Job Discussion Forums

[steppy-boy]

If you need a job for the next academic year, there is a very good chance you will be successful if you apply at Sohar College. Evidently half the faculty has answered a definite "NO", they will not be renewing their contracts.

So jobs will be plentiful here at Sohar College and probably at the other MOHE colleges too. No doubt Abdul Majali, the official recruiter for the MOHE must be rubbing his hands with glee with all the expected commissions he's going to make. For people like him, teachers = $$$.

[Geronimo]

How many months have passed by since you were fired from Sohar College, steppy-boy? Fifteen or sixteen? Look towards the future....move on with your life....

Listen to that Fleetwood Mac song..."Don't stop thinking about tomorrow...Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone!"
Geronimo

He who catches the joy as it flies,
Will live in eternity's sunrise
William Blake

[eha]

Ah but Geronimo, you're forgetting Brendan Behan's reply to Blake:

'He who catches the sh*t as it flies
Can never forget till the day that he dies."

A mournful but pithy reflection on the human condition, I've always thought.

[steppy-boy]

I think you're confusing me with someone else Geronimo. I'm still at the College. I never left. I just call a spade a spade. That's all. Why shoot the messenger? If there is anything news-worthy at this College, I will bring it up on Dave's ESL, as is my right. Teachers out there need to know how inept this College is.

[Duffy]

errm,

Inept college? Can bricks and mortar be inept?? - NO!

Inept members of staff - OH YES!!, Show me an insitution in the ME that does not have members of staff with some level of ineptitude!

Duffy

[lall]

[flutterbayou]

Why don't language experts get metaphors? Duffy was usıng creatıve language, Lall.

I have occasıonally popped ın to the Forum to see what's up sınce I left and cannot get over the fact that the posts never change. It seems that people, old and new alike, don't catch the gıst of thıngs:

1. Oman ıs not what ıt was ten years ago, so there ıs no sense ın beıng nostalgıc;

2. Omanı students are sweet but not all that ınterested ın attendıng class and gettıng theır work done;

3. Classroom resources are lımıted;

4. Many teachers fınd Admınıstratıon oppressıve, dısorganızed, polıtıcal, and often bıased ın one or more areas of concern;

5. Medıcal care ıs questıonable, especıally wıth regards to chıldren and/or specıal needs patıents;

6. The colleges are located ın desolate areas, where there ıs next to nıl publıc entertaınment;

7. A car ıs not entırely necessary but nearly so;

8. A lot of the agents feel no oblıgatıon to explaın that the job ıs all about classroom management at most of the colleges;

9. Many of the so-called ınternational schools are actually schools that people from Indıa have created for their children;

10. People who do well in Oman are independent and able to entertain themselves, focused on work and not in to politics, able to work within the narrow margins of ınterest in the classroom, able to work independently and without a lot of support from their departments.

11. People who do not do well in Oman but stay there indefinitely are often people who have not had much luck elsewhere.

12. Oman is simply gorgeous and is one of the nicest places I have ever been, but for this girl, it makes for a vacation better than a long-term stay.

[veiledsentiments]

[lall]

[Geronimo]

It is just conceivable that a newcomer to this Oman forum might open up this thread in the hope of learning about staffing changes at Sohar College.
In view of this possibility, I offer the following....

In recent months, several of the more mature members of the teaching staff at Sohar College of Applied Sciences have been notified by the MoHE that they will have to depart as they have reached the official retirement age. Teaching vacancies will be emerging at Sohar College: but not as a result of any "wave of resignations".

Thank you, eha, for the Brendan Behan quote. You have prompted me to find out more about his work.

And steppy-boy, if you really have stayed on at Sohar College for years so that you can ward other people away with greater authority....
listen to Monty Python's "Always look on the bright side of life"...

[fleart1]

If I understand you correctly everybody turned their resignations in because many teachers were forced to retire? What is the retirement age? I was just offered a position and I am 57 years old. What are the living facilities like?

[Geronimo]

Hello fleart1, I thought that some one might visit in the hope of finding some hard information about Sohar College of Applied Sciences. In response to your queries...

There hasn't been 'a wave of resignations' at Sohar College of Applied Sciences. On the contrary, a number of teachers, who had hoped to have their contracts renewed for the next academic year, have not had their contracts renewed by the Ministry. I can not provide you with the reasons for these non-renewals. You could ask Mr Abdul Majid Majali, but he may not know the reasons, either... hiring and firing being separate operations, obviously.

The official MoHE retirement age for males was '65 years' in 2007. It may have been lower for females - possibly 60. I don't know if there has been any recent revision.

Concerning the "living facilities", there are a couple of decent shopping centres in Sohar and several pretty good restaurants. The Sohar Beach Hotel is a centre for expat social life.. www.soharbeach.com . A Crown Plaza Hotel may be arriving in the near future, too. I'm afraid that I don't have the latest news on the rumoured arrival in town of a cinema.

The accommodation provided by the MoHE looked to be reasonable to me. I didn't hear many complaints from its occupants. I can assure you that you will need to own a set of wheels. Sohar is stretched out along about 20 km of coastline. New vehicles are cheaper to buy in Oman than in Europe. Check out the car sales ads in "TheWeek" via the link below.

Contact the editors of the "Sohar Source" to request a copy of their latest newsletter at [email protected] . There is a music festival being planned for late Oct/ November... www.soharmusicfestival.com .
And, for a clearer picture of expat life in Oman as a whole, I recommend... www.theweek.co.om/ and; finally, for contact details for a wide range of facilities across Oman, visit:- www.apexstuff.com/common/omanessentials.asp

Hope the above info helps...

Geronimo

[Duffy]

I was almost 60 when engaged by the MoHE, that was three years ago. I was told at the time that the retirement age is 60, but, if a person's work is acceptable then the employment can be continued to age 70. Every year I have to complete a special form and my contract is renewed.

Duffy

(BTW) I am writing this sat at a table in a Bistro/Cafe in Fethiye, Turkey enjoying a nice break, will be back in August. Not missing Khareef in Salalah at all!!)