Oh also, I suggest sending your things to the Dept of State with overnight shipping. Their website says that their processing is only 3 days. So I sent mine on 2-3day USPS shipping. Well my stuff ended up taking 10days instead of 3 and I was really wishing that I had sent it overnight because I almost ran out of time. It might be too late for you to see this...I just checked the date on your post....but hopefully that helps!

Hey! I think you gave me some advice when I was looking into Kuwait in Feb. I am here now with my husband. He will be on a visit visa the whole time. I don't think that there is any exception to that rule. If so, I don't know about it and neither does my school. I don't know about women sponsoring children though.

Did your school tell you what they wanted you to bring? Our teachers on visit visas had to bring their certified by dept of state police check and diplomas. (I did the same and more since I have the work visa) I think you only need your Bachelors diploma authenticated but I did my BA and MA. That's all that was needed for the visit visa teachers.

Where are you going? All of your shipping is covered? Is it just you? Do you know how big your housing is?

My husband and I moved all of our things in 3 check-ins 2 carry-ons 1 backpack and 1 large purse.

I think 6 checked bags is a little excessive, if that's for one person...

We brought all our extra toiletries. Didn't bring bedding or kitchen stuff. I brought some basic teaching supplies and some books.

I would just really think about what is essential, and what you could live without or just purchase there. But idk. I guess if you are reimbursed for everything, it doesn't matter. Although you do need to factor in the cost of buying the baggage, as you said you don't have those...

We just weighed our bags on a scale to see their weight. It was only off by a little. Our bags were each about 1.5lbs over the limit, but they took them and didn't charge...but that doesn't mean every airline would do that. We also used space saver bags for our clothes, but that can screw with your weight, so be careful.

[quote="Buzzkill"]The final straw for me at a former school was when I learned some colleagues, who I knew were less qualified, were making about the same as I was earning. I left that year. [b]I won't work for a school that does not have a salary scale.[/b]

I am sure many teachers think they are 'elite.' Still...follow the scale, or get rid of it. Once teachers start talking and when people know how much they are making and start making comparisions, it's all downhill for those schools and directors that do not follow their salary scale.[/quote]

I also will never work for another school without a salary scale.

At my current school there is a teacher who makes $3000/yr more than me. She only had a TESL cert and no experience when hired. She is teaching KG and doesn't have the certificate to teach it. I have a Masters, Teaching Cert and 1 year experience, not a ton there, but definitely should have been making more than she is given our qualifications.

I don't like these types of situations with salaries and agree that working at a school without one only causes problems.

My school also tries the bs of docking your pay for ridiculous things....so that happens too as someone else mentioned.

I think not having a scale and not following it makes a school a less reputable.

I will be teaching Grade 1.

Coach M, it was a Skype interview. I just sent in the app to the email that is listed on the employment page of the website. its an aol address. He got back to me really quickly, same day, and we set up an interview then and there for the following day.

<deleted some content in interest of anonymity> It essentially said....
I got at an offer at a great school that I am really excited about.....

So yay!!! We are moving to Kuwait. I will probably be here a lot more in the next few months asking questions about Kuwait.

I just want to say though, to others who are looking, it really pays to be patient and keep at the search, because eventually the school that was meant for you will fall in your lap. Teachers all around me at my school kept getting interviews and offers and I kept getting emails saying sorry, we're not interested in interviewing you or that one cancelled interview. But shortly after that, I got two interviews at two of the most sought after schools in Kuwait, and got both offers. It pays to be patient and don't lose your confidence. The school that is meant for you and that wants you will come along... I felt like I heard that so much around here, but really it turned out to be true.

Thanks for all the info!

That's good to hear. I just had my interview tonight.

He didn't promise me the sun and the moon. Actually he was pretty straightforward with me. Maybe it's because I am a teacher in the ME already so I know what to expect and no when I'm being bullshitted? Who knows. I actually quite enjoyed our interview and he was very friendly with me. But, we haven't gotten to the contract stage, so we will see what happens then.

He did tell me we would have single accommodation. They wont cover my husband's flight or health insurance.

About the visa, he told me that at first he will need to be on a tourist visa while we wait on my residence visa. But he said once I have my residence, I will then be able to sponsor him. But if it takes a while, then he may need to do the border hop. I however didn't realize this would mean he wouldn't have access to health care....I don't care about the bank account as he doesn't have one here because we only get "payroll" accounts and I therefore cant add it.

I'll admit, the dorm life doesn't sound appealing. But I guess that could be an obstacle we tackle once we get there. I think its hard to imagine that life when we are so independent here. We live far from the school, but its good because we live our own lives. It would be a lifestyle change, but so be it.

I'm glad you mentioned the principal. The recruiter said she has been there something like 22yrs? It's good to hear that she is someone great to work with!

Good to hear about the grades. I do that already also as I deal with Egyptian parents. I have one parent who likes to question every single grade I give her son. And he has the best grades in my class. But every time I give him a 3 (we grade 1-4), she is asking me why he didn't get a 4 and "don't you think he deserves a 4?" he is so wonderful and fabulous and a genius. Don't you think he should get a 4?!? ....umm lady if I thought that, I would have given him one! Haha. But yah, I know what that's like.

Anyway, he said he would offer me the position. But he wanted to look at my BA transcripts and make sure they would be approved by the ministry. I finished my BA in one year because I took an overload of credits and did summer classes, plus I had an AA going in. But he thought it was odd that I finished my BA in one year and wanted to clear it with the ministry? But I also have an MA too.....he just didnt like that I was an over achiever I guess. lol. Idk, so we will see what happens.

I am interviewing with the stateside recruiter....which doesn't make me all that happy, but oh well. I was planning to ask if I am offered if I can also meet with the elem principal before accepting, just to get a feel. It is so odd that somewhere who doesnt even work at the school, who therefore doesn't really know what it is like, does the hiring. Very odd.

Right now I'm just interviewing with UAS, but I might have an interview lined up with Al Bayan soon. It's a potential. I've been in contact with the elem principal there.


Bigsky: Grade fixing? Behavior support? Were you there as a single/married teacher? Do you know what the housing is like for couples?

A friend of mine just recently went to Kuwait and set up interviews with all of the schools....UAS, AIS, Creative, ASK, etc, but not BBS and she told me that her favorite and the place she got the best feeling from was UAS. She got offers from all of the schools but ended up turning them all down because she decided that Kuwait wasn't for her. But she did say that one of the biggest complaints was that the housing becomes like a dorm and there is so much drama. Is there an option to live outside of the housing? Would you choose finding your own place over living in the school housing?

Do you have any other advice for dealing with the recruiter, other than getting it all in writing? I did read on the reviews that he will promise you the world to get you to accept the position. Seems odd. But, hey, maybe I'll use that to my advantage. hahaha

Well....I have an interview with Universal now!

Can you give me any more information about them? Anything I should know going in or things to ask about specifically?

The reviews on here aren't so great for them, but there also hasn't been anything posted since 2010, so I guess that means it may have leveled out and is doing decent now.

I've heard that they are actually one of the best to work at so I don't take the reviews too seriously.

I'm interested to hear about this school too. They have listings in TIE......Seems like they are a hardcore FOR profit school, which can sometimes be a bad sign. But who knows. There is no reviews for them here either.

thanks vitaminz.

that seems to be the general consensus from what I have read/heard also.

[quote="PsyGuy"]@intlskipper

Im going to save the long ranting evils of Kuwait. I only had two observations. The first is that as a starter school in Kuwait, they cant promise you anything with any confidence. [b]You might get the money and have to work 2 or 3 times as hard and you might just be forced to sign a new contract with lower benefits and terms or be fired.[/b] Their is a clause in Kuwaite labor law that basically allows a company or organization to ignore the contract if fulfilling them would bankrupt the company/school.

Second, your principal is lying to you. No school in Kuwait could staff their whole school from the ground up on ONLY F2F interviews, unless any face will do. There is something else going on that may or may not have anything to do with you, but what you were told is just a saving face excuse.[/quote]

You're right. It was very odd and made me wonder what the real reason was. But like I said, it made me feel very happy because I feel like this shows that there will be lots of trouble and going back on words, etc at the school, so it was just as well for me. Sure it might have been a nice package and sounded like a nice opportunity, but that doesn't mean anything to me if I am going to be in a school that changes policies with seconds notice. This is the BS I deal with now and can't stand. And the bolded part in your comment is also what has happened at my school this year.

It's all fine and well. This wasn't meant to be for me and I feel good about learning that now rather than later after I've signed or even after arriving.

cdn and vitaminz: can you tell me which schools in Kuwait are schools that you have heard good things about and wouldn't mind working at? I am really interested in coming to Kuwait, so I want to get CVs out to as many schools there as possible.



My interview with the starter school was cancelled. It was very intriguing and made me feel actually quite happy that I seem to have dodged a bullet. I have been dealing with a lot of crap and bullshit and not honoring of contracts at my current starter school and I didn't want to head into the same situation.......... About two hours before my interview, I got an email from my recruiter saying that the principal just decided that she was no longer going to conduct Skype interviews and was only going to do f2f. It felt like a really rash, last minute, knee-jerk type reaction and that's exactly what I am looking to avoid. And for a school that is boasting about a technology vision, it seemed a bit odd that they would be unwilling to do a Skype. So anyway, I am back to the drawing board, but still definitely interesting Kuwait and would love any advice you could give for landing a job there and what schools you would target.

Thanks cdn and vitaminz for all of the information.

It sounds like you are working at great schools or at least decent schools with some academic integrity. That does make me feel quite a bit better, because I feel like I have heard this about every school in Kuwait. I want to know where you are working. Haha.


Good to hear that we can keep our food budget relatively around the same amount. We don't shop at carrefour now, except for a few select items, so I'm not worried there. We should at the local markets and the small fruit/veg stands. We do pay a little extra to get decent meat that is imported but that's because the meat and quality standards are exceptionally low here.

I'm also glad to hear you like your students too. I feel like I have read a lot of trash talking about Kuwaiti kids too. Although, I am sure there would be/is lots of trash talking about Egyptian kids, but I absolutely adore my students.

Disclaimer: I am not an International Teaching expert. :) This means, take my opinion with a grain of salt.

I would think PE would be more marketable.

My experience only, but at my school, the librarian and all of the library staff are locals. I can't say I really know of any schools here that have Western librarians, but that is a blanket statement and I am sure there are some great schools that do hire Western teachers for the library.

However, I know of MANY Western PE teachers and see plenty of openings in schools for PE teachers.