Job Discussion Forums

RUBALKHALI · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 71 Location: DESERTSTORM

Is it my imagination or are Saudi salaries for ESL teachers nose diving?

I've noticed

Middle East Beast · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 836 Location: Up a tree

Tell me about it. I earned higher salaries in KSA 10 years ago.

Yeah, I think, generally speaking, salary offers in KSA suck nowadays.

Notable exception being ARAMCO (I'm buying the rope this weekend!).

MEB Cool

HFG · Joined: 31 Jan 2011 Posts: 8

Not only are the salaries going down, the overall package has also -

Previously a standard package included airfare for 3-4 dependents and education costs covered for 3 dependents.

You RARELY see this now. There goes an extra 10-20K shaved off when you factor in first flight over, vacation flights and end of service flight + private school.

George Muresan · Joined: 23 Aug 2011 Posts: 11

What's the reason for this? More teachers are being hired but turnover is also higher; can we extrapolate that next year, applications will increase and amenities will continue to decrease????

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

It's Scary! · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 823

The drop in pay and packages can be directly related to the recent past, the present and the future droves of Yahoos who are-under qualified to meet the Ministry of Education's guidelines for professional educators and thus are brought in on busness visas.

They all think that Saudi is a giant ATM and go as far as getting threads locked in their fevered attempt to rebuff reason.

It's a folly!

sharter · Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 878 Location: All over the place

It's just supply and demand. Too many teachers and fewer jobs.

Having spent most of my 16 year TEFL 'career' (that's a joke) in oil companies in the ME I can honestly say that qualifications have little to do with being a good educator. Krashen won't help you teach English File and to fob off teachers who have a BA and CELTA smacks of academic elitism. TEFL land is full of egomaniacs.

johnslat · Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 3:21 pm Post subject:

Dear sharter,

" . . . I can honestly say that qualifications have little to do with being a good educator."

And yet, if you read many of the posts of these "under-qualified" teachers, you might conclude that qualifications certainly don't hurt - either that, or many of those posters have really bad typing skills.

Regards,
John

desertdawg · Joined: 14 Jun 2010 Posts: 206

In KSA all the qualifications the MOE require for you to enter as a EFL "educator"/teacher is a BA/BSc if that.

Sponsors are using business visas for numerous reasons, the least of which is to bring in poorly qualified people. Cost, time, flexiblity, availability to name but a few.

I have worked on a business visa and didn't have a problem. Maybe I was very lucky and if possible it is something to be avoided. However if you are left with the option of take it or leave it, then in the harsh economic realities of today, many choose to gamble.

Following on, I agree with the previous poster in that it's a question of supply and demand. Even at the bottom and hard end of the market in the universities, SAR 10/11k in your pocket after rent aint bad. There are few other places that can give you that saving potential. Although I can say from bitter experience that you earn ever penny.

From 2001 till this year, in my experience there was no real increase in salary and as others have said, an erosion in benefits.

Middle East Beast · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 836 Location: Up a tree

RUBALKHALI · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 71 Location: DESERTSTORM

I agree...over supply of teachers and also considering that the English speaking recruiting pool has got larger.

BUT, I would also say the decrease in salary and working conditions is largely due to greedy RECRUITERS who accept lowing the bar...I have seen salaries of 7000 and 9000 SR...PLUS not even flights!!

China's beginning to look good again.

blackwellben · Joined: 06 Nov 2010 Posts: 121 Location: Saudi Arabia

RUBALKHALI · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 71 Location: DESERTSTORM

That salaries have decreased and working conditions have deteriorated for all teachers IS A DISGRACE IN A COUNTRY LIKE THE KSA WHICH HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST REVENUS PER CAPITA IN THE WORLD!

johnslat · Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 5:41 pm Post subject:

Yet another example of how discrimination does not exist in the Kingdom Very Happy

Regards,
John

airapets · Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Posts: 78 Location: The Middle Kingdom

I just accepted a job with Saudi Aramco, through a recruiter, and it amounts to just over 70000 USD a year, which includes my base salary and the 65% added for transportation, housing, etc..., but not the health care, nor air plane tickets.

I have a BA, a CELTA, and just over four years experience, nearly all of it teaching in foundation programs at universities in the US, Oman, Vietnam, and China. From what I have been reading here, I should be more than content with what I was offered, yes?