Job Discussion Forums

[allycupe]

Hello. Has anyone ever been denied for no reason in brunei and then successfully got a visa?

We had all planned on heading there this summer but the MoE denied our application with no explanation. We are pretty sure it was a miscommunication about some extra credit classes my husband took but we have no idea.

he had very successful interviews with CfBt but then the denial. We are coming from Canada.

any advice or experience with this?

[lacsap]

Ah, the vagaries of the MoE. Many have tried to fathom their machinations but few have succeeded. Basically, the whole thing is run on the whim of someone in an office. Applicants to CFBT have to be vetted by an office in the MoE. They do have some guidelines to work from, but on the whole, it is down to what the officer assigned to this task feels like. There is a fairly acute shortage of CFBT teachers, indeed English teachers in general. CFBT cannot fill their contract numbers in both primary and secondary. In some schools classes are untaught for lack of teachers. Despite all that, the MoE still turn people down for often quite spurious reasons. CFBT do try and pre-empt this by selective editing of CV�s which are presented for approval, but it is often difficult to predict what they may reject someone for. Any hint of a background in religious education is grounds for a rejection. Even to the extent that if someone attended a college called �Saint Something College� they might be turned down. In fact the MoE don�t have to give a reason why they reject people so it might not be obvious why. It�s just one of the things that happens round here. It is quite cyclical as well, and goes through good and bad periods when some people are accepted who wouldn�t be at another time. Not much can be done. It�s just the way it is.

[allycupe]

had anyone every re applied?


allie

[jsteventon]

Hi

So sorry about your knock back. I have heard of people re-applying in the past - nothing lost by trying....

JS

[gajackson1]

That is heartbreaking!!!

If you have a good relation with whoever your handling agent is, you could ask that person to PLEASE keep your app floating/active just in case there is a personnel change/shake-up of some sort.

CfBT is not the only game in town, if your heart is really set on Brunei. Somewhere here I have another thread about other school options/choices, such as JIS, ISB, Panaga (the Shell school), Chung Hwa, St. George's, St. Andrew's, etc. Most of them have websites where they list current or upcoming postings, and you can always ask about particulars for those here.

I really, really hope things work out for you all.

G.

[dreadnought v.2]

[jsteventon]

Hi

Sorry to hear of your disappointment. I'm afraid the Ministry of Education do stipulate that a teacher in their state schools must be qualified to teach in state schools in their home country- it is not that CfBT are not interested in your ESL qualifications,but the QTS must be there for starters....

Misleading to suggest that these are solely 'ESL' posts - the CfBT contract in Brunei covers a range of differing types of teaching posts- from Primary through to 6th Form....Reception class up to A'level. Likewise, the level of the students' English varies greatly - from very little to near-fluent....

Good luck with the job hunt!

[dreadnought v.2]

[Solar Strength]

I have no idea what you're talking about when you write:

A'level
O'level
6th Form
Reception

I'm from america and none of these terms make sense at all.

[SydGirl2]

I'm from Australia, where the terminology is slightly different, but I'm pretty sure the terms equate to this:

Reception=Kindergarten(first year of school.)
O levels =(Year 10. 4th Form or a Junior in High school in U.S.)
A level=(Year 12, 6th Form, Senior in High School, final year in school).
With A and O levels, students sit for an exam to gain these levels.

[celtica]

O Level is the traditional British qualification at Year11 and A Levels begin in Year 12 and finish in Yr 13 (or sixth Form)

Brunei has these exams for International recognition so students may then go to England for further ed/University.

Yr 9 = Form 3
Yr10 = Form 4 etc. I believe Americans call them Grades?

(Nursery, Kindergarten, then Reception) Reception is actually one year after Kindergarten, but is the initial year of school - 'received' into school?

[lacsap]

Am currently teaching in Brunei, so can tell you from the horse's mouth. Brunei system basically mirrors the British system from about 25 years ago. They mostly still do O levels at Form 5, (now called Year 11 in the UK, and in most British Curriculum International schools). Some of the weaker students take IGCSE ESL. They are supposed to be changing these year designations with the new education system, called SPN 21 which they are in the process of introducing. Chaos ahead, for sure. O levels disappeared in the UK in 1987 but still survive in Brunei, and a few other places, produced by the Cambridge exam board. They have been replaced everywhere else by the GCSE or IGCSE exams. Change comes slowly to Brunei. After O levels students who go on to 6th Form (Years 12 and 13 everywhere else) either repeat their English O level or do an IGCSE in ESL if they didn't get either in Form 5, This is alongside 3 other subjects at A level. If they did pass their O level in Form 5 then they will likely do the Cambridge General Paper AS Level exam which is supposedly worth half an A level but in fact it is largely valueless as it not really recognised by any university as an Advanced English qualification, not even by Brunei University. The better ones will also perhaps do a one year AS level in English Language possibly with English Lit. They have the option at 6th Form to do a full 2 year A level in English Lit as one of their three main subjects but it is not compulsory. Many students go on to Universities in the UK or elsewhere after this, aided by very generous scholarships from the government. Results in fact, from 6th Forms, are pretty comparable with many International schools, and UK schools. Not bad considering they are doing it in a second language. Hope that clarifies things.

[celtica]

[Prog Rocker]

I'll join the frustrated bunch. I've had my application turned down for no apparent reason by the MoE. Applied in August and finally found out in November. Everything was fine - meet the criteria, experience, quals (all UK based), accepted by CfBT, but fell at the last hurdle with no apparent reason.

The thing is, as I have absolutely no idea why it was turned down, I don't know if re-applying is an option.

Anyone re-applied and got it?

[jsteventon]

Hi

So sorry to hear of your disappointment. It is possible to re-apply. I have a colleague who made several attempts before finally being accepted.

Good luck!

JS