Teaching in the Middle East

Ferris_Bueller

Hi there, this forum doesn't seem very active anymore but maybe on the off chance someone will see this and be able to offer a bit of advice!

Recently myself and my partner have gotten the itch to move abroad for a year or two, but I would need to move to a country where I could work as a teacher. I completed the PME with Hibernia College in Primary teaching in 2020 and this is my first year working full time as a primary teacher (just about finished with Droichead).

The middle east was one of the places that sprang to mind as you hear of so many Irish going over there to work as teachers and it is also somewhere my partner might be able to find work (she works and has a masters degree in HR/Recruitment).

How difficult is it to find a teaching job over there? I wouldn't be going until Sept 2022 so I would have 2 years of experience under my belt along with the masters and droichead completed.

Dubai is the obvious place that jumps out, but how would other places like Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Kuwait compare? Is Dubai the only place that we would be allowed to live together as a non-married couple? That seems to be allowed now as of Nov 2020.

And on the subject of accommodation - would it be awkward moving as an unmarried couple and trying to sort a place to live? From what I can see most schools offer you accommodation or an allowance as part of the package, are these usually shared apartments or would getting a one bed apartment together be an issue?

Thanks in advance if anyone has any prior experience!

marialouise

I don't have prior experience of the Middle East but I do teach abroad and have found this forum really helpful for international teaching:
https://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/

It's free to sign up to the basic forum and you can pay for more benefits then. Lots of good advice on there.

TES is also really handy for searching jobs internationally. You can already start looking now to see what's available and where, what you would need in terms of experience for most roles.
https://www.tes.com/jobs/search?displayLocation=Dubai&keywords=&point=25.0657%2C55.17128

Hopefully this gives you an overview of what you would need before you go, what jobs are available and what you can expect when you get there. Good luck!

pollymv1

You should be fine, the fact that Hibernia is a commercial degree factory will have no significance abroad. i.e. it might even have some respect outside Ireland.

antgal23

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

Hi there, this forum doesn't seem very active anymore but maybe on the off chance someone will see this and be able to offer a bit of advice!

Recently myself and my partner have gotten the itch to move abroad for a year or two, but I would need to move to a country where I could work as a teacher. I completed the PME with Hibernia College in Primary teaching in 2020 and this is my first year working full time as a primary teacher (just about finished with Droichead).

The middle east was one of the places that sprang to mind as you hear of so many Irish going over there to work as teachers and it is also somewhere my partner might be able to find work (she works and has a masters degree in HR/Recruitment).

How difficult is it to find a teaching job over there? I wouldn't be going until Sept 2022 so I would have 2 years of experience under my belt along with the masters and droichead completed.

Dubai is the obvious place that jumps out, but how would other places like Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Kuwait compare? Is Dubai the only place that we would be allowed to live together as a non-married couple? That seems to be allowed now as of Nov 2020.

And on the subject of accommodation - would it be awkward moving as an unmarried couple and trying to sort a place to live? From what I can see most schools offer you accommodation or an allowance as part of the package, are these usually shared apartments or would getting a one bed apartment together be an issue?

Thanks in advance if anyone has any prior experience!

I think there are recruitment fairs, well pre - Covid there were

Worth checking out

Also, do your due diligence on potential employers and their record on fulfilling contracts

I also understand there are online forums ( paid) which is used by potential employees and employers, can't remember the name off hand very useful

Key is to do get as much info as possible

E. G
Place X might pay 100 k you are in a desert compound for 12 months whereas Place Y pay 70 k but you are in a city

You save more in X but sacrifice a life, spend more in Y but have a life

marialouise

antgal23 wrote: »

I think there are recruitment fairs, well pre - Covid there were

Worth checking out

Also, do your due diligence on potential employers and their record on fulfilling contracts

I also understand there are online forums ( paid) which is used by potential employees and employers, can't remember the name off hand very useful

Key is to do get as much info as possible

E. G
Place X might pay 100 k you are in a desert compound for 12 months whereas Place Y pay 70 k but you are in a city

You save more in X but sacrifice a life, spend more in Y but have a life

The fairs have been going on online but totally not the same. They were a waste of money this year by all accounts!

Tristondonnelly

When considering teaching opportunities in the Middle East, ensure compliance with local laws regarding unmarried couples. Seek legal translation services for any relevant documents to ensure accuracy and adherence to UAE regulations.