Job Discussion Forums

[ALPH]

I did a tele- interview for UAEU hi-school position a month back with a Ms F D and Mr K S from Zu. I had to tease out info re class size - yes, on occasion, there might be 30+ boys in the class. They asked how capable i am at motivating students which confirmed my suspicions ie. trying to control 30 testosterone fuelled teenage boys with little interest in learning English. Ms F asked how i felt about a 3 year contract 'in an isolated place.' I wonder how Ms F herself might feel in a similar position - rather hard for her to imagine i guess from her comfy little number in the Personnel Dept at ZU university.
anyway, it tells me as much as i wish to know - i would be roped into a 3 year contract in the back end of beyond teaching 25+ students 20 hrs per week.. Then, after i crack up, i will be penalised financially for breaking contract when i seek out psychiatric help.
These folk will advertise giving little or no info until they find some poor donkey with no self-respect who is willing to accept a base salary before he drops dead from mental exhaustion and abuse ..
Dont touch it with a bargepole.
I expected more from ZU.
Good luck ..

ALPH

(MOD EDIT for names)

[younggeorge]

Let's not go overboard here. I've been on interview panels with them and always found them quite open. What you're describing is a worst-case scenario which could happen but is not very likely. Taking the points one by one:

Class sizes may be over 30 in a few cases, but there are more cases where they'll actually be less than 20.

There may be some schools in fairly isolated areas, such as in the Western Zone, but there may also be schools in Abu Dhabi itself - this information, as far as I can see, is given freely and does not have to be "teased out".

No-one pretends that the boys in these schools are going to be easy to handle, but where do you find teenage boys that are? I think I'd rather face these lads than some of the classes at the comprehensive school down the road back in England.

Anyway, an interview is a 2-way process: you can ask about issues that concern you and, if you don't like the answers, you can turn down any offer that comes from it. But base your decision on your own interview, not someone else's.

[ALPH]

I stand by my entry above. As i said, there will always be teachers who are prepared to accept such deals. Employers put out feelers, without giving full information, to check the level of interest and then base their job package on the response. I have worked in several Middle eastern cuntries and the worst case scenario only becomes apparent on arrival. A bit too late to do anything about it then.
Who's saying anything about comprehensive schools back home > we are talking about the middle East here.
The sad fact nowadays is that job packages for teachers in the Middle East reflect the amount of respect a teacher has for himself. Replies such as the above only serve to reinforce this conclusion.

Peace out .. [/code]

[Manny2]

I think people come on this discussion board to get realistic information and I believe it would help all serious job seekers if the bodies in charge of recruiting for these jobs gave more information. It seems that by not giving more information people feel that there is something to hide.

Personally I know from my experience in the UAE and as has mentioned earlier on another thread re this topic, that class sizes will be large, resources will be slim and that it could entail living in a out of the way place. However, most jobs will be in and around Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and the biggest factor will be finding accommodation of a standard that will be acceptable, nor that it is impossible to find good accommodation here but it is expensive.

These jobs may very well suit lots of people who want to come to this region but don't have the qualifications or experience to work at the university level. My first job in the region was far from ideal but it was a excellent learning experience and through it I was able to get better jobs, that said at the time I had no dependants so it was easier to deal with the inevitable difficulties.

Everyone must make up their own minds and I believe it is in no ones longterm interest specifically recruiters to mislead people regarding these jobs. If they are bad then it gets out and nobody will apply. If the wages are too low especially given the weak dollar then many will turn them down simply because it is not viable to give up a teaching job in the UK or wherever. I would not take one of these job, not now, but 15 years ago I may have. What I feel is unfortunate is that it is being done on the cheap instead of paying better money to get the best qualified people with plenty of experience.

[Tarus Bulba]

I've been informed that the UAE Education Authority has put the High School Project on hold for a year. Does rumor control have any reasons for this?

It never rains in Arabia, it rains ON Arabia...

[auntyharriet]

Do any of you know anything about the private k12 Emirates National School in Abu Dhabi. It looks likely that I will shortly be offered a position at that school to teach (a subject other than English) to young adolescent boys. By the way, despite my name, I'm male and not a tranvestite!

[Iamherebecause]

Tarus Bulba, I wonder were you informed by one of the recruiting organisations or by a third party? Everything about this project is so vague that it wouldn't be surprising if someone somewhere decided to postpone. Or even cancel!

[younggeorge]

I also understand it's been "deferred". Whether the whole project or just part of it, I'm not sure, but if you're waiting for a call to start work, don't hold your breath.

[veiledsentiments]

It sounds like they can't recruit enough teachers. I think the big question marks hanging over it is scaring too many people away. If they had asked me (note tongue in cheek), they should have started smaller... and had a scheduled expansion.

They are rolling in money right now. Investment in their educational system is where that cash should be going. They should start with the Emirate where the schools most need the help - not Abu Dhabi or Dubai - perhaps RAK or Fujairah or Ajman...

They can afford to make these positions attractive to experienced effective K-12 teachers, but I fear that they will just try to do it on the cheap... or spend it on indoor ski resorts or yet another flashy mall. sigh...

VS

[younggeorge]

[veiledsentiments]

Great news YG, but what do you think the odds for success are if they are having these problems getting it launched in the AD and DB Emirates?

I know... your guess is as good as mine... no actually, yours is better than mine since you are on the spot.

VS

[younggeorge]

Obviously it's not going to be easy -

- the bureaucracy has been rumbling around this for the better part of a year already and they haven't even advertised for teachers yet

- they need a huge number of teachers

- 'native speaker' teachers aren't by themselves going to fix everything - there are huge changes needed in curriculum, assessment and resourcing levels

But at least there seems to be a recognition that something needs to be done: it's a start.

[Tarus Bulba]

TO: Iamherebecause

My information came from the recruitment team at the UAE University in Al-Ain and it seems the entire project has been deferred. Pity that, as the package being offered was quite a good one.

[Iamherebecause]

So the news that it's been deferred comes from the horse's mouth i.e. UAEU. Given the vast experience UGRU has in secondary teaching maybe it's no bad thing.... It's a pity for people who have put the time in to apply for these positions and had their hopes raised though. Let's add it to the list of projects where the conditions sounded a little bit too good and which then were cancelled - Etisalat University comes to mind, are there any more?

[veiledsentiments]