Job Discussion Forums

maccaliam · Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 17 Location: Jeju, South Korea

Cheers jsteventon and celtica. I appreciate the help. We are actually quite keen to do the Edinburgh distance but as it is full-time distance it will make it difficult to work while studying, which is the biggest reason why we fancy distance over contact MA's.
Do either of you happen to know if working at all while studying the distance MA from Edinburgh is possible without it being too much to cope with?

celtica · Joined: 29 Jun 2008 Posts: 137

Can't help you on that one.

However, CfBT teachers who do study while working write a report on their study for the CfBT monthly newsletter. Maybe searching on CfBT website/newsletters would bring up something.

jsteventon · Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 191

I did the MA living in Edinburgh full-time in 11 months. My colleague working in Brunei, teaching mornings basically, did the distance in 2 years.

maccaliam · Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 17 Location: Jeju, South Korea

EDIT: Sorry, this has totally lost anything to do with Brunei, so I will go elsewhere for any more MA info. Thanks for your help you two!

dax-nz · Joined: 15 Oct 2008 Posts: 1

Hey, thanks to everyone who has been contributing to this forum. It has been very helpful in deciding whether Brunei is a good option or not.

Maybe see you in the new year.....

gajackson1 · Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 210

I popped my head in, meaning to catch another thread & update my job hunt experience there, but saw this, and needed to comment -

I do have it in either a PM or an actual email-email, but I have been directly informed that a distance-based MA, that has no actual residency portion served, REGARDLESS of the institution's credentials, will NOT fulfill the current CfBT/MoE requirements.

This is very recent information (within the last month?) - I can go, dig it up & cut and paste if need be. The reason I know is because I had also looked into that option - doing/keeping on with my scuba DM/AI courses while living here in Brunei, and doing an online-based MA from a reputable college/uni. Then re-applying with CfBT once the MA was conferred.

Sorry to say it, but I hope it does at least save you some time/effort (possibly money!) towards that end. You have my absolute sympathy/empathy on that end.

Regards,

Glen

jsteventon · Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 191

Hi Glen

Good to read about your job interview - so glad it all went well - sounds very promising. Glad you continue to enjoy Brunei and have made a niche for yourself!

JS

gajackson1 · Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 210

LOl - Hmmm, not quite certain we should overstate the situation!

As for my niche, Yayasan will announce by the end of this month their decision, so we don't have to wait until the end of December.

As of yesterday, I am still in the top 2, and there is talk of them just hiring us both on (Yayasan is looking into seriously expanding their course curriculum to get it up to IB standards). So, out of the 3 options, it seems I am 66% covered? Which would be gloriously happy news, after these past 4 months.

If it doesn't pan out there, I may still have the ScubaTech route open - business is rapidly picking up, now that there is another western instructor on the staff (Brit by the name of Fraser, who has lived abroad/traveled these past number of years - good guy). It is just more of a question of the salary/earnings/savings options.

If neither of those goes my way, then I'll be looking at Singapore? UAE/Dubai? (or somewhere else in the general ME region) for the next port of call. Sadly, both JIS & ISB are closed just now (taking apps for Aug 2009, which is too far away for me), and even with a new USA President-elect Very Happy

, I don't see the MoE changing their policies re: USA teachers in the next 2 months time.

As I've said time & again - it is a beautiful country, and I enjoy it here. But no point in trying to create/force a niche, if I don't have legal, gainful employment. Sad, but there it is.

So, thanks all for the support - hopefully next time I write, it will be with good news.

Cheers!

Glen

abigailpatrick · Joined: 10 Mar 2009 Posts: 1

I have been offered a job at CfBT Brunei. My salary will be about 4000 Brunei dollars, I have two kids and a husband. My husband hasn't a job but will apply once we arrive, he too is a teacher, but doesn't qualify for CfBT as he is ICT and Business/Economics. (No jobs at JIS and ISB.)

We don't live an extravagant life, we enjoy a drink, (so that's several trips over the border!) we would want to eat about a couple of times a month, we could cope without an amah (is that right?) until my husband found work. We would buy our vehicle without a loan when we arrived.

How would we cope financially? Would we be able to save money?

Any help would be great, I have read the posts on the site and although there have been negative ones, I could write them about my school now. I appreciate that there will be disadvantages where ever I went. However, any information would be great.

I am a hard working person but feel that this job will give me more time for my family because my job here in the UK is non stop and I feel like I am neglecting my kids and husband.

jsteventon · Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 191

Hi there,

The short answer to your question is yes....I lived well and saved on approx the same salary for many years - with a family.

Internet will be Br$68 per month in your home - unlimited use.
Car insurance per year - 3rd party if you have an old car like me is about Br$110 a year.
Running a car is extremely cheap....Road tax only about Br$38 a year.
Petrol about one sixth of UK price.

By the way,you might be interested in checking out the following website for buying and selling second hand in Brunei. Very useful for new arrivals- and all of us!
www.bobwhatson.com

Mobile phone- basic model about $60.Just to text with.Or phone, but phoning on the mobile is expensive.
I text mostly....that depends how much you use it
- about 5 cents per local text.
You can use free Sykype etc for overseas calls.

You could get a full-time live in maid for around $350 a month - or around 100 for part time...

I pay 100 for utilities on a 3 bedroomed house - but use 3 aircons at night.With only ceiling fans you would pay less - quite doable...

Obviously food and social life spending are pretty subjective. If you are happy to eat at Malay / Indian / Thai restaurants you can have a nice meal for around $6.If you wish to have pizza at the Italian pizzeria it will set you back around 20..Macdonalds etc here too, but more expensive...

Holidays - AirAsia do really cheap flights from here now. Get onto the website- ludicrously cheap if you book well in advance - you could even book now if you have holiday dates! Malaysia just round the corner and the Brunei dollar goes along way there - as it does in Thailand...

It is a great place for a family! For lots more info, check out the thread 'Thumbs Up for Brunei. Lots of helpful posts there....

Hope all this helps. Happy to answer any more queries!
Happy decision making!
JS

celtica · Joined: 29 Jun 2008 Posts: 137

I agree with all of the above, though costs do vary, the amount is within your salary.

One way to save money immediately is to ask to find your own home instead of being placed directly into one. This way you can find a house cheaper than the allowance and keep the difference ...immediate savings of up to $500 per month.

As for the job ... the old days of leaving school at 12.30pm are long gone. (Recruitment can sometimes emphasize the early finish to school) If you wish to keep your school work at school and not take it home with you, count on staying till 1.30 or 2pm at least three days per week. Internal assessment is just starting in Brunei, which requires far more co-ordinating among teachers than in the past, along with more meetings and paperwork/computer recording of marks etc. Current changes in the education system are putting more demands on teachers than previously. This is not to say it is onerous, just that it is on the increase.

If you are teaching 6th forms, the hours can extend beyond the above.Of course you may find this well below what you are experiencing at the moment, but the cultural differences and the way things work in a new country is always a challenge and can be very intense at the beginning.

The possibilities for a slower, more family oriented lifestyle- and saving money- are here....up to you whether it is achieved or not.

gajackson1 · Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 210

just a light bump, so that people can see one of the 3 most-posted threads on Brunei-related stuff - hopefully it will help people locate answers to questions previously asked.

Cheers!

Glen

roamingteacher · Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Posts: 106

Does anyone know if there is ANY job with CfBT without split weekends? I imagine it may well not be in the local schools, but perhaps at the IELTS centre or somewhere else? I just can't get over the idea of not having a 'proper' weekend... Sad

roamingteacher · Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Posts: 106

Sorry - one more question. When you say the MA isn't recognised if it is distance, do you mean it wouldn't be enough to get a job or that it isn't recognised AT ALL, even on top of QTS etc.?

gajackson1 · Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 210

can't speak for the split weekends - CfBT has 'other' non-teaching jobs, but NOT on the same pay/benefits packages (when I had been turned down here, I was asked to/had looked into those offered here & with CfBT in the ME).

For the MA, I specifically meant to meet the quals to get the job, as that was my thought/concern/line of inquiry at the time. So I would assume your 'legit' distance-based MA would be considered for placement in the pay ladder - - - but obviously you would want to check/confirm that with the recruiter/agent, just so there are no surprises.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a related matter, what additional endorsements/certificates are available? useful? to pick up while here??? I know there is an ICELT offered through the CfBT offices, which I will be dropping by their office to find out more about days, costs, etc. And there are Malay language courses offered free through the MoE, which is obviously of practical benefit here in Brunei, Malaysia, and the nearby language-related region.

But I meant more specifically like the examiner courses/certs, etc. What are some of the things I can do without getting a 'UK PGCE' or doing the 'UK master's degree?'

I have 2 years left on this contract, and would like to keep on polishing/refining things - I am already looking into adding the Business English & Early Childhood modules onto my TESOL, but I know there are more options/choices out there, even if it means scheduling something during the longer vacations.

G.