Job Discussion Forums

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

RESOL? Russian to Speakers of Other Languages? Laughing

BTW... for a BA + certified + native speaker ADEC is paying AED 12,300 - 20,400; plus usual Gulf benefits of housing, furniture allowance, medical, and one month salary bonus/year

And this is for Gr 1 and 2.

VS

iguanab · Joined: 27 Nov 2008 Posts: 5

That is TESOL!

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

Don't you just hate it when one's fingers ignore one's brain? Laughing

BTW... just in case you ever want to edit, there is a button in the upper right corner of all of your messages. I use it often...

VS

efemmera · Joined: 24 Jul 2009 Posts: 52

[quote="renate"]I did not have a visa in my first year and had to make several trips to Oman. quote]

Thanks very much for this info! Did the school pay for these visits and were you allotted paid time off for this purpose?

lilac · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 2 Location: UAE

Hi all,

It is more laid back this year, as the lady who was in charge of primary last year left. The school does give you a ride to the Oman border to renew your visit visa and it's done on the weekends so you don't miss school time for that. Everybody pretty much gets their salary the last day of the month. From what I hear, they rarely give you a raise. Taxi rides to school are now 10 dirhams from the school's accommodation. The apartments they provide are quite fine: 1 bedroom if you're married; shared 2 bedroom if you're single. The furniture is alright. If you want to stay in the same classroom with the same group of kids, you should request teaching KG1 or KG2. If you don't mind going from class to class every 45 minutes, then teach grade 1 or 2. Grades 3 and up: the kids are very hard to control.

Hope this helps somebody!

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

Wait... so you are working illegally on a visit visa... and get to give up your weekend to do visa runs to renew your illegal visa... you "pretty much" get your salary... and have to live in shared housing.

And based on the above information the pay is very very low...

Sound ghastly...

VS

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

Do they pay for the renewal of the visit visa?

Also, now that the info that they have illegal employees (no labour card) is public, one wonders how long before the authorities take an interest in this school's operations?

lilac · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 2 Location: UAE

Ok,

Here's what I meant: by "pretty much" getting your salary by the last day of the month, that means that occasionally it arrives on the first or second of the month, but we almost always get paid the last weekday of the month.

And no, I'm not working on a visit visa. I did the monthly runs to Oman for 4 months of last school year and then got my work visa. Yes it was annoying to use up 5 hours of my weekend going to Oman once a month. I had to pay the visit visa renewal stamp but the school paid me back once I presented them with a photo copy.

Listen, if you are a fully certified teacher from your (Western, English-speaking) home country, then the salary is probably low and you should not work at Al Ma'arifa. But, if you do not have proper certification or an education-related degree, then Al Ma'arifa offers an average package. (I have seen many other schools advertising the same salary). Considering that the admin is not interested in stabbing us teachers in the back every chance they get or breathing down our necks, like some other schools we've heard about, it is a decent place to work for the UAE. I'm not saying that it is ideal or that all is hunky dory, but it is alright.

Good luck to you all,

Lilac

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

Sorry, but to be on a visit visa for 4 months and working means you're illegal. Good employers bring you in on a temporary (work?) visa and process the permanent one within 2 or 3 weeks - maybe this employer doesn't have a competent Visa Officer - but in any event you are legally vulnerable working while you don't have the work visa (temporary or permanent).

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

there are implications to working illegally. What about health cover ? What if you have a dispute with your employer ? Don't do it.

akolsky1 · Joined: 08 Mar 2009 Posts: 39 Location: Pennsylvania

I already posted my comments and criticism of Al Ma'arifa. The are an awful employer and employee unfriendly to their teachers. They pay VERY low and do not care about updating the supplies in the classroom. We have to save our pencils so we don't run out and this is a PRIVATE school so where does all the money go?? Hmmm....there are 2 staff people, the head of primary and the exec assist to the director who are nice and lovely ppl, but there is also a bullying teacher who does not even have the qualification of a college degree to be a teacher. There is alot of abuse and corruption going on and I wld disagree w/ Renata's statements defending the school. School needs MUCH improvement to make it run properly. Not a professional environment.