Job Discussion Forums

[JohnRambo]

I was wondering which jobs give the most vacation time? Which kinds of universities would give you time off during winter and summer? Or which schools? And how much vacation do they get?

Thanks.

[nichtta]

Let me preface this by saying that this is based on what I've personally experienced, heard from other ESL teachers in Turkey, been offered by recruiters/schools, or read online, so take it with a grain of salt, as it might not be totally accurate, but I'm confident enough in it to post it here. Also note that I'm writing this about ESL teachers with an unrelated BA and a TEFL/CELTA/DELTA, which doesn't include, for example, certified teachers at an international school. Also note that national holidays should be a standard for all of those mentioned below. In fact, one Turk in a school's administration told me it's illegal to ask teachers to come in on any national holidays.

Private Universities
These probably give the least vacation time with sometimes as little as two weeks, and that can be after finishing a year-long contract. You're also typically expected to spend around 40 hours a week on campus even when you're not teaching. However, they're generally the highest paying oftentimes with benefits (airfare, accommodation).

Private Primary and Secondary Schools
These typically give around 45-60 days in the summer and 10-15 days mid-year. They could also be 10-month long contracts, so the summer is not paid. You'll be expecting less pay than at a private university and sometimes, but not always, less benefits (airfare, accommodation). In addition, you'd have to stay for around 40 hours a week

Public Universities
These allegedly give the most with around 3-4 weeks during the winter and 2.5-3 months during the summer. That's what I heard from one teacher, but another teacher said otherwise, so it may very well depend on the university. Therefore if you think about it, that's about 4 months (or 1/3) of the year off. In addition, unlike private schools (primary, secondary, and university), you don't have to be there from 8:30-5:30 even though you're not teaching. You come in, teach your classes, then leave. However, the thing you give up is a higher salary.

Public Primary and Secondary Schools
I've heard that foreigners can teach here if hired by the school, but I've yet to meet or even hear second-hand about someone who has actually done this.