Which is more preferable to teach in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah?

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smiley123
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:51 pm

Which is more preferable to teach in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah?

Post by smiley123 »

Hi
I would appreciate any advice on where to teach.
In a state run school in Abu Dabhi or an international school in Sharjah?
thank you
the Hippo
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2008 3:22 pm

Abu Dhabi and Sharjah

Post by the Hippo »

Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are both big cities, in the same country. (Well, Sharjah is really more or less a suburb of Dubai.) They have a lot of similarities and both of them have some pleasant features. Therefore your future lifestyle and happiness really it depends on which school you are working for.

I would definitely advise against working at a school that does not have "western" administration. State-run schools will be very much under the thumb of the Emirati Ministry of Education, whereas independent schools are, at least in theory, a bit more independent! There are some great schools in the UAE, but unfortunately there are also plenty ofschools that are horrible places to work at. Try to do your homework really thoroughly. Ask some awkward questions and if the principal of this or that school does not give you a straight answer, cross that school off your list. Of course the ISR reviews are helpful, but there is nothing to stop you doing a bit more research on the TES website as well.

I am currently teaching in the UAE, in Ras Al Khaimah. (I have also taught in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.) Send me an e-mail if I can be of any further help.My address is simon_hill81@hotmail.com and I will domy bst to answer any questions you may have.
Pike
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 10:45 pm

Re: Which is more preferable to teach in Abu Dhabi or Sharj

Post by Pike »

[quote="smiley123"]Hi
I would appreciate any advice on where to teach.
In a state run school in Abu Dabhi or an international school in Sharjah?
thank you[/quote]

I cannot speak from FIRST HAND knowledge, but I have met some teachers who teach in the local schools.

When we asked them about their experiences, they were pretty diplomatic about the school in general. It seems there are some discipline problems in the schools- :The administrations seems more scare about the parents thinking they can't control the students and removing them from the school than reporting serious discipline problems." (Paraphrasing).

As far as other issues, they were either very vague or evasive.

I also know someone who works as a consultant for the teachers in the state run schools. Again, this person has said very little about the schools themselves, except "they are about as good as you might expect them to be."

Do you mean Sharjah American International School? If so, we have number of students at my school who left there because they didn't like it there. Some teachers who know something about the school said it was a "bad" school, but didn't specify why?


Take this for what its worth!

----
Zsejanko

Post by Zsejanko »

The state schools in Abu Dhabi are very difficult to teach at....Hence, ADEC tends to pay a lot. I have many friends who teach with ADEC. Some of the women had to end up wearing the veil on school property, despite the fact that they are not Muslim ( again, this depends on certain schools that you land in ). Some of the male teachers quoted severe disciplining issues with the boys in the middle school and senior levels. Common complaints usually run about the strictness of administration. Also, if you happen to teach Elementary, expect to teach students who don't speak English at all ( meaning, not only will you be teaching English, but you will also teach Science and Math ) with little to no ESL support. Assessments are extremely rigorous and parental expectations meant that you may have to change grades. My friends were often asked questions like " So what would you do if a parent comes in and demands that their child gets a 100 % on the final grades when you know that the student does not deserve it? ".
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