Job Discussion Forums

[ricefigaro]

Sabis (http://www.sabis.net/intered/) will be opening up one of their schools in Erbil, Iraq on September 2006. Two questions:

1) Anyone work for Sabis in the middle east?

2) Is it safe in Erbil?

[veiledsentiments]

Erbil is up in the Kurdish area, right? Safe is a relative term, but I would require a HUGE salary... better be at least double the best available Gulf salary...

VS

[ricefigaro]

Yeah. It's up in the Kurdish area. Wiki on Erbil:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erbil

[Tuttifruitti]

The International Schools of Chouifat are part of the Sabis system. Their schools are very academic and would certainly not be considered 'student centered'. Continuous assessment is the main method of assessing student learning, and special classes (extra money for the school, students often have to do these at break or lunch time) are almost always mandatory for those who do not do well in these assessments. Exams start from KG and continue with increasing frequency as students get older.

In the UAE, they are certainly not among the highest paying employers, but you always get your salary, and the school administration is very reliable for getting paperwork etc done in time. Accommodation is provided (mostly shared) and the holidays are better than many other schools - they give Christmas holidays in addition to the ministry January break, sometimes combining these if Eid falls at an appropriate time.

Sabis is not for everyone, and I have heard that teachers in the secondary levels find the system more suitable for their students than those in the primary level (many of whom refer to it as a 'grind school'), but if they are offering a very high salary (which I would also doubt) it might be interesting if you are into trying out the 'danger zones' of the world!

Good luck,
Tutti