Job Discussion Forums

[scot47]

I was using figurative language.

[substance]

eh?!

I quoted Henry and directed my questions to him... lol

[henry]

Yes, 10,000sr per month is definitely insultingly low for Saudi Arabia.Al
Rajhi Co,for example,pays inexperienced teachers over 1100sr per month with the opportunity to earn overtime.
Many of my colleagues and I have had dealings with the British Council
management :we have found them to be contemptuously patronising
to the point of downright rudeness.My friend asked them for information about the TESOL diploma.Initially they ignored his request and after he sent them a series of e mails they referred him to an Arab who simply ignored his e mails.After he threatened them with a complaint to his M.P,
someone from the British Council in Al Khobar sent him an e mail telling him he would 'need to get organised if he wanted to take the Diploma '.
Aother friend worked for them for three months and was struck by the management's reluctance to actually speak to the teachers.He also objected to being excluded fron the public school social clique.
The first (and last) time I had anything to do with a British Council apparatchik was in Riyadh in the late 90s.He made two statements to me:
1) "My father was the Anglican archdeacon of the East".
2)"Leave the bathroom clean"

[henry]

Hello Linguist,
How can British Council teachers extol the British Council
as the the ultimate perfection in English teaching unless they have conducted a detailed anlysis of a definitive international sample of all other English teachers?
'Colonial type arrogance' is contagious.

[substance]

[scot47]

Who will pay the school fees ? For anything reasonable you are talking about 28,000 riyals per child.

Even a decent KG is going to cost you 10,000.

[substance]

I'll just throw em into the local schools... lol.

Seriously though, that's one of the problems... I mean, I've seen a cpl of schools in Jeddah charging around �4000 sterling pa for the three of them, which would be equivalent to me paying a year's worth of council tax, utility bills and God knows what other expenses I have in the UK.

Maybe i'll stick it for a while and look for something better when I get some more experience, right now I don't have much to be honest!

[scot47]

The litmus test for a decent employer in KSA. Do they
1. provide decent health cover
2 pay for education

[substance]

Yeah, I hear you. I must say that the health cover is pretty thorough with the BC. My wife has kidney problems (stable at the moment) and their policy covers her as well as the rest of us. They also pay for all of our tickets, including holidays back to the UK or wherever. Only problem is the schooling.

The only other benefit I suppose is ongoing training (DELTA, etc) which wil be free, and a nice little addition to my empty CV!

[henry]

Don't forget that the local schools are Arabic medium.
Also, the British Council are notoriously reluctant to help teachers with
training and career development unless they are members of the public school elite.

[substance]

well, they told me at the interview that I could attend optional training sessions on thursdays, and asked if I would be interested in doing a DELTA course, so i guess they may have changed their tune a bit (unless it was a lie to get me to sign on the dotted line!)

I'll let you all know how it goes once I'm there, right now I'm waiting for our Visas (yes, all at once, me, wifey and the sprogs)...

[substance]

Flew here with my family, no waiting 3 to 4 months for their visas etc. Iqamah came after 3 weeks. Everything sorted out by the staff here, including driving license, bank account, etc.

I've been here for 6 weeks now... and I've had none of the 'upstairs downstairs' attitude poked in my face as of yet.

The working conditions are fine, in fact they are extremely relaxed. The management is friendly as are most if not all of the staff.

They will pay half of the cost of my DELTA should I choose to do it, after which I'll jump three points up the pay scale (wow! - I'll be bringing in around 11,000 SR).

Oppurtunities exist to become an IELTS examiner/teacher, and there's no shortage of overtime for the IELTS exams. The guy that spoke of the lack of training for non-elite members of staff didn't get his facts right at all.

Compound is nice. V small, quiet (medina road - Arabian Homes). Big house, clean, well maintained etc etc etc. No bills except phone line. Swimming pool, small gym, playground all literally 10 secs from my villa. Oh yeah, the BC gave the mrs and I a mobile each, they pay for rental and we only pay for private calls - nice touch!

The only problem is the school fees, which they don't pay for unless you hit management level. That being said, there is a drive to get some discount from one of the BC affiliated international schools here.

All in all... not as bad as some of you made out.

Thanks for the feedback anyway!

[veiledsentiments]

I don't recall if this was discussed further up the thread, but...

Have you thought of doing home schooling? I know quite a few Americans around the Gulf are doing it, but I don't know about its acceptability in the British systems.

VS

[scot47]

I think Home Schooling in Saudi Arabia is like a 'CRUEL AND UNNATURAL PUNISHMENT. For most expat children in KSA. school is the only opportunity they have to socialise and mix with other kids. You want to take that from them and you really are subjecting them to multiple sensory deprivation.

[veiledsentiments]

But scot... think of the costs of educating 4 kids with no allowance? The joining of a club with swimming pool and such could provide lots of leisure and social activities with other children...

VS