This is pretty relative considering ISR has reviews that include crime stories in places you wouldn't expect (at least two high profile ones in Qatar for example).

I would think anywhere where there is a potential for violence is a safety issue:

Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Algeria, Libya, Syria, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador all spring to mind immediately for example.

It is quite possible that schools that feel they have a good deal to offer or can add to the pot enough to make equalling the deal less likely at a fair are out to get the top talent early on? possibly for a bit less than they would need to pay in the first place.

Think about it, if I am happy to pay someone 70k a year, if I find a good candidate early on and offer 68k, the candidate knows that finding the 70k isn't going to be easy at a fair, so bites and says yes. You've saved 2k and got a talented new member of staff.

I was recruited in November for an august start.

[quote="marv"]Hi, I'm looking into the possibility of teaching at primary schools in Mexico City, and I was wondering if anyone has any info regarding requirements, pay and benefits, working conditions, hiring dates etc at the following schools:
Greengates - No vacancies, good school
ASF - Ditto
Eton - Very average school
Edron - Great Kids, pay not so good
Peterson - Not that international really
Churchill - Low pay, decent location, poor admin

and any others that are worth considering! - maybe the french school
Any info/advice would be much appreciated - be flexible, dont expect alot from many of these schools
Cheers youre welcome[/quote]

Mine paid the ticket.

Visa, Shipping, Baggage and Settling in is all reimbursed after

I agree that 10000 RMB is crap. As comparison I get 31500 RMB a month

Our apartment is about the size of a typical european apartment, the bed came with a matress (fine for us)and we have a bath and shower in the en suite and a shower cubicle as at home in the other.

We also live in a complex with 24 hour security, its own art gallery, its own shop, Pool, table tennis and gym.

We pay the utilities but the landlord pays them and brings the bills to us every 3 months and we pay him. The school pays the rent directly.

We also paid up front for the whole year for cable and internet.

Tax wise, the first 4900 odd RMB is tax free and the rest is taxable at the usual rate.

My last place did not publish a salary scale and they made it up as they went along. I got an allowance on my salary (one no one had heard of) and it turned out to be an additional sweetner to get me over the line.

My current place has a published salary scale and published responsibility points scale.

Literally, I can add up my years as a teacher, add the allowances and A+B+C+D = what I get. They stick to that and I prefer open and structured to mysterious and invisible.

My last place did not publish a salary scale and they made it up as they went along. I got an allowance on my salary (one no one had heard of) and it turned out to be an additional sweetner to get me over the line.

My current place has a published salary scale and published responsibility points scale.

Literally, I can add up my years as a teacher, add the allowances and A+B+C+D = what I get. They stick to that and I prefer open and structured to mysterious and invisible.

[quote="BlueJay"]----://www.tepcharter.org/

That is the school that FrenchGurl is speaking of. It's not the norm and their results are as of yet unproven.

And whomever said that higher salaries do not lead to an improvement in student achievement doesn't get the full picture. It's high salaries to attract a higher quality of teacher. I invite you to read about Finland's education system.

The way that some of you speak of yourselves is sad. You're educators. The most nobel profession on earth. And yet you devalue your self worth because you think so unworthy of your abilities. Change your thinking and you just might change the world.[/quote]

Im doing my Doctorate in Education and I read a very good article by Pasi Sahlberg about Finnish Education. They achieved excellence essentially by shunning the neo-liberal performativity of the US and UK and sought partnership and stability of which one key element was Teachers must be very well qualified and very well paid. Teaching I believe is THE TOP CHOICE for graduates now in Finland because of it.

Im just about to start what seems a similar situation to Danda in China.


Im going to be admin, with 9 periods of teaching. Its works out at $60,000 after tax, but this is NOT including accommodation allowances, flights or bonuses Including that It would be worth about $76,000 a year.

Of that we aim to save $30,000 a year of which half will be ploughed into a retirement fund. The other 15k will be general savings to use as and when needed. We may save more by the sounds of it, but this is our starting point.

Ive been overseas 8 Years now. Im moving this year to a place I hope to stay 5 years plus. My wife is from one of the countries Ive been working in and so 'home' is no longer 'home' given my family is small and hers very large. As a result, we intend to head back to her country once I hit 45 (9 years from now) and by that time we'll have bought a house outright in cash, saved six figures and I will then work FT at an international school or Uni (as I will have my doctorate by then) there for five years while we weekend in our soon to be bought house and then at 50 go to PT while enjoying some free time, to then go into consulting for the last 10 years.

Thats 'the plan' - the house is getting bought in the summer and rented out. We will have bought it outright, no mortgage.

[quote="Mick Travis"]@Happygolucky

My point was not that PGCE's prevented you from working in Scotland - I know a few such teachers like yourself - but that PGDE's were not considered appropriate by schools which followed the ENC, at least not in my experience. However, I am happy for anyone holding a PGDE and working in an English state school to disprove this assertion, though I know of none who do.[/quote]

I have two friends from Edinburgh who work in Southampton having done a PGDE. In England, as in Scotland, the key thing is that you have GTC registration. GTC Scotland full registration is accepted in England as equivalent of QTS.

I dont have QTS as I completed NQT (probation) in Scotland and didnt find any issues having the GTCS recognised in England.

Id also point out that in some subjects, like Computing, schools in England will bite teachers hands off to relocate now the Gove had changed ICT to Computer Science. If anything, the fact you need a degree in your teaching subject to do a PGDE is more employable than in England where you dont.

I have been exceptionally lucky as I was headhunted by my soon to be new employers for a specific post. I received an email telling me about the job, the conditions and offering an interview. The interviewer said they had done their homework on me and really the interview was for them to be able to see who I was and sell the school to me. They did, I was very impressed and I signed. Events since with communication from them tell me Ive most definitely made the right decision.

I have not worked per se in a Tier 1 school but as someone else said if you have 'a unique skill set' that makes you stand out this matters more than the schools Ive been at.

[quote="Mick Travis"]The PGDE is accorded the same recognition as the PGCE. It is much the same course in terms of its length and rigour.

The key difference is that a PGDE does not follow the national curriculum for England, so you won't be able to get a job in an English state school.

As a side note, I wonder where you are finding your information about the best education programmes in the UK. The Guardian newspaper publishes a list of the 'best' courses at UK universties, but bear in mind that this is based on student surveys about 'course satisfaction' 'student-teacher ratio' and so on. It does not reflect the quality of the teaching and research.[/quote]

Ok I trained on a PGCE in England but am from Scotland. If you get a PGDE once you have Full Registration, you are recognised for work almost anywhere (including England). I did my probation in Scotland after finishing the English PGCE and it has not been an issue anywhere.

[quote="emilyhurd"]Thanks for the links, happygolucky. I'm still not sure it applies, though. Two of the links you provided are for people going to China as students and the other is from an embassy in Finland. I am wondering if requirements are different since I am coming from the U.S.[/quote]

I processed my visa in Qatar and needed a medical. My employer sent me a sample from the UK that was needed as well. Cant speak for the US, but certainly its pretty common elsewhere