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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2004 8:44 pm Post subject: MLI and Distance MAs and NOCs - the latest |
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I hate to start another thread on MLI, but the last one degenerated into personalities again. I feared people might give up reading before they got to the latest. I have received an update through my reputable sources grapevine.
Teachers with distance MAs were notified that they will receive pay cuts reflecting this fact. I think this happened awhile back. Teachers who requested them then received NOCs so that they could look for new jobs. Some have had good offers from other institutions in the UAE under the Ministry of Higher Education which seems to be accepting their MAs as valid.
But, now MLI has withdrawn these NOCs, so in order to take these new jobs, they must get their current visas cancelled. I'm not sure I understand this process, so someone please correct me - this information may have passed through a few people. BUT - they have also been informed that as per the article in the newspaper - they would be under the rule enforcing a 6 month or one year ban - even if they have an MA or PhD.
The question is whether this is a threat or will it happen? Or is it just another vicious rumor? Does anyone know any teachers who have received this ban?
VS
(BTW, from another source I heard that they are so desperate for teachers that they are now accepting people without MAs - lowering the pay, of course) |
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sandcity_uae
Joined: 09 May 2004 Posts: 5
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2004 6:52 am Post subject: |
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VS - there are two parts to your post: the issue of people with distance ed masters and the issue of those - regardless of degrees - who want to be moving on from MLI.
Part one.
It would be good to get the perspective from one of the MLI teachers with a masters via distance ed who has actually tried to jump hoops with the Ministry of Higher Ed to get their qual recognized. I have one of those 'undesirable' qualifications but haven't been in a rush to waste my money on such an inevitably pointless exercise.
Apparently about 25% of current staff are in this situation. The story so far is that GHQ will honor our current contract even if the Min of Higher Ed says our masters via DE are useless. One of the questions buzzing around MLI is whether or not those of us with unrecognised masters will actually get another contract. This sort of question gets asked because those who 'coordinate' at MLI don't know, hence growing frustration.
Part Two.
Yep, we got a message from one of the 'coordinators' telling us that MLI was rescinding (?) our NOC letters. It's all to do with the other stuff you mentioned - the 6-month ban from the Min of the Interior once you resign from MLI.
Conclusions
1. Wait and see - I don't believe anyone has felt the effect of all this stuff yet - other than having the NOC letters nullified (?)
2. This must be one of those countries where the Ministry of Defence is too low down in the food chain to make a difference!!!!! |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2004 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for your take Sandcity. It seems to match what I heard except that the version that came to me was that some of the people had been told that their pay 'would' be cut. But, we all know how stories change as they pass around town - and Abu Dhabi really does function like a small town.
Perhaps I spent too long in the Gulf and developed 'conspiracy theoryitis,' but could it be that the MLI is trying to scare people out of resigning by trying to convince then that they must leave the country for 6-12 months if they try it?
Apropros to this, I had a friend who had been teaching for the military in one Middle Eastern country and wanted to go to a university in another. Well, it seems that the new country was told by his employer that he was a suspected Mossad agent!! The new country turned him down. But he pursued it to the upper echelons, got higher officers to vouch for him - clear the record, and did get the new job.
One thing about the Gulf, things work 'differently.'
VS |
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tefllifer
Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 81
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2004 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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Hi
How can a letter of no objection be invalidated?
There are no new immigration laws about moving from one employer to another - this has been checked by some people I know. So, is MLi using this possibility as a cover for banning people? Why can't they just come out and say, if you leave you will be banned, and save people a lot of stress and heartache - c'mon, be upfront and open about it! Creating an atmosphere of fear is detrimental to teacher performance.
From what I have heard, no other recruiters think there is a problem, and all they know about it is what MLI have told them - yes, MLI has rung up places and told them their people might get banned. But, funnily enough, MLI is still hiring people locally, so surely that proves definitively that there are no new laws.
Basically, it looks as though the only people who need to worry are people leaving MLI to go elsewhere. Looks as though any ban would come from MLI - that's sick, isn't it? |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2004 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting... so, MLI is busily trying to bring people in from other Emirati employers while telling their own employees that this is impossible and they will be banned if they try to leave and go to another employer?
Don't they realize that it is stories like this all around the EFL world that is the cause of their hiring problems?
VS |
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Bindair Dundat
Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 1123
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 5:11 am Post subject: Re: MLI and Distance MAs and NOCs - the latest |
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veiledsentiments wrote: |
I have received an update through my reputable sources grapevine. [...]
(BTW, from another source I heard that they are so desperate for teachers that they are now accepting people without MAs - lowering the pay, of course) |
Can you elaborate on your sources just a bit, VS? No names, of course, just enough info so your devoted readers have an idea of how reliable this information might be.
(Wouldn't want to think you were getting your info from Mr. Vet and his dog, for example.)
Thanks,
BD |
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abudhabi
Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 34
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 6:51 am Post subject: MLI are hiring BA's - so say their ads anyway. |
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Hey, calm down, BD. VS doesn't need to quote mysterious friends when the facts are available at the click of a mouse. Here is an exerpt from the MLI ad in Dave's ESL cafe on 15 May 2004:
Quote: |
The Military Language Institute (MLI) is seeking applications from English language teachers (native-speakers) ... for vacancies at a military college in the UAE. The contract with the UAE Armed Forces includes a salary of USD $34,600 - $37,600 (for BA qualified teachers)... |
This isn't making the distinction between Khalifa Air College and MLI, as it once did, for BA's. True, the actual MLI recruitment site still states it wants MA's but I can very well imagine this is an oversight.
As to Sandycity_UAE's request for information from those who have gone through the hoops, I'm not sure what he/she wants to know that hasn't been said in other threads. I have spoken to 2 of them and neither admitted they had an MA when they submitted their paperwork. However, the Min checked out their degrees and rejected them on the grounds that they were distance MA's. MLI know this and will still honor the contracts. The crunch comes at the end of the contracts. Can they leave with a letter of no objection, or will they be told to sign on a BA contract with BA wages or leave the country with a ban? |
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mli_vet
Joined: 11 Jun 2003 Posts: 99
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 12:39 pm Post subject: Re: MLI and Distance MAs and NOCs - the latest |
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Bindair Dundat wrote: |
(Wouldn't want to think you were getting your info from Mr. Vet and his dog, for example.)
Thanks,
BD |
I don't have a dog Bindair. Here we go w/ another branding session. Why do you try to cast aspersions on anyone who posts something the least bit negative about the MLI?
Could you elaborate on why you're constantly hovering about the discussions relating to MLI? Very interesting. The info is right on about that no objection letter/visa ban.
Commonsense conclusion relative to the MLI: Don't get suckered in by MLI fluffers, spinsters, and quasi-coordinator bunk.
MLI Vet
Over and Out
[email protected] |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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Well BD,
Reliable? I think about as good as it gets when you are getting it all through friends of friends. You know how it is. That is why I posted it as such. But, it seems that telflifer and abudhabi verified pretty much what I had heard - or at least all the really negative bits.
VS |
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4sure
Joined: 14 Mar 2004 Posts: 13 Location: Middle East
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 2:16 pm Post subject: |
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Last edited by 4sure on Thu Nov 04, 2004 9:57 am; edited 1 time in total |
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tefllifer
Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 81
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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Hi
I repeat - why can't they just come out and say 'we have changed our policy, if you leave you will be banned' - and let everyone get on with their lives, make/remake their plans and look forward to the holidays - which of course nobody who is playing 'wait n see' can do.
Y'know - all this could be a trap - what if they don't ban this person deliberately and then go ahead and ban all others after him/her - this so-called test case is meaningless. It's all mind games and in the end, the locals can do what they want, at a whim. |
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Bindair Dundat
Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 1123
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 6:33 pm Post subject: Re: MLI and Distance MAs and NOCs - the latest |
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mli_vet wrote: |
Bindair Dundat wrote: |
(Wouldn't want to think you were getting your info from Mr. Vet and his dog, for example.)
Thanks,
BD |
I don't have a dog Bindair. Here we go w/ another branding session. Why do you try to cast aspersions on anyone who posts something the least bit negative about the MLI? |
Actually, Mr. Vet, most of my posts related to the MLI have been requests for clarification or for further information, as was my post to VS which you quoted. I admit to having a little fun at your expense, but frankly, Mr. Vet, you are the only person so far whose credibility remains in question with me.
For the record, VS satisfied me privately about my concern regarding her sources.
mli_vet wrote: |
Could you elaborate on why you're constantly hovering about the discussions relating to MLI? Very interesting. |
I think we've been down this road before, Mr. Vet. I am considering working at the MLI. If the MLI is being tried publicly in this forum, I am sitting on the jury: I am one of those who will vote with my feet, one way or the other. Therefore, I feel that I have a right to ask for clarification, to judge the veracity of sources of information, and to question interpretations.
mli_vet wrote: |
Commonsense conclusion relative to the MLI: Don't get suckered in by MLI fluffers, spinsters, and quasi-coordinator bunk. |
Yes, I agree, that is a reasonable conclusion. However, I also believe that there is another camp --perhaps a very small one, Mr. Vet-- that is dedicated to spewing anti-MLI propaganda. My task at this point is to try to sort out the pure b.s. from the truth and near-truth.
You understand.
BD
Over and Out |
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spicegirl
Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 112
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Posted: Sat May 29, 2004 4:35 am Post subject: |
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Mr Bindair seems to have been considering taking up a post at MLI for an awfully long time. Aren't they pushing him for an acceptance of their offer yet? How much info do you have to have before taking a decision? As I recall, he said in a previous posting on this forum that he has other job possibilities. From all I've read here about MLI, I don't know why he's dithering so much, unless the other job offers are potentially even worse. He should be careful, or he'll end up with nothing. Or maybe all is not as it might seem ... |
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Bindair Dundat
Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 1123
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Posted: Sat May 29, 2004 5:36 am Post subject: |
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spicegirl wrote: |
Mr Bindair seems to have been considering taking up a post at MLI for an awfully long time. |
Been considering it for several years, in fact. And I may wind up considering it for several more.
spicegirl wrote: |
Or maybe all is not as it might seem ... |
Maybe you don't know all the details about my situation, you mean? That would be a reasonable assumption. After all, you don't know me, and I'm not in the habit of revealing everything about myself to strangers -- not to mention suspicious strangers.
BD |
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Bindair Dundat
Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 1123
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Posted: Sat May 29, 2004 5:44 am Post subject: Re: MLI are hiring BA's - so say their ads anyway. |
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Dear Mr. Dhabi,
abudhabi wrote: |
Hey, calm down, BD. |
Calm down? What fun would that be??
Thanks for the info. Actually, whether the MLI hires w/ or w/o MAs doesn't concern me in the least. Why, the owners of some of the most cracked pots I have ever seen have had MAs!
The general wickedness does concern me, and accurate information is always appreciated
BD. |
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