Job Discussion Forums

[wilberforce]

This school has been undergoing constant change since it opened. A series of different heads and owners. Check TES blogs for more information. Salaries range from 7,000 up. Single teachers share accomodation sometimes. A lot of disatisfaction and my good gal pal is leaving. She says she's had good times and bad but it's time for a change to a place where she can have a voice. They've been real sticky about the NOC which is too bad.

[chanchanhae]

They are offering QR 11600 for teachers with only 3 years of teaching experience: June 2009 official source.

Al Jazeera Academy is infested with local kids- 80% and the discipline issue is a killer and most teachers cannot handle teachers after one year. Hence, mass resignation and in return, no NOC: Non Objection Certificate from them.

[wilberforce]

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431649

[wilberforce]

A lot of unhappy gals working here. Many of the teachers are from SA or Australia and have adjustment problems. Constant management change makes things problematic.

[wilberforce]

Curriculum change sparks student protest


Student protest broke out at the premises of a leading educational institute in Qatar, after changes to curriculum were announced on Tuesday.
A group of over 50 female students at Al Jazeera Academy (AJA) in the school district of Abu Hamour, stood inside the school gate near the road, and refused to enter the classes after the first break at 9.25am.
�Other classes joined too but they were sent back as they are not really affected,� one student told Gulf Times.
Gates to the school were subsequently closed for a couple of hours.
�On Tuesday, in the morning they called grade 9 and grade 10 students and told us that as of yesterday (Monday), they have been told to stop the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme,� a student of 10th grade said.
�Well this in the middle of an academic year is pretty amusing, especially as most of the students here are enrolled because of AJA�s IB programme in particular,� the student said.
The privately-owned Al Jazeera Academy has been an IB World School since April 2005. It offers the IB Primary Years Programme, IB Middle Years Programme and IB Diploma Programme. It is not a co-ed.
According to sources, while the 11th and 12th graders will be allowed to complete their IB programmes, those behind them, 10th graders and below, will have to look for other educational models.
When contacted, the AJA said its IB programme underwent an academic and administrative assessment and results showed that the number of students who joined the programme is diminishing, especially the Qatari students.
�Another reason for not joining the IB system is the separation of male and female students. AJA has decided to satisfy students who (have already) joined IB until they graduate after two school years (11th and 12th grades), and is not accepting any new students in this programme,� the statement, in Arabic, read.
The school said it has also had to add Arabic language and Islamic and social studies according to a recent decision of Supreme Education Council (SEC).
�AJA is about to sign with owners of SAT/TOEFL in order to make AJA a centre for these tests. This development comes within the realisation of educational initiative for a new phased adopted by SEC,� the statement said, while adding that AJA is also contracting the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) to provide support and technical assistance in the areas of improving curriculums and teaching methods and professional development.
A meeting is now to be held on Sunday (November 7) at AJA where parents and guardians are invited to interact with the school on these changes