Job Discussion Forums

[worldtraveller]

What is the norm or standard for the number of teaching hours?

Some companies are asking for 6 hours per day of teaching PLUS 2 hours of office. Seems kind of high, anyone else thinks that's kind of high?

[EFL Educator]

Kind of high? No 6 hours a day teaching English is the norm....its the EFL NWO !

[voyagerksa]

The norm in the ESL industry is 20 hours weekly. In some cases without office hours at all. If you're willing to work 30 hours weekly you might consider another country with a job that give you your monthly wages and overtime for hours above 20 hours.

[nomad soul]

[hash]

.
Also keep in mind that “stated contact” hours are largely fictitious.

There’s always a clause or statement in job contracts to the effect that “substitutions” are part and parcel of your “duties”. This means that even if your “usual” contact hours (teaching-in-class hours) are stated as 6, you could easily end up teaching 8 hours per day on a practically “on-call” basis…it’s happened to me and to most people on this board I venture to say.

And as everyone knows, the difference between teaching 6 hours and 8 hours/day is not “just” 2 extra hours……it’s a totally traumatic drain from which it’s hard to recover.

In some cases, you get paid for these extra hours…..but in many cases you don’t……because number of working hours in the contract is 40 per week so 8 X 5 = 40…….and that’s that. (There are planes leaving the Kingdom every day, don’t forget).

“Ghost” hours are also becoming common in KSA. By this I mean extra hours piled on in a sort of informal manner. Usually paid, but not always….and if they began as paid hours, they tend to change to unpaid.

For example, my still active and reliable sources at a major university inform me that what was once considered “volunteer” extra hours have slowly evolved into “expected” extra hours…..paid, I believe, but now sort of mandatory whether you want them or not. These are not “substitution” hours….these are extra hours (paid) that have now become "blended" into daily schedules. (You still have to do substitutions (for "absent" teachers) which are unpaid). In addition, unpaid evening and weekend scheduled exams are becoming "routine".

Bottom line: don't believe everything you read. Most of the really important details are deliberately omitted

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[nomad soul]

[leggeymountbatten]

An additional feature is the requirement at universities in the Kingdom to work unsocial hours, often at very short notice.

Working weekends (Saturdays) is by no means unusual, as is invigilating exams late into the evening.

Another feature is that teachers don't routinely get paid for scheduled teaching hours if they become null and void because there are exams held later in the day. One gets paid for the invigilation, but not the scheduled teaching.

Yet another feature at one university in the Eastern Province is the enforcement of what is described as "voluntary" overtime.

Like the army, unless one volunteers, one's arm is twisted to such an extent that one is obliged to do it. This is particularly acute in September when there is a high influx of students.

Once the overtime is done for the module (8 weeks), payment comes late, maybe as late as into the new year. Moreover, the overtime is paid at a rate which is less than the rate for normal teaching hours.

I make no comment, just report the facts.
Leggey

[nomad soul]

[leggeymountbatten]

The facts are based on my present experience.

Logical deduction could be helpful - Eastern Province, a leading university. Fill in the blanks.

If you want "key details," then you will need to PM me.

Please don't assume that I am assuming, "as it makes an ass out of you and me."

Leggey

[scot47]

Leggey is a disaffected member of the teaching staff at KFUPM.