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ESL RECRUITERS - TIME TO STOP TREATING TEACHERS LIKE FOOLS !

 
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ozoyster



Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 13

PostPosted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 4:33 pm    Post subject: ESL RECRUITERS - TIME TO STOP TREATING TEACHERS LIKE FOOLS ! Reply with quote

How much are you worth ????


I wrote this long article because I went back to the Middle East for the first time in 14 years and have found some very disturbing things going on in the ESL industry. I don't talk about all the problems that I found here. I am not bashing or venting. I am trying to highlight and warn others about some serious issues concerning ethical values, professional malpractice and possibly just down right illegal behavior. I've worked there long term and so am pretty au fait with the culture of the place.


It's interesting to look at the job offers that come up in a place like the Middle East from ESL teachers these days.

When I first went there 20 years ago. I was in a job where I was respected, given good and important benefits such as good accommodation, my own transport, pay that was 'topped up' by my employers each month to balance out the vagaries or the dollar and other major international currencies and I mad substantial savings throughout my six years there. And there were even bonuses m for good work every year. There was a feeling of reasonable mutual support too in the work place.

This was amazingly a teaching job (not ESL) where I was actually willing to stay on because I was treated reasonably well, had good resources to work with, was blessed with willing students, I was also properly paid. That was respectively 20 years ago when I began,... and 14 years since I was last working in the Middle East in Oman.

Jumping ahead, my most recent experience in Oman was a job I was offered through an agency. They did all their recruitment by phone and e mail. They were all smiles when communicating initially. However when I got to Oman things began to rapidly change.

I'd accepted this job because a somewhat better offer in another part of the Gulf was just taking so long to come through as regarded visa arrangements and I just could not wait anymore. The offer of salary on this latest job offer was much less in salary too. But I took it needing to earn a wage and pay bills. This job was through the Hawthorn group in Oman.

Soon after my arrival I was packed into a taxi driven 350 kilometers to a remote coastal town and dumped in my accommodation. It proved to be small, filthy and after a few days the water supply packed up.

I complained to the recruiting agent about this and threatened to leave the country. His reply was that he would let me leave providing I paid him a months salary, my return airfare and only then would he return my passport from his possession. The alternative that he patronisingly suggested was that we go to an Omani court and contest this. Basically I was being bullied and blackmailed by someone who saw himself as being in a position of power. I just saw this as being abusive.

What he was actually doing was holding my passport to ransom. He had needed to take this anyway to Muscat for processing into a work visa. So it just 'happened' to be handily in his possession.

Further to this he outrageously and provocatively rehearsed the idea later that same day in the College Dean's office (while I was there) that:

'I think we should in future look into the idea of 'holding' the teachers' passports while they are working here.,.... too many of them are leaving after accepting jobs here.'

It didn't seem to occur to him to actually think deeply as to why so many people were leaving and often so precipitously.

I was shocked and alarmed that he would even consider such a simplistic and barbaric limitation on civil liberty just to satify his business goals. At that point I had made my decision to go from the job as soon as my contract was finished. And I did do that.

There were other serious problems in this work situation throughout my time in this place. But that would take too long to digress into in this post.

But this whole scenario raised questions in my head as to what was happening here.

ESL is always being trumpeted on courses and in course books as a 'profession.' I really to seriously doubt this 'status' from this and other experiences I had in my three years' teaching ESL.

This group were paying me 12,000 pounds a year for working in what would normally be regarded as an isolated and therefore (hardship) posting. There was no proper daily transport to the place of work accept taxis, we were monitored as to how long we were staying in building, even when our duities for the day were finished.

People such as myself who had a Degree in another area from English but had a CELTA and experience under my belt were regarded with disdain by other members of English staff who had MA's and PHD's. We were ignored by them and at worse witch hunted by them and administration staff at the college. I too fell foul of this and experienced all of the above.

I found that I was often denied basic resources such as a virus free computer, a printer - and even at the extreme - printing paper, text books for students and printing ink.

The harsh reality is that this particular agency and undoubtedly others know that they can get away with all this nonsense and so treat the teachers like very cheap labour.

That's why the recruiting is done over the phone and Internet with the vetting done as they go along when you get there. It's a cheap way of doing this very important recruitment work. They are fully aware that a place like the one I was working in is a revolving door as far as English teachers are concerned.

That raises the serious question that their profits must be very high for them to feel that they can indulge in the shortsighted policy of hiring and firing � or losing teachers at such a high rate of turnover. The overheads for all this must be minimal compared to their after-expenses -profit.

My thoughts on the subject are that it's better in the short term to be vary wary about applying for work from such organisations.

But, if future teachers of ESL want to be instrumental in actually creating a working environment for themselves and others which is conducive to constructive work then things are going to have to change. And that needs serious commitment from ALL ESL teachers involved.

Don't be naive!! These employers and agencies know the salary scales in English speaking countries. Even a (non class teacher) specialist instructor in schools in the UK for example is paid about 3 times the salary that was offered in this place in Oman. Carefully compare this with other professional. groups working in Oman and be honest with yourself and ask the following question;

'What is the importance of the job that I am doing here and what am I really worth.'

Also keep in mind that 'Western' inflation levels are coming to the Middle East and basic prices are going up there.

Let's put this into context. We're told by business, media, and education organisations that English is becoming the world's No.1 Lingua Franca. There is reputedly a huge demand for English training by many overseas students.

Teaching done properly is also something which takes real talent, intelligence, creative and communicative ability to do well. We have to think on our feet in lessons, create answers on the spot, mark exams, create and adapt curriculum material. Honest teaching work demands time and patience and both physical and mental stamina. And this is only the tip of the iceberg in what we have to do in the course of our work.

If all of this is in such HUGE demand then your net worth should be theoretically much higher. After all so much English teaching is being tied to the area of business, commerce, the media where salaries in all of these areas are so much higher than the English teaching fraternity.
I get the sense that agencies such as the one I have talked about are to some extent aware of the qualities and abilities and skills that are so much a part of proper teaching. But I think that they have gotten a message from many teachers that

'yes we will do the job for as little money as possible.'

These are business people and not educators. They have homed in on education merely as another business opportunity.

They will shave costs and cut as far as they can and ESL teachers applying for thes jobs are sending them the signal that this is acceptable practice. IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!!

Further more you are dealing with an environment where there are absolutely no safeguards or protection as regards pay and conditions of work. This is done on a discretionary basis. And that is the way that business wants it to be anyway. Consequently they really DO have all the cards stacked in their favour. As happened to me repeatedly their you have no right to argue with your employer over anything. You are likely to get the same treatment that I an and (as I subsequently saw in that contract period) others were subjected to.

It's just not good enough to just sit back and accept what they are offering. Try doing this; By all means apply for and show an interest in an offer but ask them to triple their salary offer to 36,000 to 40,000 pounds. They will be incredulous that you have even asked this. They will pat you on the head and patronise you for this. But keep in mind that they are earning good salaries themselves. They are treating you like fools and they know it. That is an important point. The more people who start asking questions like these and demanding more the more they will have to pay attention to this. I am also aware that agencies and employers will go to other nationals and look for cheaper. But if ALL ESL teachers being to ask and demand then just maybe this will create a different and more positive point for teachers to bargain from.

Business people are hard headed and get what they want out of a transaction. ESL teachers need to start learning to do the same. That may be a long road to walk. But this thorny subject HAS to be grappled sooner or later or ELS teachers are going to be held to ransom and living a hand to mouth existence on toy salaries which by international standards are just not good.

Please take this on board. It's not as insane as it sounds. By accepting low wages and substandard conditions. You are giving these agencies what they want � cheap, pliant, cooperative human resource solutions. Don't be silly. Force them to negotiate before you sign on a dotted line and travel. And also on the matter of sheer principle, they need to learn to respect the people who are doing the hard work of teaching. Other wise teaching English will always be a joke professionally and will be doomed to being a last resort as far as employment goes. You need to take yourselves seriously and then they will start to take you seriously too!!

And by the way if you are willing to take the time to read and comment, please give constructive and intelligent feedback to this. It's a really serious matter for those teaching ESL in this region. I have given a lot of thought to this and the fallout from the practices of these organisations have caused myself and others a lot of anguish and disruption to lives. It was - and is - no joke for us and is not a laughing matter.

Thank you
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steppy-boy



Joined: 22 Jul 2005
Posts: 61

PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 10:04 am    Post subject: Sadly I agree with you Reply with quote

Ozoyster, I can only agree with your sentiments, which is why I have left the Gulf permanently. One can only handle so much BS.
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Duffy



Joined: 29 Oct 2005
Posts: 449
Location: Oman

PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No disrespect ozoyster but the runaways are always outnumbered by the stays.


I hope you have found a safe haven.

Duffy
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clandestino



Joined: 22 Sep 2007
Posts: 22
Location: on a need 2 know basis ;-)

PostPosted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:36 pm    Post subject: interesting artilce Reply with quote

Well thought out and thought provoking article. I'm really sorry about the way you were treated. I take your point about how much are TEFL teacher's actually worth but surely supply and demand are the main factors that determine how much we get paid. This is totally different if we start to work for the government of any country though!

Personally, I've always thoroughly checked out TEFL jobs and never accepted one that I was even slightly suspicious about. I'm not implying that the problem is people not checking out employers more thoroughly but what I think, does, tend to happen is that a lot of people are drawn to the Middle East as a way to save up money. I personally think that this is a really silly career move to make in any profession. I would always choose quality of life over a wage that will give me savings. I came to Oman because I was really interested in the culture and the country and opted for a much lower paid job. If you are coming to the Middle East just to save money then you are putting yourself in the lion's mouth so to speak. A few things to think about;

1. Surely if you are there just to save money, you are also just as money minded as your employers?

2. In any walk of life, qualifications are the way to stop exploitation, so why not get better qualifications which will get you a better job if you find you are exploited in TEFL?

3. Shouldn't you always choose quality of life over money in TEFL? Very few of us will spend out whole life in TEFL, so surely we should make the most of it, no?

4. Why choose small towns? It is a lot, lot harder to be happy in a small town than a city abroad.


Anyway, hope i didn't cause any offence, just a few thoughts. Smile
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ozoyster



Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 13

PostPosted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:45 pm    Post subject: Good Points!! Reply with quote

You make som really good and very sensibl points in hat you say. I'm not put out at all by hat you say. If anything they extend and develop on what I said and talked about.

Well thought out and made points too!!!

Thanks for that!! Very Happy
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bruceoman



Joined: 05 May 2008
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ozoyster I have read a couple of your postings over the last few days and whilst I sympathise with you regarding your illness and also agree with some of your assertions I feel that you have lost a lot of credibilty because you have also made some claims which are just plain false. Your second floor apartment was by no means a small and filthy place as you claim. The accommodation in that building was and is more than adequate with the only negative being the quality of some of the furniture being on the low end of the scale. The water did go off for a few days, however this was a problem that occurred once and has never happened again. Secondly no-one has had their passports held by the Dean or Hawthorn in the time I have been there, except for the first month when visas are being processed (I am not sure if they drag their feet over this to try and make it harder for new arrivals to leave or not, but once residence has been obtained they have always been returned to the owner).
With regards to organization within the school, yes, you are right, there is a lack of it and teachers are forced to "�mprovise" at times. But surely you have to remember where you are. We are not in the UK, USA or Australia or other similar countries, We are in a country that is still developing and for all it's faults it can't be denied that it has come a long way in a relatively short period of time (ie 1971 till now), If you expcted everything to be as is in your home country then maybe you shouldn't have come to Oman. We do have to put up with things like crappy computers in the school and a lack of resources, but again I am not really sure what role the agency has to play in this as this s surely a Ministry problem with its allocation of resources.
As for being monitored for when we were leaving the building, well this was not the case. Some teachers would only be at school for the bare minimum of hours and seemed to get away with it without any problem. The school admin did ask for teachers to stay until 4pm but most did not unless they had a late class. I don't think any were monitored except for perhaps a few who took things too far and would leave as soon as their class was finished. I might point out however that the situation has changed this semester with their definitely being a more hardline approach to this matter and other work practices being taken by management. Most of us take that as being a response to the behaviour of the some of the teachers from last year. It is unfortunate for this years batch of teachers because there doesn't appear to be any issues with regards to their behaviour as compared to last year and they are certainly far more proffessional in their approach to work.
With regards to the claim of treating the teachers as cheap labour, well, no-one forces us to accept the salary terms. Although everyone would naturally like to earn more, I think most are satisfied with what we earn here. I am not sure if any other teachers have been treated with disdain by those with Masters or Phd's, perhaps however you should also look at yourself to see what caused this. Could it have been the slamming of doors, the storming out of meetings, or your behaviour towards others when you were not on your medication? There are many stories I could pass on, but I don't want this to just seem like a personal attack on you. I just think you must also take some responsibilty for what happened and that you should also know that many here tried to show you understanding and compassion whilst you were here but you made it very difficult for them to continue to do that.
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