Job Discussion Forums

[iteach]

This post will be anonymous because there is a history and evidence of harassment and targeting of teachers who disagree or express their own opinions with the management of this program.

Fact #1: All teachers have signed a contract and sent it forward to McGill in Montreal. As of yet, not one teacher has received a counter-signed contract.

Fact #2: Remuneration is always on time, always correct, and always in full.

Fact #3: In my time working for McGill there was no real face-to-face feedback forum with the Associate Director, DOS, or the Project Leader. Also, communication from the management team was disseminated through Coordinators even when the message warranted the attendance of Senior Management. Communication only flowed one direction; top � down.

Fact #4: There is a Coordinator who is not qualified to teach nor does he hold any relevant degree.

Fact #5: Transport is provided regularly to and from work, shopping, and extracurricular activities. To McGill�s credit, they have successfully planned and followed through on a few fun weekend trips.

Fact #5: The Project Leader has surrounded himself with a group of teachers that have too much of an influence on proceedings and who do not appreciate resistance or outside input. This dictatorship that stems from the Associate Director is unhealthy, dysfunctional, and promotes a culture of fear among the remaining teachers. It also leads to constant misinformation, a lack of knowledge, and a general toxic environment of gossip. They function with a different set of rules than those expected and applied to the rest of the teachers.

Fact#6: The teachers have been given 3 days notice to pack up all belongings and move to an accommodation that is in total breach of the contract. The breach includes: no internet, no TV and cable, and an inadequate kitchen which is not Western style. They only includes a fridge and a microwave. This accommodation is not a Western style apartment but rather a college style dormitory completely isolated from all services and not fit for professionals with years of experience. Teachers are expected to share 4 ovens among 72 teachers for daily cooking. No burners/hot plates have been provided. The move takes place within a month of a majority of the teachers� contracts ending.

Fact#7: In the contract it is stated that all visa costs will be covered by McGill, this however is not true and monthly bus trips of over 7 hours during your limited weekend hours result in a fee that you are expected to cover. If you do not want to attend these visa runs, you are expected to cover the entire cost of the trip at your own expense.

Fact#8: In the new accommodation, teachers are expected to purchase theirr own internet as well as provide passport and details for coverage. This is said to be reimbursed, but is clearly in breach of the contract.

Fact#9: Teachers, who are extending their contract to assist McGill with summer classes, were expected to assume the responsibility of changing their flights, while only a portion of the cost was covered by McGill.

Fact#10: On a few occasions, the gesture of a free meal has been provided and covered.

Fact#11: Constant lack of stationery supplies has been a challenge to the extent that some teachers have had to pay for their own supplies to complete their daily tasks for work.

Fact #12: Personality clashes between teachers or public disagreement with the �management� has led to a disconnect that results in the teacher(s) being observed and targeted in the classroom.

Fact #13: Standard practice in Saudi Arabia is to get an end of contract bonus and a resigning bonus. This has not happened. There is no increase for any teacher based on performance or cost of living.

Fact #14: An Assessment Coordinator was appointed who did not look at, review, or approve any of the tests or quizzes that occur.

Fact#15: There is an unqualified Coordinator that inappropriately and unprofessionally shares private and sensitive information about teachers with a select group of teachers that leads to gossip, paranoia, and humiliation for the teacher in question.

Fact#16: The unqualified Coordinator has continuously not been held responsible for clear mistakes in his work that has led to students walking out of Major exams as well as numerous critical mistakes in test papers. As he is part of the select management group, he is not held accountable or responsible for his numerous errors while other teachers are.

Fact#17: The DOS has little to no idea of the content of the curriculum being taught to the students and has not aided in providing any supplementary materials or academic advice.

Fact #18: There have been periods of time when true alignment and collegiality have been achieved. However, during a �McGill Team Building Day� not one management person was present.

This strenuous contract has left me drained and apathetic. To my remaining colleagues completing their contracts in Saudi Arabia I wish you the best of luck for the future wherever you may land. I also wholeheartedly wish success to the program; I hope that there will be change for future teachers and students. If any of the other teachers feel it necessary or appropriate to comment, please keep it factual for everyone�s benefit.

[rdobbs98]

I am glad I passed on them when interviewed.

[charlesmarlow]

This sounds like a situation that requires a Competent Parachutist.

[sharkpunch]

I agree with the OP 100%. I would just like to add a few observations of my own. There is a lot of incompetence and ego coming from management. But I must say, I�m equally unimpressed with the rest of the staff. I work with a bunch of whiny, entitled, crybabies who spend their office hours kicking each other in the teeth when they aren�t busy complaining. The gossip here truly is toxic. It�s worse than high school, complete with popular kids, bullies, and those who get picked on. It really is the bottom of the barrel here, like waste that leaks in from all corners of the world and settles in Jubail. Now that I think of it, it�s actually a good fit.

[The Good Abaya Girl]

Wow! I read through your list and, item by item (other than those dealing with having to move to inadequate housing) it sounded like working for Shabaka. Yes, we get paid on time and that's about it.

The "leader" who surrounds himself with yes men sounds just like the one here, who has his own brother and numerous others who run around doing all his work and asking "Is this high enough?" when he says JUMP.

Yes, anyone who disagrees becomes a target. Especially anyone who questions the Academic Director (Coach's #2) about the books we use to teach, why they include very in appropriate material that is insensitive to Saudi (Muslim) culture, and why we teach things like "mackerel sky" as a vocabulary word. Worse, though, is the fact that the Program Director keeps pretending to make this little man accountable for all the mistakes in the tests, yet they are perpetuated week after week, quarter after quarter.

As a professional, I'm appalled at the number of mistakes. Recently, they tried to blame their mistakes on the teachers by saying that if the teachers could control the cheating during the weekly four-hour tests, they wouldn't have to create two forms, which is where they make the mistakes. Had to pause while I laughed sardonically. Reality check! So, the fact that these mistakes were pointed out by the proofreaders but not fixed can somehow be correlated to the teachers not proctoring correctly. Hmmmm. But, wait! The newest tests for the advanced intermediate level have only ONE form and are riddled with mistakes.

Finally, I agree with sharkpunch about much of the staff. But then, what can we expect, at least here? An interview for a job with this company consists of the applicant listening to the Director talk for about 15 minutes about how hard it will be. He throws in a few hockey metaphors about being a team, blah, blah, blah, then asks, "Do you think you can do it for 9 months?" If you say "yes" you are hired. Once you arrive, the systematic favoritism and bullying begin, setting employee against employee. Those who are professionals and want to really teach are tossed aside in favor of those who want to play hockey, drink alcohol and smoke "shisha" (wink, wink), partying with the "boys" and the one boy's wife.

So~~~BUYER BEWARE~~~ It sounds like both these places are black holes.

[jargonscott]

[edd_moseley]

Whats this about the housing? Please elaborate......

I worked for McGill last year, it seems then that the team was much smaller and the management we had in place did an ok job. The current management team were only regular teachers back then - but they were a good bunch of guys. I wonder if they expanded too quickly?

I must say the housing always bugged me, the apartments were big but there was no outside area and a tiny pool. I heard rumours that teachers would be moving onto JTI campus, as it's having quite a lot built on it. Is this true? The gym and pool there were the major perks for me at the time. Esp as the pool on the 'compound' was TINY!

I probably would have stayed another year, as the money was pretty good for the hours, etc. CN$4000. But the McGill co-ordinator in Montreal (Mr. F) kept promising things that never materialised, such as a women's contract and a bigger proper compound. I got tired of waiting.