Job Discussion Forums

[sounion]

Hello,

Since I feel like I would have benefitted immensely from some info on teaching in Bhutan when I first endeavored to come here, I thought I would start a post about teaching in Bhutan.

The only option that I can think of to come teach in Bhutan is going through the Bhutan Canada Foundation (BCF) - www.teachinbhutan.org. They require you to have a background in education and you will have to complete an application and interview before selection. Once selected, they forward your info to the Bhutanese MOE who then approve or deny you. If you make it, you then work for the Bhutanese MOE in a placement of their choosing. You won't make fortunes but you make way beyond any cost of living (I spend about 2-5% of my income each month).

If you want to see what BCF is up to they also have a blog: http://teachinbhutan.blogspot.com You can find experiences of the various teachers on the blog as well.

Should you be interested in my stay here, check out: http://drukmail.blogspot.com

And, of course, if you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to pm me

[Tudor]

I think we all got the website details on the first thread you posted it on - you know, the one from 2006 that you dredged up

[wailing_imam]

Presumably you are the recruiter for BCF?

Is there a 'fee' involved?

Pay, housing, hours etc?

[sounion]

Not officially a recruiter but I really enjoy the program so I am only an advocate.

No fee involved. You don't pay-to-teach. But, we had to pay our way to Bhutan and pay our start up costs. This might have changed by now though.

Pay: roughly $500 USD pm - not great but more than covers your expenses here.

Housing: Your housing is set up before reaching Bhutan and usually you have a choice or two. I live on the school grounds so I pay 0 rent and 0 utilities. But if you live off school grounds you can pay anywhere from 1,000 - 4,500 nu ($20-$80) per month. Utilities would cost around 200 - 500 nu. ($4 - $10) pm. My housing is a one room gig but it's perfect for my style. A 4,500pm off campus would probably be a furnished 2-3 bedroom farmhouse. You'll have indoor bathroom and shower area. Some volunteers have housing that includes fridges, water heaters for showers, and even washing machines.

Hours: These vary from school to school. Bhutanese schools go M-Sa with a half-day on Saturdays. A typical school day will go from 9am-3:30pm. Usually classes last 40-50 minutes. And teachers usually have 25-30 periods a week ~ 16 teaching hours per week. But, there are clubs and other extra curriculars you can be involved with at your choosing which would add 2-3 hours per week. Most Bhutanese schools are boarding schools so school involvement is usually a large part of a teacher's life here.

Bhutan is a really unique culture and very few people get to experience first hand outside of a tourist bubble. And while you're only getting 500pm, the cost per day for a tourist is minimum $250...so you could think of it as saving $90,000 (if you really want to try). So, low pay is made up for in a high return in cultural experience.