The International Schools Review Forum

I am a journalist with an international newspaper. I'm preparing an article for publication in the next few days on claims by recruitment agencies on shortages of qualified teachers for international schools. Recruiters say there are two factors discouraging teachers from applying for positions - concerns about security in traveling abroad (particularly in parts of the Middle East and Asia) and relatively better salaries in source countries. I would like the views of teachers on whether they are increasingly reluctant to work overseas, or in particular countries, because of issues of worsening security or terms. I would also be interested in whether there is any indication this situation has affected the quality of tuition. I welcome any responses.

Hi...I would be happy to share my experience. What newspaper are you writing for? There is also a teacher shortage in the US, due to unreasonable demands, paltry pay, huge class sizes, etc. I have worked in both public and international schools.

The newspaper is the Herald Tribune. I would appreciate any comments on the role security considerations play in determining which countries you will work in. Have you left a country for security reasons or reconsidered a job for security reasons? Also, what role do financial issues play in the decision to teach abroad? Is there still the same financial incentive to go abroad? Another question is whether teacher shortages have made it difficult to fill certain teaching roles in schools you have worked. One principal in Indonesia told me she can't find a speech therapist and the job has been vacant for more than 12 months. Could you identify what country you are in and what countries you have taught in, if not the schools.

Anonymous wrote:The newspaper is the Herald Tribune. I would appreciate any comments on the role security considerations play in determining which countries you will work in. Have you left a country for security reasons or reconsidered a job for security reasons? Also, what role do financial issues play in the decision to teach abroad? Is there still the same financial incentive to go abroad? Another question is whether teacher shortages have made it difficult to fill certain teaching roles in schools you have worked. One principal in Indonesia told me she can't find a speech therapist and the job has been vacant for more than 12 months. Could you identify what country you are in and what countries you have taught in, if not the schools.

I have experience with the Middle East and SE Asia, especially pre-9/11. Before the upswing in violence and radicalism, the Middle East (Saudi especially) was known for schools that paid really well, had a motivated faculty and were difficult to get positions in. The standard of living (housing & benefits) were top notch.

Schools in SE Asia were (and are IMHO) also at the top in terms of desirability. As of note, Pakistan had/has some well known school in the international circuit.

Post 9/11, the public opinion of some of these destinations might be different. The terrorists attacks in Saudi, the deteriorating situation in Pakistan and some of the events in Indonesia, to name a few may have influenced some.

There still is a financial advantage though to living overseas. The amount of money you can save, the travel as well as the quality of life are excellent in many parts of the world. There might not be as much competition to live in Riyadh, though there also might not be as many teaching jobs as companies may be pulling out.

There is also the 'CNN Effect'. The only time people in the US hear about some of these destinations is when something bad happens. In Jakarta, the only time we were on the news was when someone demonstrated in front of the US Embassy. They didn't say it was only 50 people. Our relatives back in the US didn't get to see the 99% of the time when things were 'normal'. Perception by the US public in general, and what overseas teacher's experience is sometimes different.

This seems like a pretty weird way to get commentary for an article - anonymous/aliased postings on a public message board.

Most of what the "journalist" is saying is pretty public knowledge, based on content at the Search Associates site.

This looks like a case of incredibly low journalistic standards, and I'd caution people to steer clear of this request.

I _have_ seen journalists make requests on bulletin boards, but the announcement usually comes through the moderator after the journalist has been vetted.

I am carrying out extensive on-the-record interviews on this subject. Posting a message on a board is not so unusual and is a good way to illict comment and impressions from a wider variety of people than a selective interview process. This actually would contribute to more balanced reporting, not less. I am grateful to the person who made a sincere effort to respond. I don't believe the incredulous critic is very familiar with journalistic practice.

I'm not all that sure how familiar _you_ are with journalistic practice if you don't know the difference between "elicit" and "illicit."

Sounds fishy to me.

I acknowledge my error. But I would have appreciated it if you had approached this with the sincerity that was intended, although from your comments I doubt, incredulous, you are capable of taking very much seriously. I suspect you are the fishy one. If you read newspapers, you might note my article in the next few days.

To the International Herald Tribune Journalist,

Wouldn't your article be more accurate if you actually called various international schools and asked to speak with teachers about your article? It is quite difficult to verify a person is actually teaching at the school through this web site. As you have probably noticed, many of the people writing on this forum are disgruntled and there are many happy international educators that can provide a completely different point of view.

Thank you for the advice. This is only a secondary source of potential information that obviously has not been worth pursuing. I thought many teachers might share their thoughts more freely in an anonymous forum. As you notice from my earlier post, I mentioned I am doing extensive on-the-record interviews. I think you characterize the site and most of the contributions well. I won't be coming back, so no further posts are necessary.

Wow! Great job all you cynics! Way to get the world media behind us. Why wouldn't a "real" journalist use this space to get some fresh ideas... What could they possible gain by not telling the truth, lighten up!

Bubba wrote:Wow! Great job all you cynics! Way to get the world media behind us. Why wouldn't a "real" journalist use this space to get some fresh ideas... What could they possible gain by not telling the truth, lighten up!

It might have also been nice to hear from teachers who are employed in some countries where security and demand have been an issue. The more information is openly discussed on this forum, the more valuable it becomes for us all.

If you get a chance, check out the article in the International Herald Tribune, dated September 29. It's very interesting!

Here is a direct link to the IHT article.

Looks like the author sourced ISS, Search and some admin's. Would have been nice if some teachers could have been quoted through this forum- or maybe they were and not named.

So, is that accurate? Is there a teacher shortage?

Maybe it's a good year to go to the job fairs. What are your thoughts?