Job Discussion Forums

[jasperdog]

..I'm considering accepting a position in one of the above locations, however, i've been reading many posts about the locations and the organisation and as of yet i'm undecided. I've been teaching in China for 12 years in a remote location with no westerners, which is fine for me, however, the locals here in China are great, i'm integrated into their culture and they are tolerant of my traditions , values and beliefs.

Do you think it would be similar in these two cities? Also it seems that a car is essential, how much does it cost to rent one? Another issue is the salary i've been offered, it is 1000 Rial, plus free apartment, working a 40 hour week, 20 hours teaching..

I'm not really planning to come to save money, i just think a new experience is called for, so is that salary enough to have a relatively good quality of life.

Any information would be really helpful, as it may influence my final decision.

Thank you

[runninggirl]

Car rental is about or 150 -200 Sur gets flooded every year. ( a friend of mine lived there a year) you get the ocean. I don't know about the other place more info...
sent you a PM

[veiledsentiments]

Since it is the same employer, the major difference is location. Are you a beach person? Take Sur. But, it will be quite humid - while temps are in the 30-45C range from April to November. Do you like hiking and camping? Then Rustaq might be best.

As far as the local culture... the experience will be a bit different too. Sur has a more mixed population as coastal places tend to do. Traditionally they are sailors. Whereas Rustaq is an interior oasis town. It is the other half of traditional Omani culture... the farmers.

I assume that you have done a search here related to Majali. He is rather an infamous employer. While many have had major run-ins with him, others have managed with little or no problems. But, you must be flexible. (sounds like you are if you have been living in a small town in China)

VS

[jasperdog]

..Thanks VS and Runninggirl....your comments were helpful..i suppose everyone has different experiences, their own agendas, therefore, its very difficult to gain an accurate perspective on the country and employers. I've been teaching for 29 years and have come in contact with many 'Majalis' over my career, i know i'm very adaptable and resilient, therefore, i'm well equipped to deal with all types of people.

Another question, do you think i could apply for a better job? Maybe schools with a good reputation? I have a Masters and post-grad, i was a college lecturer in the UK for 14 years...

Do you have any idea the standard of accommodation that is offered by this recruiter?
Thank again for your help, its appreciated....i am off to buy a book on Oman, get myself up to speed!

[veiledsentiments]

If you have a related MA (ap ling or ESL/EFL) and some academic English teaching experience on your CV, you could do better. That said, getting that first position in this part of the world with the top tier employers can be difficult. A good way to get in the door is to take a job like this and then you can add experience teaching Arabic speakers to your CV. Finish the contract, attend the TESOLArabia conference in the spring in Dubai, and scope out the possibilities.

VS

[newbienicki]

You can do much better than Majali. I just finished a contract with him. A NIGHTMARE. Yes, I am resilient too. but this man is a bandit. I too have an MA (English). My advice to you,apply to the Ministry of Higher Education. You will make a lot more money and will not have to deal with the nightmare which is Hawthorn. MOHE does direct hiring and they are looking for lecturers. If you get an interview with them, request Sohar. This is where I worked (moving to Muscat),I think it is the best of the MOHE locations. If you decide to work with Majali, Sur is the better location,most of the Hawthorn teachers are there. They were given an 11th hour option to renew with Hawthorn for Sur, Rustaq or nothing. If you need any further info on MOHE, you can PM me.

[Space Teacher]

[newbienicki]

It's not the place, per say, it's well.... just its lack of anything other that beautiful mountains

[veiledsentiments]

Rustaq is a lovely place to visit for a few hours... strikingly beautiful scenery.

JMHO...

VS

[EFLprofessional]

I worked in Sur at the College of Applied Sciences for two years, and while I enjoyed my time there, it was not without its difficulties; lack of support from administration, lack of basic equipment, funds, supplies, etc. (I finally gave up and just began buying what I needed myself!). For the most part, the students are very sweet, intelligent, if not a little lazy, and a joy to teach. Most of them, like anywhere, want to learn; however, the biggest problem is not the students, it's the curriculum. The curriculum is designed for the failure of the student in that it assess the student on only 3 points: 50% the final exam, 25% the written report, and 25% the oral presentation! NOTHING ELSE, not "homework"...NOTHING! So, don't expect students to do homework! If the student "falls down" on any 1 of those 3 points, then his final mark goes right down the toilet! That puts a HUGE amount of pressure on the student....and the teacher because the administration DOES NOT LIKE TO SEE STUDENTS FAIL AND BLAMES THE TEACHER FOR THAT STUDENT FAILING!

Having said that, my advise to anyone thinking of taking a job with Hawthorn Muscat is DON'T!!! The Director, A.M., is as crooked as a dog's hind leg! He used to work in Sohar at Sohar University and was convicted of embesselment and served time in prison! But that didn't teach him anything beause he continues to run his scams on teachers by not paying them what is due to them. He is paid by the Ministry of Higher Education a "gratuity" of two months salary which is supposed to be paid to the teachers as incentive for their return and instead, he keeps that money for himself. I could go on because the "laundry list" of his "rapsheet" is long...but I think you get the picture.

So, while I would say that the people of Sur are friendly, helpful, kind, generous...and if you can put up with a "provincial town" then you would have no problem living Sur. Sur sits right on the ocean and there is plenty of things to do there; at Ras al Hadd there are the nesting grounds of the green sea turtles, there are wadi's to explore by 4x4 - this is a "rock climbers" paradise, and only 50km west of here is the Sharqiya Sands, a 200x400km expanse of muli-colored sand that is just beautiful to look at.

But if you are really interested in Sur, try to get a job directly with the Ministry of Higher Education in Muscat....but AVOID HAWTHORN MUSCAT AS IF IT HAD THE PLAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[EFLprofessional]

Oppps! Sorry for all the misspellings in the above post from me. I was in a hurry and didn't check! I didn't follow my own advice to my students!

[the lowlander]

In all honesty, I have to say that I cannot understand the level of hatred and animosity levelled at Abdul Majali.

I worked for him three times over the years, at three separate locations, and came to know him personally.

Truthfully speaking, and in my own personal opinion, I consider him to be a genuinely decent individual who has paid out monies earned even when a teacher has decided to cut and run without giving proper notice. I know of more than one occasion when this has happened.

Abdul recruits people for contacts in Oman, and what it says on the contract is exactly what you get. No less, no more.

Read and understand the contract carefully before you go to Oman, don't expect Abdul to be your indulgent, surrogate father when you get there, and then properly understand the type of location you will be going to.

Rustaq is in the middle of nowhere, for example, and there are no bars, or any entertainments to speak of.

Sur has two "so so" hotels, a cinema, a few decent Arab/Indian street type restaurants, and that's it.

Sohar is similar to Sur.

These are all relatively isolated locations in the middle of the desert.

There are no easy girls, there is no cheap booze, no bright lights, Oman is not all singing and dancing.

I think a lot of people go to Oman thinking it is some kind of Las Vegas, don't ask me why, but then are genuinely shocked when they find out it's a Middle Eastern desert state....then blame Abdul.

In conclusion, my advice to anyone is do your homework properly before going to Oman.

If you work for Abdul, you will be in a relatively small, isolated town. You will not find a girlfriend, you will not be drinking cheap beer down the pub every night, you will not make loads and loads of money.

If this isn't what you want, then I suggest you look elsewhere.

Oman has many good points, but it's not for everyone.

[veiledsentiments]

Majali has a very checkered past in education in Oman and has left a trail of unhappy posters for many many years. He's got himself a plush situation and a finger in every pie. But, I agree that if one has realistic expectations and doesn't get on his bad side, one can do a contract or two and save some money too.

I would guess that Majali's biggest mistake is poor vetting. For too many years, the main qualification of his teachers seemed to be that they had applied.

VS

[Captain_Fil]

I don't know this Abdul Majali person...

Just expressing my veiled sentiments.

CF

[It's Scary!]