Job Discussion Forums

[Aira]

thank you so much to everyone who replied my questions! i have a better idea of the english education scenario in KSA now.

allright, looks like i will have to be stuck teaching in a school over in KSA since i don't have a Masters degree. i'm also stuck to a HR job here in malaysia for 2 years, so there's no way i can obtain a Masters degree ASAP before i leave for Saudi.

to make the best out of what i have, i beg all of u to answer this question: is teaching in a Saudi school all that bad? by the way, i will be moving to Jeddah.

in some countries, Colleges and Universities employ graduates with a BA only and make them English tutors. this will proceed to making them lecturers as they obtain their MA. is there a possibility KSA practises this too? if yes, at least i get the chance to start teaching straightaway in a college and not a school instead.

even if my pay might start from SR5,000, it will increase along the years, right?

please help

[ProfessorBob77]

I wouldn't leave my couch for 5000 SR a month. I can't imagine why any qualified teacher would accept such a low salary. You could make more money playing with children in China or Vietnam. Do what you do and do it well, but that's my two cents.

[Aira]

i know SR5000 sounds pretty lame, but in Malaysia we get half the pay even with a Masters degree.

[scot47]

You might not get as much as 5000. Try though and do not accept the first offer.

[veiledsentiments]

Aira,

Since you have awhile before you will be going, I would suggest that you get the CELTA before you go and start on your MA if you can. I doubt that there is any possibility of your getting into one of the universities or colleges at first - but you can at least get some experience in the school system.

In your other thread Stephen Jones mentioned that you could be placed anywhere in the country through the ministry. But, perhaps if you apply once you get into the country, you may be more likely to get work in Jeddah.

As to the pay difference, pay scales normally match living costs. Compared to Malaysia, KSA is very expensive to live in.

VS

[Cleopatra]

I'm not sure if VS is entirely correct in saying that Malaysia is a lot cheaper than KSA. I've never been to Malaysia but I've heard the cost of living is pretty high there.

As for KSA, it really is as cheap or expensive as you want to make it. A cliche, I know, but one that makes sense here. KSA operates on so many different economic levels: on the one hand you have some of the richest people ever known on earth, on the other you have Indian cleaners who make no more than 300 SAR a month. Most people, of course, are somewhere in between but there are shops and services to cater for all levels.

So, 5000 SAR is certainly not a good salary for a "Western" EFL teacher, and teachers, as we all know only too well, are bottom of the heap of "Western" expats. However, assuming you, like most teachers, will have accommodation and probably transport provided for, it is still a salary you can live quite comfortably on, and even save. As you said, you'd be getting less than half that in MAlaysia so everything's relative. Whether or not such a relatively low salary is worth the restrictions of life in the K of SA (though Jeddah is not nearly so bad as Riyadh, by all accounts) is something only you can decide.

[veiledsentiments]

Hi Cleo,

You probably missed her other thread. She will be going there in a year or two to join her then new husband. She won't even be applying for a long time. She is a woman who is sensibly trying to plan ahead.

Perhaps you could answer her question as to whether the smaller colleges hire teachers with her credentials. (see her other thread too) She has no MA as yet. I know that in the rest of the gulf she would have little chance of getting into tertiary level teaching. What about Saudi?

VS

[Aira]

thank you all for the advice and comments.
looks like if i do want to start teaching in a college or a uni i must get a 2nd degree as soon as possible. however, that is something that i am unable to do at the moment, because my current job involves a lot of travelling, thus there is no way i can embark on a full time or part time MA degree whatsoever yet.

VS is right, i am a woman who is trying to plan ahead in fact, i am a control freak and has always been one. i want to plan ahead and make back-up plans if i can, so that i won't get a culture shock when i finally arrive in KSA.

the thing is, i lead a comfortable life in malaysia, in the heart of the modern Kuala Lumpur, and i have never intended to move out of my urban-carefree-citylife ....until i met my fiance. people say u do the craziest things for love, i guess i'm one of those funny people.

so, im pretty freaked out now that i have to move to a foreign country, and i have never been to KSA, but i've been on an educational school trip to Oman once. there, i visited some of the colleges and the Sultan Qaboos university.
my impression of the level of English in the middle east is.... well, they don't speak much english. is that true? even my fiance's family members speaks minimal english. they would come all the way to Malaysia during the summer holidays and take intensive english courses here.

in relation to this, my question is: how's the level of english of the school kids in saudi?
how is their treatment towards non-Arab teachers?
even though my fiance' is an Arab, that doesn't make me one and i will never be one because i don't talk like one nor do i look like one. above all, i'm very happy and comfortable with my own ethnic origin.

to answer the question about malaysia- yes, the standard of living here can be very high, especially if you live in Kuala Lumpur, like me. Plus, everybody's in a rat race, competing with one another on all levels of occupation, so whatever the cost is, you have to compete.... a matter of survival of the fittest.

i was told Riyadh is a lot more 'conservative' than Jeddah, even my fiance' told me that he could never survive in Riyadh. but whatever it is, Jeddah is totally different from Malaysia.. in terms of gender discrimination and the like. women are treated differently in Malaysia even though we are practising Muslims. we don't have to wear the abaya here and we can talk to the opposite gender; and we would still be considered as 'good' Muslims.
i want to look for a teaching job in Jeddah, not anywhere else. so, what about home tuitions? can i make a living out of private home sessions? i will teach female students only, of course.

sorry i'm asking so many questions. i'm about to make a total life-switch - migrating to a new country and a totally different environment and culture is a big lifestyle change.
but, even though i am typical Malaysian girl, i'm not afraid of change and i do look forward to the new life in saudi Arabia. (especially if KSA has some good things on store for me). Being a Muslim myself, i have always been attracted and in love with the Arab culture and the so-called exotic-traditional and mysterious way of life in KSA.

i hope my assumptions are right. please advice.

[veiledsentiments]

Hello Aira,

I'm afraid that I know little about teaching children of any culture, since I always taught university level. Nor have I lived in Saudi, but Cleopatria has lived in Riyadh, but she is in a different situation as a non-Muslim Westerner.

I can speak a bit about the standard of English. I did teach in Oman for some years and their language level is very low. I suspect that in Saudi, it depends very much on their family. But I suspect that most are low too. Private lessons would probably be a way to raise your income and the market seems to be mostly children.

Although Jeddah is more liberal than Riyadh, I fear that it will be a bit of a culture shock for you. The life can be very restrictive for women. And, I fear that you may encounter a certain amount of lack of respect because you are 'Asian.' It certainly would be nice if you could find a fellow Malaysian woman who had lived there that you could consult with. Unfortunately, not many would be here on this board.

It is good that you are planning ahead. I am only sorry that I don't have more helpful information to give you.

VS

[Cleopatra]