Job Discussion Forums

harrykylee · Joined: 15 Jan 2010 Posts: 15

It appears that there are few posts with regard to working at Abu Dhabi Education Council. Perhaps somebody who has ''been there, done that" could enlighten us with some insights. Thanks.

MsParker · Joined: 29 Oct 2008 Posts: 39

It depends what you mean by "working at ADEC".

ADEC contracts "Operators" such as CfBT, NordAnglia, Cognition etc as a part of the Public-Private Partnership. Teams are placed in certain schools to assist teachers with the implementation of the ADEC curriculum in English, Science, Math and ICT. There is also an EFL specialist who gives English classes/IELTS training to the teachers. All of the UAE is under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education, but ADEC works only in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (as the name implies).

ADEC is also hiring Native English Speaking Teachers (NESTs) for K-3 and Grade 12. This is a new programme (2009-2010 is the first year). These positions represent the majority of the job ads for Abu Dhabi online. Teachaway is the main recruiter and has more information, but I'm pretty sure you need to have a teaching license + experience to qualify.

ADEC also hires Advisers and other people with experience in curriculum design, special education needs, assessment etc. There are jobs listed on their website.

harrykylee · Joined: 15 Jan 2010 Posts: 15

Thank you MsParker. I am an experienced teacher and will have completed a PhD in education by the end of the year. I am exploring teaching opportunities in universities or colleges as well as specialist roles with ADEC. Any experiences to share?

whistleblower45 · Joined: 15 Apr 2010 Posts: 2

I'd stay well clear of ADEC if I were you. It's a quasi-government organization supposedly working to improve education in state schools in Abu Dhabi. It has mainly Brits working there, but Arabs in charge. The whole thing is a total shambles as a result of internal strife, disagreements and incompetence.and very little improvement is taking place as a result. If you want to work in the UAE, better to apply to one of the many international schools where you will at least be able to do some actual teaching. I speak from personal experience.[/b]

Asda · Joined: 01 Jun 2008 Posts: 231

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

To be honest, if you have a teaching cert/license and experience in schools, a year or three of experience with ADEC would be a good preparation for moving into the Gulf universities. It would provide a teacher with a clear understanding of why the foundation year students lack the skills that they do. A problem that extends all the way into the first year of their content courses at least.

Mr Whistleblower didn't enjoy his time with them. But, the pay is very good and with realistic expectations, it can be an experience that one can use to move onward and upwards. The fact is that much depends on your recruiter and where you end up. The system is chaotic and poorly focused... and schools vary widely as to how enjoyable or not, the job will be. We have had some teachers come on here who loved the part of the program that they worked on... and others like Mr Whistle who hated it.

I believe that there is a Facebook site for the teachers and you can probably find the good, the bad, and the ugly details there. Since this is an EFL/ESL board, not many of them show up here.

VS