Search found 8 matches

by Bookworm
Sun Sep 15, 2019 2:37 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Can we make a tier list for countries based on difficulty?
Replies: 8
Views: 11121

Re: Can we make a tier list for countries based on difficult

Bangladesh and Yangon are two very difficult places, being very low on the international list for modern living. Poor infrastructure, widespread corruption, lack of healthy foods, poor health/hygiene, prevalence of mosquito borne diseases and periodic poor air quality. I would include many Indian cities for terrible air pollution; Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar) for almost lethal air quality. Libya, Tunisia and basically most of north Africa would deeply concern me because of instability and high risk of terrorist incidents and kidnapping/murder. I would start off with Syria at No.1 and work back from there.
by Bookworm
Sun Sep 15, 2019 2:30 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Last straws
Replies: 13
Views: 19272

Re: Last straws

Pointless changes being made just to boost Admin's performance so they get that extra bonus. I worked at one T1 school where changes were made every year just for the sake of it, to keep us on our toes and to add some new initiative to the Director and Principle's performance review so they got another bonus. Such as moving from Managebac one year to Google Classroom for no other reason than it ticked a box to get more cash. Also, implementing an onerous self-journaling method of performance appraisal so you were effectively justifying your existence every single day. I moved to a mid T2 school, took a paycut, but my stress and worries dropped off the bottom of the chart and I was much happier knowing I wasn't being ridden to buy someone I loathed a bigger boat or a new Rolex.
by Bookworm
Thu Jun 20, 2019 12:45 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Colleagues with Big Egos - Say Something or Not?
Replies: 16
Views: 18719

Re: Colleagues with Big Egos - Say Something or Not?

Colleagues and managers with huge egos, some borderline psychopaths. Not uncommon in IT. Many I feel are in ISs as they are unemployable at home and some ISs are toxic environments where this sort of person flourishes.
by Bookworm
Thu Jun 20, 2019 12:41 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Has anyone suspected that a boss or colleague lied about cre
Replies: 67
Views: 116648

Re: Has anyone suspected that a boss or colleague lied about

At one school I was at a middle manager claimed to hold a PHD and insisted he be called Doctor but in fact he had a fake diploma and when exposed lost his job on the spot.
by Bookworm
Wed May 29, 2019 11:46 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Number of bedrooms for family of four in school accommodatio
Replies: 10
Views: 13560

Re: Number of bedrooms for family of four in school accommod

I was in Saudi with 2 very young children. I had a 3 bedroom apartment as we were told children of different genders need their own rooms. The school said that children over 5 years old definitely must have their own rooms, by law.
by Bookworm
Tue Apr 09, 2019 11:16 pm
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: FREE TUITION FOR DEPENDENT KIDS - KUWAIT, OMAN. SAUDI
Replies: 8
Views: 19091

Re: FREE TUITION FOR DEPENDENT KIDS - KUWAIT, OMAN. SAUDI

So aside from the ME where else should I consider? China is not an option for us. Also, I am going to be early 50s by the end of my current contract.
by Bookworm
Sun Mar 31, 2019 9:03 pm
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: FREE TUITION FOR DEPENDENT KIDS - KUWAIT, OMAN. SAUDI
Replies: 8
Views: 19091

Re: FREE TUITION FOR DEPENDENT KIDS - KUWAIT, OMAN. SAUDI

Many thanks for the replies. I do have considerable UK and IB experience and over 10y in the ME and my specialism is often in demand and hard to fill in those areas (which also translates as fewer openings on a year by year basis). I guess the best approach is to keep an eye on schools and areas I am interested in and negotiate if I get an offer. Some years are a feast of openings and other years are very sparse indeed.
by Bookworm
Thu Mar 21, 2019 4:32 am
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: FREE TUITION FOR DEPENDENT KIDS - KUWAIT, OMAN. SAUDI
Replies: 8
Views: 19091

FREE TUITION FOR DEPENDENT KIDS - KUWAIT, OMAN. SAUDI

I hope it is ok to post this here and not get blocked/banned. In general do international schools in the ME (especially Kuwait) offer free tuition to dependent kids of faculty members, or only discounted fees? I am a single IT (specialist area) with 2 Primary age kids (7yo 6yo) plus trailing spouse. I want to return to work in the ME preferably in a Brit. curriculum school (IB at a push - I do have experience). Kuwait, Saudi and Oman appeal more than the other countries. Any info or suggestions?