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two questions about PSU
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Gerund



Joined: 09 Feb 2003
Posts: 80
Location: Amerika

PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:19 pm    Post subject: two questions about PSU Reply with quote

PSU says they'll provide tuition for school-age children. This is (perhaps deliberately) vague. Does anyone know how many kids this refers to? Or do they simply provide some inadequate lump sum (probably 25,000 like KFUPM) regardless of the number of kids?

Also, any idea of the salary there? I'm already aware of all the dire warnings in this forum about PSU, so no need to repeat it. I'm just curious about tuition and salary.

Thanks
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Van Norden



Joined: 23 Oct 2004
Posts: 409

PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:32 am    Post subject: curiosity killed the cat Reply with quote

Gerund wrote:
I'm already aware of all the dire warnings in this forum about PSU, so no need to repeat it. I'm just curious about tuition and salary.

Just curious? Why waste your time looking into this? There are a few half decent jobs out there. Concentrate on these and forget about PSU.
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Cleopatra



Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago

PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 7:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually, from what I've heard the male section of PSU is quite bearable: it's the female side that's a real mess. So long as you can ignore all the incompetence and silliness, it's an easy enough gig with short hours and good holidays. In other words, probably not unlike most places in KSA.

Don't know a lot about kids' education allowance, but last time I heard salaries there start around the 8,500 SR mark. Not great.
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Van Norden



Joined: 23 Oct 2004
Posts: 409

PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cleopatra wrote:
Don't know a lot about kids' education allowance, but last time I heard salaries there start around the 8,500 SR mark. Not great.
Going by that salary I don't think their education allowance is going to be very generous. SR8500 is pitiful for a bachelor, let alone a guy with a family.
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Cleopatra



Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago

PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 2:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What would you calculate as the 'going rate' in a Saudi 3rd level instituion, for a teacher with an MA and a few years' experience?
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Van Norden



Joined: 23 Oct 2004
Posts: 409

PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cleopatra wrote:
What would you calculate as the 'going rate' in a Saudi 3rd level instituion, for a teacher with an MA and a few years' experience?
Me Cleo? I haven't got a clue. MAs and "3rd level" institutions are not exactly my area. I'm a military and (dubious) tesol-cert man.

I just can't see how a guy with a family could consider that kind of salary. If, in the scheme of things, this is a comparatively good or acceptable offer, then it's a sad state of affairs indeed. Surely he can do better elsewhere?
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Cleopatra



Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago

PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 6:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, as far as I know, salaries at PSU start at about 8,500SR. With experience they go up, but not that much, maybe as far as 10,5000SR, maybe more. I do know men with families who work there - sometimes their wives work, sometimes they don't, so they must be able to get by. Then again, getting by shouldn't be what it's about, should it?
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Amenti



Joined: 09 Jun 2006
Posts: 42
Location: farthest sandbox on the right

PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:55 am    Post subject: I know, I know! Reply with quote

They give 25,000 per year, but here's the catch, it is only 8,000 per child with a 3 child max. Now you may question the math and put doubts on what I say, but it is true and it doesn't added up to 25,000. So if you have 1 child you only get 8,000 which isn't nearly enough considering the salary is so low.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Amenti

Do you have any idea of the going rate for school tuition? That might help the OP to see how far the 8000 goes... or rather doesn't go.

VS
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ootii



Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 124
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

veiledsentiments wrote:
Amenti

Do you have any idea of the going rate for school tuition? That might help the OP to see how far the 8000 goes... or rather doesn't go.

VS


English medium "international" schools will run from 8k to 20k+ a year. You can find something reasonable for 14 - 18k. Public university "education allowances" usually cover about 50% of the cost, and you have to pay up front and then claim a rebate which usually takes a couple of months to process.

The most expensive schools in Riyadh are the American School, at about 28k and the British School at about 24k. Tuition depends on the grade level. From the look of their website, the "American School" is an oaisis of little princes and princesses so give it a miss.

Also avoid religious schools like Manarat al-Riyadh. Unless you are Muslims, your kids will be mercilessly harassed. My kids go there and came home last month with a story about a South African "Christian" who lasted exactly one day. They're sensitive to this, since they were themselves driven from an Arabic medium school by cries of "Bin Bush" and "Ibn al-Kuffar".

French medium schools may be an alternative, but these not necessarily less expensive. The Pakistan School in Sulaymaniyyah has a good reputation for maths. The Ghanaian School is reasonable, with a constantly changing British staff. The Indian School is cheap, classes are large, instruction is competent but very traditional - no sparing the rod there. Good for Republicans I suppose, "Liberals" may object. Then there's always home schooling, bording schools, child labor, beggar-pauperdom, or else stay at home until your kids are out of school and on their own.

Budget 17k per kid and don't expect much for it.
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007



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom

PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ootii wrote:
....Also avoid religious schools like Manarat al-Riyadh. Unless you are Muslims, your kids will be mercilessly harassed. My kids go there and came home last month with a story about a South African "Christian" who lasted exactly one day. They're sensitive to this, since they were themselves driven from an Arabic medium school by cries of "Bin Bush" and "Ibn al-Kuffar".


I wonder why a Christian person send his kids to a Muslim religious school, especially if he knows that the curriculum in these schools is based on Islamic teaching, and some form of basic English? And I guess the terms �Bin Bush� and �Ibn al-Kuffar� used by the Saudi kids, are taken or heard from their parents!
In addition, the harassment in these religious school, or any other schools (private or government), is mostly from the Saudi kids, and some of them are ill-brought up and not well behaved (related to their culture, tradition, and how they treat their foreigner workers).
I have heard many stories about foreigner kids harassed by the Saudi kids in all types of schools at all levels (mentality issue!). And the same harassment rules apply in the work place.
BTW, some of the private schools in SA, are for �business� benefit and not for real education.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For your children definitely consider the French School, the Italian School , and if you can get in, the German School. These are all supported and subsidised by the respective Ministries back home.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 3:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scot47

I'm sure that those are good schools, but doesn't your child have to be quite fluent in the language? Do they have facility to teach Italian, French, or German FL classes to bring them up to speed?

VS
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Cleopatra



Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago

PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Also avoid religious schools like Manarat al-Riyadh. Unless you are Muslims, your kids will be mercilessly harassed.


Not that I'm that well-informed about schools in Riyadh, but I thought Manarat was very definately a Muslim school. I'm rather surprised to hear that they would even accept non-Muslim students.

But I must say - again!!! - that I agree with 007. While not excusing any abuse or bigotry children may heap upon other children, I find it odd that non-Muslims would choose to send their children to an Islamic school. I'd also bet that non-Saudi Muslim kids get harassed in such places too.
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dmb



Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397

PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 8:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

But I must say - again!!! - that I agree with 007
I can see the start of a beautiful relationship Very Happy
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