Job Discussion Forums

[desertfox]

A major problem at TTC was the teamleader structure.

MOD edit

It does seem to have its fair proportion of alcoholics, sexual deviants and assorted head cases. The answer must be related to the money. The higher the rewards, the greater the desperation seems to be.

[Gamajorba]

[balqis]

Such structure of power-play based on sycophancy and policing/tormenting teachers I know quite well from various academic establishments in the Gulf.

Strange yet that it all happened under the Germans and with the Germans. And that they promoted the non-grammar approach, as the Germans are hard-core grammar believers in language teaching and quite wary of any empty fluff in education in general[ perhaps the camp Welsh had worked in Al Yamamah before? They are famous for this wishy-washy porridge approach to teaching languages?].

balqis

[Lord T]

At the job interview the German HR manager went on for ages about how the Saudis wanted Germans to teach their young people not just technical skills, but how to be efficient and organized.

I believed him because all the Germans I had known were indeed efficient and organized. Being at TTC taught me that positive stereotyping is as foolish as negative stereotyping.

However, it would be unfair to put all the blame on Germans. As desertfox points out, the ESL Department was ruined by a small number of native English speakers. It was a pity really because most of the guys were good teachers and nice people.

[balqis]

Owing to their non-participation in Bush's attack on Iraq, Germany was warmly welcome into the Middle East in the recent decade and managed to set up a number of academic institutions in the Gulf. As a nation, they are famous for their top-notch quality of vocational education.
Strange that they tolerate what is in your description of TTC - reads very unGerman in the manner and mode of being.
Not that I doubt it, not at all, I have known it all too well working for years at Khaleeje, but that the college has German managers, and that they find no problem with it, this is astonishing.

balqis

[desertfox]

Yes, the fact that the TTC was so poorly run came as a shock to many of the English Teachers aswell.

It was also the case that the English Department within the college was rather looked down upon.

Because the first requirement was for the students to attain a sufficient level of English before they could proceed in their technical subjects (and Vocational Pedagogy, which was also taught), the German management used the English Department as an alibi for the wider failings of the college.

The Vice Dean actually believes that the English Department should not exist - work that one out!

It should also be emphasized that TTC became markedly worse over time. When it opened, and for sometime after, it did appear to be a relatively well run institution.

But, with the transfer to the College of Excellence, it has rapidly declined to the point where I wouldn't advise prospective teachers to go there.

As Lord T says, stereotyping can be a dangerous thing. I also believed if it had "German" on the tin, then it was necessarily of good quality. I do not, however, believe that now.

[balqis]

Eventually, the Germans may pull out of the college, appalled by what was going on in the institution they branded with their national reputation. It happened to one university in Oman, established under German-Austrian auspices - they simply pulled out after a few, if not just two, semesters, though the uni tried to pretend the Omani-German-Austrian marriage was still functioning and being consumed by both parties for a few semester more after the divorce, and I think ended up in court on account of false claims, or something to a similar effect. It happened in the pretty oasis of Buraimi.

balqis

[desertfox]

Yes, I wish Giz would pull out.
As teachers we speculated about that for a long time.

Apparently, Giz receives German public money and in other parts of the world they do good work - in development projects etc.

But, education is apparently not their thing.

So, it would be better to call it a day.

No doubt they would be penalized, financially I imagine, by the College of Excellence as another, more competent provider would need to be found.

But, they should stick to what they know.

The example of them pulling out in Oman is interesting. I also heard that they had abandoned an educational project in the UAE some time ago.

I suspect in a few months time, as the chaos continues, there may well be changes afoot. It is difficult to see how this situation can go on unchecked.

I know the Saudis have money, but there must be a limit, even for them.

[scot47]

Some years ago (in the 1990s ??) ITT was lured to KSA to set up training operations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITT_Corporation

They were rather surprised to find that they became bogged down in providing Basic English instruction as a preparation for technical training. The trainees that they got simply could not be trained in electronics and electrical engineering tasks.

In the end, they gave up and went back to the US of A. It sounds as if GIZ has been led into the same trap.

[balqis]

The problem with English Depts in such places, as vocational colleges in KSA are, where huge money is breathing behind the screen of educational narrative, places which are taking on board flocks of low-level students, is that they promise the impossible and the miraculous, i.e. in two academic semesters to mount false beginners [ false probably from womb to tomb and with years of ESL lessons on their meters ] from elementary to some TOEFL 550 or IELTS 6 level, needed to pursue the vocational content.
Whoever is sane, either by birth or by solid experience in the ESL profession, knows this is just hot air and inebriated giddy talk.

Yet these places make such hefty promises on their websites and in their PYP Programmes, and then everybody genuinely involved, which is the students and their teachers - but not the Noble HoDs and their courtiers, the Wise Coordinators - together and unisono are squaring the circle and ploughing the desert for the duration of the PYP year, staring bluntly and in disbelief merged with bored astonishment at pages of Headway etc...

balqis

[scot47]

I remember one doting Saudi father who wished to send his son to the USA for higher education. He inquired how long it would take to get his beloved first-born from Zero English to the TOEFL level required for College Entrance. "Could he do that in a month ?" he asked our bemused but ever-resourceful Eritrean administrator at ELS !

[yep]

I heard Giz was taking over one of the College of Excellence sites abandoned by TQ Pearson. Either at Medina or Buraydah, cant remember which.

[plumpy nut]

A funny name for a company.

[scot47]

Its is an acronym -

Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer internationale Zusammenarbeit.

https://www.giz.de/en/html/index.html

"German Society for International Cooperation."

Effectively it is a department of government. The Anglo-american craze for privatisation has not quite conquered Germany.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_Gesellschaft_f%C3%BCr_Internationale_Zusammenarbeit

[TeacherDude95]

The management of this college is indeed really poor quality. I have a friend who works there and I know a German who worked there previously. These days I hear all the time about the shenanigans that go on.

The English Dept. boss is apparently a real prig from some British colonial backwater with invented fancy letters after his name, but be hasn't got a clue about management and is really lazy with it. He apparently hides away in his office all day while his annointed deputies find ways to do less and less work like himself.

These deputies I hear are a rag and bobtail of senir teachers with fake qualifications, no managerial skills and one (who shall ramain nameless) is known for childish outburts and firey attacks on other tecahers who do not respect his authority. A proper egotistical clown it's said.

I hear there is no curriculum to speak of and definitely chaos in the day to day running of the college and general organisation. The teachers basically do their own thing and their is no oversight or anyone checking to see some standards are upheld.

No support from upper management. Students skip classes regularly and the management doesn't care and makes sure they are marked present anyway so they get paid by the Saudis

From what I hear a good college once that has slid down the tubes a lot in the last year or so.

Avoid like the proverbial plague.