Job Discussion Forums

brian1972 · Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 73 Location: Pachuca Mexico

Thoughts? Heard of it before? We are thinking of applying, but would like to hear opinions before starting the process. We have been teaching in Latin America for the last two years but would like to move to a new part of the world. I have NO idea what pay is like in this area or what benefits schools offer. We are both certified teachers.
Thanks!

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Certified teachers? US? or where?

My first question would be... Why Saudi?

With two certified teachers, you would be better off heading to an employment fair for International Schools. There are some quite horrendous employers in the Gulf and you need to take great care where you choose to work. With good credentials and experience, there are some very high paying jobs in the Gulf. But, you need to do a lot of research before jumping into this part of the world.

First off... I am assuming that you are a married couple? If not, you would need to marry before heading to the Gulf.

VS

brian1972 · Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 73 Location: Pachuca Mexico

Certified teachers, US. Married with kids. We have currently work with teachers who worked in Saudi and have other friends who are there with their kids.
Travel and teaching are our interests, living abroad makes both possible. Saudi Arabia is somwhere I have never been and would like to see that part of the world.

sheikh yer money-maker · Joined: 23 Aug 2010 Posts: 79 Location: Saudi Arabia

Forget, Saudi! Go to the ISS/Search Associates/U.N.I/Ohio State job fairs and get jobs as a teaching couple in some of the surrounding, more forgiving countries...

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Definitely agree with the Sheikh. Look at the International Schools in the other Gulf countries... the ones where the embassies send their kids. You have much more chance of both a lucrative job in a country with a similar culture, and more pleasant living conditions than Saudi. (such as: your wife can drive the kids around too, she doesn't have an odd dress code, you can easily come and go from the country with no exit visas and bureaucracy, etc...)

VS

sheikher · Joined: 13 Jul 2009 Posts: 291

Indeed, Saudi Arabia's international school sector ranks fairly low in terms of competent management and quality lifestyle. Outside of Aramco, that is.

Heaps of job fairs just north over the border. Google around a bit. Here's a start: http://www.aaee.org/cwt/External/WCPages/WCEvents/JobsStartPage.aspx?ce=true , by no means an exhaustive list.

Canadian? Here's your best bet: http://educ.queensu.ca/careers.html

Take a peek at: http://www.educationcanada.com/international.phtml or http://www.itsacademic.ca/

brian1972 · Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 73 Location: Pachuca Mexico

Thank you for your thoughts.

I am most interested in someone answering the questions above. Has anyone ever heard of the school? What is compound life like? What is the pay and or benefits like in Saudi?

I have looked into life in Saudi in general. I understand the lack of womens rights etc. We have not driven in two years here in Latin America, so the fact that I as a woman will not be able to drive is not a problem for me.

Again, thank you for your thoughts but would appreciate any answers you can give me to the above questions. Not just downer opinions of a country I have heard great things about from others. To each their own, right?

sheikher · Joined: 13 Jul 2009 Posts: 291

Google is your friend. "ISG Jubail".

brian1972 · Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 73 Location: Pachuca Mexico

Been an internet user for quite a few years, Google is great, but I find message boards to be quite a bit more informative. Unfortunatly, this one seems to be lacking those who actually want to give info.
Thanks anyway, I will look elsewhere.

sheikher · Joined: 13 Jul 2009 Posts: 291

Au contraire!

This message board is exclusive primarily to those in the ESL- and EFL-teaching sector. I refer to higher education and privately-owned language academies.

Enquiries related to international schools promoting IB, American, British, Australian, Kiwi, and Canadian syllabi are few and far between within these threads.

To each, his or her own. So continue to search among your own, an exercise you seem to have already started.

In conclusion: Maybe your own can also assist with upgrading your grammar and spelling to a quality the finest international schools require of their applicants.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:59 pm Post subject:

Mrowr!!!

NCTBA Shocked

Al-Mansoor · Joined: 15 Aug 2010 Posts: 76 Location: Here

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

ISG - International Schools Group - is the leading provider of international education at school level in Eastern province - Dhahran/Dammam/Khobar/Jubail.

trapezius · Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:43 am Post subject:

If you want to teach at British/American-managed British/American-curriculum schools in Saudi, there are far better choices, especially with regards to location and repute. Not that ISG-Jubail is of disrepute, just that it is not that well-known on the national stage as it is small and in a small [some would say extremely polluted] town. The branches of ISG in Dhahran are quite well-known (check the website of the ISG), as are the following schools in other big cities:

[ISG branches in Dhahran as I said above]
British International School, Al Khobar
British International School of Jeddah
Jeddah Prep and Grammar School
American International School of Jeddah
British International School Riyadh
American International School - Riyadh

They all have proper and detailed websites that you can seek out for more information, as well as for any vacancies.

To answer your question to the letter, no, I have no thoughts on ISG-Jubail other than what I already said about it. I would have quite a bit to say if you asked me about the ones in Jeddah, though, as I am intimately familiar with them.

Pay at the schools I listed (and ISG-Jubail) ranges from SR. 12,000 to SR. 20,000+ per month (USD 3,200 - 5,300+) basic pay, depending upon experience and qualifications (and of course, the school). Leadership positions (head of department/year, clubs coordinator, etc) are paid extra. Additional benefits include:

Furnished housing and utilities
Travel money for family (yearly)
Health insurance for family
Education allowance for children (free on-site)
Baggage/relocation allowance
Local transport allowance/free
Gratuity when you leave at end of contract, as per Saudi Law

I would suggest working at a British school over an American one, as the British ones are more structured, but more importantly, in general there are far less discipline issues to deal with, from personal experience. Yes, they hire teachers with American (indeed, any Western) teaching certifications.

Good luck.