| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
ozoyster
Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 13
|
 Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:50 pm Post subject: AL SAQR AL HUR - TRIPOLI - LIBYA - BE VERY, VERY WARY!!!!!! |
 |
|
Mismanagement and Workplace fraud
I went on a contract to Libya about a 18 months ago working for a non governement organisation called Al Saqr Al Hur. This organisation was fronted by a medical 'doctor' who I now realise 'dabbles' in edcuation. It was a pretty horrific experience. Two of us on this job were fired after three months because we did not quite 'fit in' to the teacher profile that the English DOS seemed to be personally comfortable with. It had absolutely nothing to do with the standard of our work.
What made things worse was that our passports were taken away and removed to Tripoli for conversion into work visas. This never actually happened because the administration for this both off and on site was so chaotic that nothing go done in the 2 and half months I was there. It alo meant that we could not just 'walk' if it got really bad. It did and there was nothing we could do about this.
It could also have had something to do with the fact that he was ordering us to 'doctor' exam results because the students and administaration staff at this centre seemed to think that they deserved higher marks than we had given them. This was quite interesting given that our DOS claimed to be a registeresd examiner with Cambridge. It was the first time I'd encountered education workplace fraud. I am very sure that our DOS was colluding with both the Centre management in the above and also with the full knowledge of our 'boss' in Tripoli. Other staff were going along with this and it did not go down well with them or the DOS that neither I or my work partner were going to do this.
We were basically bullied by this DOS who was colluding in all this with the ownere of this outfit. I and my colleague team taught our students and got them through with quite fair marks. But this was not enough according to our DOS. He bullied and berated us about our marks and reports and then on the last day told my colleague that he was fired. This all happened despite some really good feedback from students whom we were working with.
At the end of the contract we were ignored by the other staff, forced to share a bedroom on our last overnight in Tripoli and told by the Owner of this organisation that the students had learned nothing from us. This was despite good high end marks at the end of the rotaition. He was on very cordial terms with our watchdogging DOS and we both strongly suspected that this had been 'cooked up' between them.
Amazingly this was done without any feedback from centre management or any written evidence or backup as to why we were being dismissed. It was also interesting that he had been working with the previous outfit on this job and at this very centre. This non-Libyan organisation had lost their contract here earlier in the year.
I have completely stepped away from teaching and am retraining in a job which even as a trainee pays more and has much greater prospects. Do yourslef a favour and stay away from jobs which offer this kind of 'toy' money wage and then use, abuse and then throw away the powerless teachers.
These people and organisations are a hazard and need to be stood up to. They have no respect for the teachers they employ. please take my advice. Don't be foolish and apply for jobs here. The pay is low and as detailed above, teachers are only 'cannon fodder' for students and other staff to abuse and then get rid of when expedient. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Libyaboy
Joined: 18 Dec 2008
Posts: 5
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:54 am Post subject: Re: AL SAQR AL HUR - TRIPOLI - LIBYA - BE VERY, VERY WARY!!! |
|
|
| ozoyster wrote: |
Mismanagement and Workplace fraud
I went on a contract to Libya about a 18 months ago working for a non governement organisation called Al Saqr Al Hur. This organisation was fronted by a medical 'doctor' who I now realise 'dabbles' in edcuation. It was a pretty horrific experience. Two of us on this job were fired after three months because we did not quite 'fit in' to the teacher profile that the English DOS seemed to be personally comfortable with. It had absolutely nothing to do with the standard of our work.
What made things worse was that our passports were taken away and removed to Tripoli for conversion into work visas. This never actually happened because the administration for this both off and on site was so chaotic that nothing go done in the 2 and half months I was there. It alo meant that we could not just 'walk' if it got really bad. It did and there was nothing we could do about this.
It could also have had something to do with the fact that he was ordering us to 'doctor' exam results because the students and administaration staff at this centre seemed to think that they deserved higher marks than we had given them. This was quite interesting given that our DOS claimed to be a registeresd examiner with Cambridge. It was the first time I'd encountered education workplace fraud. I am very sure that our DOS was colluding with both the Centre management in the above and also with the full knowledge of our 'boss' in Tripoli. Other staff were going along with this and it did not go down well with them or the DOS that neither I or my work partner were going to do this.
We were basically bullied by this DOS who was colluding in all this with the ownere of this outfit. I and my colleague team taught our students and got them through with quite fair marks. But this was not enough according to our DOS. He bullied and berated us about our marks and reports and then on the last day told my colleague that he was fired. This all happened despite some really good feedback from students whom we were working with.
At the end of the contract we were ignored by the other staff, forced to share a bedroom on our last overnight in Tripoli and told by the Owner of this organisation that the students had learned nothing from us. This was despite good high end marks at the end of the rotaition. He was on very cordial terms with our watchdogging DOS and we both strongly suspected that this had been 'cooked up' between them.
Amazingly this was done without any feedback from centre management or any written evidence or backup as to why we were being dismissed. It was also interesting that he had been working with the previous outfit on this job and at this very centre. This non-Libyan organisation had lost their contract here earlier in the year.
I have completely stepped away from teaching and am retraining in a job which even as a trainee pays more and has much greater prospects. Do yourslef a favour and stay away from jobs which offer this kind of 'toy' money wage and then use, abuse and then throw away the powerless teachers.
These people and organisations are a hazard and need to be stood up to. They have no respect for the teachers they employ. please take my advice. Don't be foolish and apply for jobs here. The pay is low and as detailed above, teachers are only 'cannon fodder' for students and other staff to abuse and then get rid of when expedient. |
Right now for the real facts about this.
The guy that wrote this turned up with another teacher in May 2007.
Within 2 weeks they had both received complaints from students and were warned to up their game. This they did not do. They ploughed drearily through the course book without any supplementary material (they ran out of book 2 weeks before the end)
He was observed and the lesson he produced was one of the worst on record here..unplanned, bitty, no direction or focus and full of irrelevant digressions. His sacking was inevitable due to his incredibly poor performance in the class
as for the work visas well anyone who has worked in Libya should know that this is never straightforward. This is not the EU.
He was never bullied or asked to change results on any Cambridge exams. This is just a lie from a bitter person who actually admitted at a disciplinary meeting with the DOS that he was on heavy medication for severe mental illness and was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
This was apparent from his erratic and often aggressive behaviour. he had arguments with waiters, students and colleagues. The final straw was when he swore at some Libyan female students for being late when their bus had been delayed..Incredibly rude and unprofessional and totally lacking in cultural sensitivity.
His colleague was also weak in the classroom and a complete minimalist never doing anything more than the absolute minimum. When the students completed their feedback forms on teacher performance they were amongst the worst on record!!  (These forms are still in existence and can be posted here if anyone requires proof of their tawdriness)
The reports that they wrote on their students were incredibly badly written, wrong fonts, missing information etc. We still use them as examples of how NOT to write reports.
Meanwhile this guy spent hours making pointless piecharts and bar diagrams on the computer to represent his students' performance.
His students all complained about him and had to be given extra classes after he had gone to compensate them.
In week 8 after the swearing incident he was relieved of his duties and given photocopying duties while the DOS took over his classes (much to the relief of his students!) He seemed quite happy with menial tasks as he clearly knew he was no good at teaching. Incredibly he actually asked to be given a full-time position as photocopy boy (this is not a joke by the way!!)
In the hotel in Tripoli there was a problem with room availability as there was a conference on. He actually kicked the reception desk when he found out he had to share a room for one night. Other teachers had to share that night so he was not being victimised.
God knows what he is retraining in but he couldn't be worse at that than what he was at teaching. If he writes any more crap we will post up his student reports and his student questionnaire on here. This guy turned up in the desert and complained of having a dust allergy! (Gives an insight into the workings of his mind)
He was universally hated by his students and for very good reasons. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sharter
Joined: 25 Jun 2008
Posts: 878
Location: All over the place
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:12 pm Post subject: ha ha |
|
|
Complete the sentence below with a suitable word to make an English saying-
1.) If you pay peanuts, you get_______________ . (They live in trees).
Doesn't say much for your recruitment procedures, vetting and standards does it?
That said, Anglo Petroleum Training (aka Al Mawared) knowingly hired a man who'd had child abuse cases against him in several countries and then a guy who was barking mad.
I left APt when the rot set in. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Libyaboy
Joined: 18 Dec 2008
Posts: 5
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:52 am Post subject: Re: ha ha |
|
|
| sharter wrote: |
Complete the sentence below with a suitable word to make an English saying-
1.) If you pay peanuts, you get_______________ . (They live in trees).
Doesn't say much for your recruitment procedures, vetting and standards does it?
That said, Anglo Petroleum Training (aka Al Mawared) knowingly hired a man who'd had child abuse cases against him in several countries and then a guy who was barking mad.
I left APt when the rot set in. |
Yes we know about the alleged paedophile. As for standards etc it is impossible to vet CVs that carefully anyway as is shown by your experience at Apt.
Next question..where is well paid in Libya apart from Waha and Sirte oil?
Last edited by Libyaboy on Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:33 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sharter
Joined: 25 Jun 2008
Posts: 878
Location: All over the place
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 4:19 pm Post subject: APT |
|
|
That's what happens when you put someone in charge of training who wants any teacher now, as all they're looking at is the money they make. The paedo can be found on Google.
Luckily, I'm at one of the 2 companies you mentioned.
Veba pay ok too....or at least they did. Lang Sols have a couple of teachers out here who are doing better than most.
APT now has 'cashflow' problems and the admin is the worst I've ever seen.
Final payouts have all been wrong and below agreed amounts. They've also been very late. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Libyaboy
Joined: 18 Dec 2008
Posts: 5
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
Here is a quote from ozoyster from another of his postings..it is clear that he is just trying to blame the schools he "taught" for (a debatable term in this case) for his unfortunate situation..playing the victim role..he was certainly no good at his job as his ex-students would testify.
Quote "It did not stop me from carrying out my duties as an ESL teacher any less than other colleagues.
Wel if it wasn't the mental health issues it must have been that you were just no good at teaching
Quote" If you are like me and have mental health issues, please read and consider this story carefully. This is very important in an environment where there is nil support for you and you are more likely to be punished as I was. "
Also if you expect to come to a remote Libyan oil town and expect to find a support network to help you with extreme depression and anger management issues well you must be coming from another planet.
You are just punishing yourself
"So I have depression,......don't stigmatise me and don't discriminate!!!!
I have a cautionary tale to tell of a very negative experience I had earlier this year after being offered a job with an ESL organisation called Modern Gulf Institute at their Centre in Seeb/Muscat.
The fact that I have mental health issues should not preclude me from working. If anything, many places and people are supportive and there are many people who are very capable, gifted and hard-working who like me suffer from severe depressive illness. We work hard, are creative and valuable people to have on working teams.
Having depression is not reason to stigmatise us as experienced here. It did not stop me from carrying out my duties as an ESL teacher any less than other colleagues. If you are like me and have mental health issues, please read and consider this story carefully. This is very important in an environment where there is nil support for you and you are more likely to be punished as I was. " |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nora22
Joined: 20 May 2009
Posts: 11
Location: CHINA, KUNMING
|
| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I keep seeing the Serte Oil Company advertisements on several job boards. It sounds like a good deal. I�ve seen negative posts from several years ago, but not much recent information. I would appreciate any and all accurate current information on this outfit, or any leads on similar jobs, i.e. fairly well paid rotations in oil camps, etc. Thanks. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
