Job Discussion Forums

triedtolive · Joined: 14 Jul 2007 Posts: 3

I am thinking about working in Kuwait and was interested to know if it is a good place to work?

I have heard and read in the media and on Dave's ESL Cafe about how foreign nationals can be held against their will, through "Whasta".

Is this common?

I would like to know about the life in Kuwait, the good learning institutions and of course the students.

Thanks for your help

Peter

miski · Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Posts: 298 Location: Kuwait

You can be arrested for committing a crime as in any cuntry and yu can be prevented from leaving the cuntry if there is a travel ban against you for any reason-traffic ticket etc.

It is a great place to live and work-depending who your employer is. If you are a qualified graduate with a teaching degree you shouldn't accept anything less than 650 per month + flight and accom / rent allowance ( 80-150 KD usually)

The students are a bit wild and mollycoddled but they don't pull knives on you , shoot their fellow classmates and teachers or deal in drugs in the toilet.

There are coffee shops galore and up market shoping malls plus several 5 star hotels offering beach club facilities.There are many gyms, 2 golf clubs, bowling, horse riding, netball, little league, and the Hash every thursday.

You won't be bored here if you take everything in and take it all in your stride- remember a new culture may seem scary or even intimidating at times but many of us have liked the country so much we have stayed for years. Good luck.

Bahrain, Dubai are nearby and Al Jazeera do cheap flights.

sharko · Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 29

If your idea of a good place to live includes nights out on the town, bars and clubs, steer clear away from Kuwait. Socially, Kuwait is not a happening place. Having said that, if you make sure you have hobbies and other extracurricular activities, you could live quite happily.

Teaching here is an experience that could not be comparable to any other place, except the Gulf itself. My students are as friendly and helpful as they are lazy...

What learning institutions do you have in mind? Secondary school, higher ed?

If you are exploring your alternatives in the Gulf, I would recommend by starting out with an "easier" country as might be the UAE or Oman.

Any other questions, PM or post!

sheikh radlinrol · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Spain

[quote]It is a great place to live and work-depending who your employer is. If you are a qualified graduate with a teaching degree you shouldn't accept anything less than 650 per month + flight and accom / rent allowance ( 80-150 KD usually) [quote]

I went to Kuwait in 1998 for KD650, plus flight and accommodation. I was told then that it was about as low as salaries got for teachers and was actually the minimum in the private sector for bringing your family with you. Surely salaries have risen in the meantime?

By the way, Miski, Kuwait had three golf clubs when I was there. I believe one of them now has GRASS!

miski · Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Posts: 298 Location: Kuwait

Sorry I tried to write country but I think my 'o' button didn't work and I got beeped ....!

I'm not sure about the golf-perhaps 3 and yes one is now floodlit with grass.

Many schools now employ less than qualified teachers and can start with salaries as low as 400 per month. If you go to a bigger school such as NES you will get a much higher salary but I think the workload and stress may be bigger. I am in a relatively small school and am paid much too little for my experience ( but am lucky enough to have my social allowance from the govt!) and have a pretty stress free existence! You take what makes you happiest - and after a few years, what is easiest! Listening to what teachers have to put up with in the UK, I;m pretty content with �2000 tax free per month and only 24 contact periods ( 40 minutes ) a week!

trapezius · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:08 pm Post subject:

sheikh radlinrol · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Spain

miski · Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Posts: 298 Location: Kuwait

LOL That's WITH my social allowance from the govt.......the school salary is only �1500.......yes considering the road two up behind me in the UK has tonight been given sand bags to block the flooding I am very content with the Kuwait sun!!!

canadashirleyblue · Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 162

Do NOT take a job at the Kuwait International English School.

I gather any four letter school is out of the question.

I don't think 650KD a month would be enough to keep you out of a crap school.

I liked Kuwait and would go back if I thought I could trust another school to be different. But I absolutely refuse to be treated like sh-t by any school, anywhere, for any amount of money.

miski · Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Posts: 298 Location: Kuwait

Then stay away from Future Bilingual too!!! You may only be offered 300-400 and the teachers can't spell!

sheikh radlinrol · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Spain

trapezius · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:53 pm Post subject:

1500 GBP is also not bad at all, and again, is on the high side of a lot of British/American schools in the Gulf, and definitely on the high side (or higher than) of many higher ed institutions.

Just because I live in SA, I am going to use SR for reference:

GBP 1500 = SR. 11,500

FYI, the top of the scale salary at the oldest British school in SA (located in Jeddah) is SR. 11,500. At the other British school in Jeddah, top of the scale salary is SR. 14,000. And there is only one more school in Jeddah (American school) which has a higher than 11,500 top end.

So, I don't see how SR. 11,500 could be called as 'much too little' Exclamation

P.S. Why are you getting a 'social allowance' from the Kuwaiti Government if you are earning such a good salary, far far from the poverty level Question

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

She is Kuwaiti...

When I was at KU, everyone received a 'social allowance' based on marital status and number of children.

VS

trapezius · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:11 pm Post subject:

Well of course she is... that's why I mentioned the 'poverty level', i.e., tha poverty level for Q8ies in Q8..

But [usually] governments only give you money if you deserve the help. For example, homeless, jobless (can't find one despite looking), earning too little to support family, disability in family, etc.

Perhaps the Q8i gov is different in that resepct, and they throw money at people who don't need the help!

Learn something new everyday! Confused

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

You will find in all Gulf countries that the locals get generous allowances that we are not eligible for... and that is even or especially for those that are employed.

Their ball game, their ball... their oil money... not really our business. Laughing

A Palestinian friend of mine who grew up and got an education degree in Kuwait told me that when she went out to teach in the schools, she was paid exactly 1/3rd of what the local women that she had graduated with received - doing the same job. This was many years ago, but I expect that things haven't changed much.

VS