhere there other than JEC-PT ), but I all I can say is that it is well and truely to be avoided.
Oh, and as a previous poster pointed out, you, as a teacher, WILL be blamed for all the shortcomings of management, the unworkable curriculum, the failure of ill-thought-out policies/procedures and the students' lack of work ethic.
Best of luck to you,
Bulgogiboy
Last edited by bulgogiboy on Wed Feb 29, 2012 12:42 am; edited 5 times in total |
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PeterBar
Joined: 20 Jul 2006
Posts: 145
Location: La France profonde
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:49 pm Post subject: |
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JEC-PT started in confusion with mixed responsibility and no clear management responsibility. CEN had been sub-contracted to provide academic services and was immediately in conflict with Cadre/Sagia
The first Director did what he could to bring some sanity to the situation and held the place together in the face of incredible difficulties for the first year.
The first teachers arrived highly motivated and keen to do the best that they could.
Some of the first students hoped for, and were prepared to progress.
The majority were, however, only interested in their promised 'monthly salary and guaranteed employment after graduation' which was on the publicity that Cadre circulated
The Sagia website about the whole of JEC is an "artist's impression" - one or two of the planned buildings have been started - but it's the usual Saudi situation "Bukra, Mumkin, Inch Allah" and construction continues occasionally.
In 5 or 10 years maybe some of Jazan Economic City might, be built. JEC-PT will probably still be on the outskirts of Jazan city 80 kilometres away from the planned city.
I was the first teacher to arrive on site and I left over a year ago. Most of my original colleagues were committed to do the best that they could in a fluid situation. A couple of that original group of teachers are still there and I admire their resilience.
Nothing surprises me about what I read and what I hear. I had worked for 5 years with other employers in KSA and I think Desert has not quite seized the situation.
The real reason why so many find themselves in insupportable situations is because they don't believe what they read here - too many people believe that "I can cope" or "It's can't be true"
There also seems to be an almost inexhaustible supply of (mostly) young people either desperate enough or endebted enough to take the risk.
I contacted the Brit recruiter for JEC-PT and told him that I'd be prepared to go back there if he could assure me that he had actually visited the College.
Result - No reply.
Now, either I did a bad job and they don't want me back even though I tested and (tried) to select the first and select the second cohort.
or the Saudis thought that I demanded academic standards which were unreasonable.
or the recruiter has never seen the place and is only interested in his commissions.
Take your pick. |
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bulgogiboy
Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 803
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:50 pm Post subject: Re: There are many many more reasons not to come here |
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| enigmax wrote: |
than there are to remain. If you are not the hardy, tolerant, adaptive, patient type - you will not be among the 'survivors'. Another reason to remain, other than the salary, is that this is an opportunity to make this college into something. That's one main reason for me remaining. I think those others who have remained should get credit for enduring the circumstances here. I have so far fared better than those who were not re-signed. Had I not, I had made up my mind to simply move on. There are plenty of other jobs here in KSA. All in all I live like an 'executive' compared to the majority of people here. Some people are better off in Jeddah, Riyadh or the Eastern province. If you can get an Aramco or uni job, go for it.
The rumoring and complaining here is endless. I try to stay out of it and I've heard it all. I participated in that when I first arrived but I have better things to do now. That's what most people need in order to stay here - something (better) to do.
I think we are making progress and I can only offer my condolences to the casualties of that 'progress'. It has been roughly 2 years since this program started. I would say we have another 2 years before the program stabilizes. We have to establish competence before we achieve excellence. |
1. Yes, a big fat profit for CADRE! 
2. I would say there are 2 years, or less, until the whole college program is declared a failure, and you and the other teachers are abruptly put out of work. Poor old CADRE will just have to waddle off with a fortune of government money in their pockets and not give a flying hoot about any of you or the students. |
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ghdtreb
Joined: 12 May 2009
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:10 am Post subject: |
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Peterbar and especially bulgogiboy, I want to thank you both for your total honesty when talking about JEC PT. I have worked for some badly organised outfits in Indonesia and to a lesser extent Cambodia but Nothing on this scale.
I have actually withdrawn my application and am glad. After just finishing a rather long teaching contract I'm happy to be unemployed for a short while..and rather relieved. Again Thanks. |
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smitty
Joined: 26 Jan 2010
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:33 pm Post subject: |
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They didn't keep it a secret among the admin staff that they make a profit from the high turnover of teachers.
You can join the many and take a job then bail out once you realized what you've done.
I put up with it and thought about re-signing for another year. After they dicked around paying bonuses for the 2nd year in a row, why bother. |
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ecocks
Joined: 06 Nov 2007
Posts: 899
Location: Gdansk, Poland
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| Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 4:48 am Post subject: |
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| So, how are things with the new crop of teachers and the new administration? |
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smitty
Joined: 26 Jan 2010
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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From what I've been hearing, it's more of the same.
The US has upped the fighting in Yemen. It's no longer just drones and missiles, but fighter planes and soldiers on the ground. Luckily for JEC, it's 40 miles/60k outside of Yemen, so a reminder that it's the low fruit on the tree. I'll feel horrible if the staff gets killed, but I won't be surprised. |
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bulgogiboy
Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 803
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| Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| smitty wrote: |
From what I've been hearing, it's more of the same.
The US has upped the fighting in Yemen. It's no longer just drones and missiles, but fighter planes and soldiers on the ground. Luckily for JEC, it's 40 miles/60k outside of Yemen, so a reminder that it's the low fruit on the tree. I'll feel horrible if the staff gets killed, but I won't be surprised. |
If poorly-guided missiles don't get them then a poorly-driven landcruiser might! Either that or one of the falafel sandwiches from the canteen... |
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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 1082
Location: China
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bulgogiboy
Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 803
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| Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 6:15 am Post subject: |
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| It's been open, and constantly shambolic, for a few years now. Any adverts saying otherwise are lies. It's interesting that the salary advertised is 10K-15K more than most were getting when I was there. It's a very good chunk of change, but still not worth it to exist in the 7th circle of hellzan! |
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