Job Discussion Forums

EFL Teacher · Joined: 19 Nov 2005 Posts: 17

I was wondering whether any of the board members have worked at the King Faisal School, Riyadh and if so then what were the working conditions like?

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Did you do a search? There have been a couple of threads not that long ago.

VS

EFL Teacher · Joined: 19 Nov 2005 Posts: 17

Yes, I did but I was hoping that someone who has actually worked there recently or is working there now could shed some light. It seems like the place has a high teacher-turnover and the fact that the teachers have to be on site from early morning to late afternoon is niggling me; I am wondering what they do when they only teach in the region of 20 hours although they have to be on site for around 50 hours a week. Also, I was wondering whether tutors are allowed to leave the site or are there other jobs that they are required to do that are not mentioned in any of the job advertisements? It seems pointless and overburdensome asking tutors to stay on site so long. If I was working such long hours I would definitely need a rest around lunch-time and I would prefer to go home and eat lunch with the family, but I am not sure whether that would be allowed. I could email the school but what prevents me is that I personally feel that many of the institutes are somewhat desperate for EFL teachers at the minute and willing to tell you almost anything to get you on board. I do not want to give up a stable life for uncertainty and false promises and I have more than myself to think about.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Since this school only has a small number of EFL teachers, the chance of any of them showing up here is slim, but you never know.

If I were you I would assume that conditions there are not great for the teachers, and base your decision on that... ie how bad do you need the job and the money... and how much can you take...

...just in case no one more current is around.

VS

EFL Teacher · Joined: 19 Nov 2005 Posts: 17

Thanks for the advice!

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 10:08 am Post subject: KFS Sensabilities

EFL teacher:
If you'd like to PM me, I can tell you about my experiences there. But, just to give you some flavour, I found it nearly impossible to use the Apples that they had at the time for lesson prep as my partners in crime were too busy updating their resumes and sending out letters of introduction...and that was just in the first week after the month-long orientation!

I promised my wife that I would let sleeping dogs lie, but it really depresses me to see from time to time how teachers are still asking about that place. It's a miserable place to work. You spend the balance of your time just twiddling your thumbs. No, you are not allowed to go home for lunch. Yes, you must stay there from 6 to 6 and half a day on Thursdays. The reason that the day lasts from 6 to 6 is that the princesses want to get in their beauty sleep and just can't have the little rotten princes howling around in the hallways.

I could just go on and on, but it would only bring back bad memories. Don't let the fact the Brown University was silly enough to get involved with the school give you any false impressions. I did my year and with the blessed help of one of my Jordanian workmates, was able to get out of the renewal that I had received whilst also getting a Letter of No Objection. I'm not a "recent" employee...but somethings never change.

Good luck!

P.s.- The teacher turnover rate when I was there was somewhere around 95%

NCTBA

Kepler · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 18

hmmmmm I know that these posts are old but HOW OLD...gosh...

The King Faisal School 2007-2008 is 6.30am-3pm, five days a week, and if teachers want to pop out for Kudo or coffee etc. they can. Some of our kids have been accepted to top US universities and the IB is starting from G1-10...the place isn't perfect, the kids do need discipline from staff and administration, but you won't find a better Saudi school. Beautiful grounds, free lunches and breakfasts, free coffee and tea for staff, open access to marvellous sports facilities during the working day...

tomboy666 · Joined: 15 Nov 2005 Posts: 10

King Faisal is a good place to work; the only tough part is getting used to Saudi Arabia. Better to work at KFS than any university job as the money is usually better and the lots of the kids are grea. There are little menaces too, but aren't there everywhere? Just that at KFS they have a billion dollars. Once they reaise you aren't going to be swayed (or bribed) or scared by their dads, they actually get some work done.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:53 am Post subject: Bad ol' days MUST be gone!

It's good to know that 10 years on...someone learned their lessons. Must be the Brown University effect.

NCTBA

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 8:27 pm Post subject:

Kepler and tomboy666...where are you today??? Do you still hold to your convictions or has "reality" taken ahold?

NCTBA

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:50 pm Post subject:

It's been a month since my last post on this. Why the silence? Yeah, that's what I thought! God Bless!

NCTBA

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 6:12 pm Post subject:

redeyes · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 254

More more more MORE about the school in question from an earlier thread -- it looks like an "interesting" place to work.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=51787&start=30

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 2:03 am Post subject:

I jes' don' wan' 'um to fergit about the sweetness that they tried to pour all over that place! They were SO defebsive,,,and SO, SO wrong! Some things jes' SHOULDN'T be done fer money...

NCTBA

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Don't go to King Faisal School. In all my years in the Kingdom I have never heard ANYTHING positive about the place.