Ha! That's what anti-vaxxers and conspiracy thinkers always say: "do your own research", "it's out there if you just google and I'm not going to do it for you" and other things to obscure that they can't produce a credible source themselves other than maybe some dodgy easily debunkable conspiracy website or Youtube video where Wakefield's research is still quoted to prove that vaccines cause autism.

Not very original but: MUSCAT hands down
You will need to buy a car tho but that is also true for the other 2.
Doha a very distant 2nd, Bahrain 3rd.

Hi everyone,
Yesterday I talked with an old friend who is also a teacher.
He said he was applying to a Swiss boarding school because he had read on this ISR forum that Swiss boarding schools are good places to work and that teachers there can save a lot of money.
This post is only to tell you that that is NOT TRUE.
AT ALL.
I failed to find the post he was referring to so I cant add my warning there as a reply so this post will have to do.

I work in Switzerland myself and know a many teachers at many schools here. The teachers teaching at boarding schools are generally miserable and they save even less than the ones teaching at normal Swiss international schools.
And I am talking about the very fancy boarding schools with the highest tuitions in the world.
You will be happier at the normal international schools and you will save more there than at these boarding schools.

Apologies for the negative nature of the post but dont want to risk decent teachers being exposed to misinformation.
This concludes my rant.

The last few years we had most trouble finding good HL Math teachers and a good Computer Science teacher.
Also surprisingly few Economics teachers apply but almost no bad apples in that batch from what I have heard.

I know about ten including myself. I did not catch it at school tho but probably at the supermarket as I never went anywhere else.

If you bring children to China you better invest in the best air purifier money can buy and make sure the school has them too.

I work in Switzerland and have worked here for many years at some of the best international schools in the Alps. I would say Switzerland has 4 first tier schools. Maybe 5 but not 6.
And that is only true if you are not interested in saving money. While salaries may be high you will save almost nothing of that salary or less than nothing if you are not a single teacher or a teaching couple.
I am here for the good schools and the scenery and because my parents live nearby but I struggle to save and my school pays well for a Swiss international school and I am reasonably frugal.
Teachers often come here blinded by the high salaries only to find out that everything here is crazy expensive and saving is tough. Teachers that bring a family and want to live on that single teacher's salary will leave a lot quicker than they planned to. Nice country, good clocks, delicious chocolate, but don't come here for the money. Goes for the whole part of Europe that was never occupied by Russia.

Thanks shopaholic heliotrope traveler76 and shadowjack for your comments.


I realize the pandemic is making it hard to predict anything.

No I dont mind going back to Switzerland after my Asian adventure. I wont save much in Switzerland unless I go into admin or tutor on the side but the schools in Luxembourg Belgium and France won't allow me to save much either so any of these will be ok. I hope I will save a lot in Asia and make that money work for me. I will def stay in touch with my current school.

I will only be looking for 1 job and have no kids so that will improve my chances I hope. The money being pretty fabulous in Asia is the main reason Im leaving Switzerland. But I expect there's a lot to like about Asia other than the paychecks.

Thanks everyone!

Thanks sid and fine dude for your comments.


Re sid’s comment: When I return to Western Europe Im not looking to come back to a specific country or a specific school but Id just like to be a few hours drive away from my parents in north-eastern France.
Im in Switzerland right now which is conveniently nearby but Belgium Luxembourg or France would all work although Brussels would be almost too far.

Id like to return to a tier 1 school as Im at one right now and I enjoy being in a wellrun school.
Im not able to save much but I like the school and I like Switzerland.
But the new job is an interesting position and I will finally be able to save some cash. Im just not sure about taking the risk of possibly not getting a job nearby when I eventually return.

Re fine dude’s comment: My current school is a top tier 1 school as was my previous school. The job in Asia would be at a tier 1 as well and its in one of the cities you mentioned. My CV is solid but thats not always a guarantee for success.

Right now I live and work pretty much in the middle of Western Europe, with my parents just over the border in France a couple of hours away.
I wasnt planning to leave but I just got a very interesting job offer that would take me to Asia starting next academic year.
Career-wise it makes sense to go and im not saving almost nothing right now so financially it also makes sense.
Right now my parents are fine and dont need much support so I dont feel I have to stay for them.
But that might change in a few years and I know I would want to be nearby if that happens.
How much harder, if at all, would it be to get hired back at first tier school in Western Europe as opposed to same tier schools elsewhere?