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New private/int'l school regs for expat teachers
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Sat Mar 19, 2016 10:17 pm    Post subject: New private/int'l school regs for expat teachers Reply with quote

Tougher regulations for hiring non-Saudi teachers
By Mohammad Al-Zahrani, Saudi Gazette | March 20, 2016
Source: http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/tougher-regulations-hiring-non-saudi-teachers/

TAIF — Private and international schools can no longer hire non-Saudi teachers for Arabic language, Islamic education and social sciences, according to new regulations of the Ministry of Education. The ministry has also laid down nine new criteria for hiring non-Saudi teachers, according to a source.

As per the new criteria, a non-Saudi teacher must have a minimum of two years teaching experience without a break, must be qualified to teach the subject he is being hired for, must pass personal interview, must have at least a Bachelor’s in Education degree, must not be over 65 years of age and must not have taught in the Kingdom for the last three years.

The source also said that there are more regulations for non-Saudi teachers residing in the Kingdom.

They must have a valid residence permit, pass the exam conducted by the National Center for Assessment in Higher Education (Qiyas) and submit a copy of the resignation letter from their previous workplace. Non-Saudi teachers residing in the Kingdom are exempted from the condition of not having taught in the Kingdom for the last three years, said the source.

(End of article)
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Hatcher



Joined: 20 Mar 2008
Posts: 602

PostPosted: Sat Mar 19, 2016 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If anyone has worked in Saudi at a private or international school, you know how hard it is get people. I taught for a semester and can assure you it is next to impossible.

A cert teacher can go almost anywhere including China and Malaysia... Qatar and UAE as well.... why would they go to Saudi?

The result of this regulation is to make Saudis think the govt is looking after them. In fact, it wont have any effect because the schools will hire people under the table. I know several at the top private schools and none have a license.
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gregory999



Joined: 29 Jul 2015
Posts: 372
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 12:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hatcher wrote:

A cert teacher can go almost anywhere including China and Malaysia... Qatar and UAE as well.... why would they go to Saudi?

The new regulations is for non-Saudi teachers of Arabic language, Islamic education and social sciences, not for English languge.
The most teachers to be affected by this regulation are the teachers from Arab countries.
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1st Sgt Welsh



Joined: 13 Dec 2010
Posts: 946
Location: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hatcher wrote:
If anyone has worked in Saudi at a private or international school, you know how hard it is get people. I taught for a semester and can assure you it is next to impossible.

A cert teacher can go almost anywhere including China and Malaysia... Qatar and UAE as well.... why would they go to Saudi?


That's pretty much what I would have thought and I got involved in a fairly lengthy discussion with some other posters on the "Qualifications" thread on just this very thing a little while ago. The upshot of that thread was that even the lower tier international schools still needed the two years' home experience and even Western certified teachers, with distance educational qualifications, were not eligible due to state regulations. Like I said on the other thread, that's no big deal for me, but, as you've just highlighted, I wouldn't have thought they could afford to be all that fussy, (unless, of course, they are happy to pay out the mega bucks). Anyway, the free labor market will sort it out and if their requirements are unrealistic then they are the ones who will ultimately have to deal with it and serves 'em right.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 4:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

gregory999 wrote:
The new regulations is for non-Saudi teachers of Arabic language, Islamic education and social sciences, not for English languge.
The most teachers to be affected by this regulation are the teachers from Arab countries.

That's doubtful since there's more than that one regulation:
    "Private and international schools can no longer hire non-Saudi teachers for Arabic language, Islamic education and social sciences, according to new regulations of the Ministry of Education. The ministry has also laid down nine new criteria for hiring non-Saudi teachers, according to a source."
Plus, there are private English-medium schools in KSA geared to Saudi students; some of my Saudi teaching colleagues had their children enrolled in such schools. Also keep in mind there are western teachers with UK, US, Canadian, and Aussie passports who have native proficiency in both Arabic and English.

I suspect KSA is likely to follow the UAE, which requires all k-12 teachers (public and international) be licensed/certified.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There is a large demand for private school places catering to Saudi and other Arabic-speaking pupils in all the Saudi cities. State schools are not good and many Saudi parents are savvy to this.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 3:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scot47:

Like me, your daughters are third-culture kids. However, I was mostly educated in DoD schools during my years outside the US. How did your girls fare with the western-accredited private schools they attended in KSA?
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Older one was at SAIS-American School. She thought it was great. Younger one was too young to go to school there.
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Hatcher



Joined: 20 Mar 2008
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If anyone has worked at a private or international school then you know it is next to impossible to get cert teachers.

Why would they go to Saudi when they can go to places like Qatar and the UAE?
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plumpy nut



Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652

PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 6:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hatcher wrote:
If anyone has worked at a private or international school then you know it is next to impossible to get cert teachers.

Why would they go to Saudi when they can go to places like Qatar and the UAE?


Who knows? Laughing
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The deals on offer for teachers at the top-end schools like Continental, Jeddah Prep etc compare well with conditions offered to teachers back in the old country.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hatcher wrote:
If anyone has worked at a private or international school then you know it is next to impossible to get cert teachers.

Why would they go to Saudi when they can go to places like Qatar and the UAE?

You seem to overlook the fact that some western teachers are in KSA mainly for religious reasons.
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Hatcher



Joined: 20 Mar 2008
Posts: 602

PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 6:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I dont deny that there are a few but much less than demand requires.

So my point is that the new reg wont help and they wont get nearly enough to meet demand.
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1st Sgt Welsh



Joined: 13 Dec 2010
Posts: 946
Location: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 9:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

scot47 wrote:
The deals on offer for teachers at the top-end schools like Continental, Jeddah Prep etc compare well with conditions offered to teachers back in the old country.


About half-way through my first Oman contract, I remember commenting to one of my colleagues, who had been here for ages, about just how easy it was to save here. He just shrugged and said: "You're living in the Gulf, you should be well-paid." I've been in the GCC for a while now and I think he's got a point. If an experienced, licensed Western international teacher can earn and save good money working in a country like Thailand, then personally, I would have thought, they should expect to be making buckets of money before even considering opting for the KSA.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hatcher wrote:
I dont deny that there are a few but much less than demand requires.

The majority of western teachers I worked with in KSA are Muslim. I knew of at least 2 who had previously taught in US public schools.


Last edited by nomad soul on Fri Mar 25, 2016 4:03 pm; edited 1 time in total
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