I actually posted this on the other forum (#2 about passports being held) but then thought I should add it to this thread / forum as well:

"I had my passport held against a $500 (approx.) loan that I got from a school in Abu Dhabi (Emirates National School -- see othet forum) when I first arrived. They kept the passport in a safe and refused to give it to me (not even when I needed it to get a visa!) until the loan was paid off. What really got me about this was the fact that they actually owed me more money for yet unpaid relocation reimbursements and for days that I had already worked that month than I owed them!"

Anyone recruiting soon? Stay away from this school. What you read hare is what you get. I don't even have the energy to get itno it all. It was THAT bad.

I had my passport held against a $500 (approx.) loan that I got from a school in Abu Dhabi (Emirates National School -- see othet forum) when I first arrived. They kept the passport in a safe and refused to give it to me (not even when I needed it to get a visa!) until the loan was paid off. What really got me about this was the fact that they actually owed me more money for yet unpaid relocation reimbursements and for days that I had already worked that month than I owed them!

Some programs I belong to have expiry dates on points but most don't. The ones that have expiry dates are easy enough to prolong by staying at a hotel or paying for some other service that is affiliated with the program.

I agree that it's 'fair' to ask the qusetion that schley asked as there are obvioulsly no rules on this forum against requesting that kind of information, but I also think that it's a somewhat naive way of going about narrowing down your search for work. The person who said that you have to consider many other factors besides just the moeny and benefits is very right, and a 'great' package is no guarantee of a good / happy teaching experience. What's the point of making loads of money if every day that you go to work you loathe being there? This year I'm working in a school where I'm making less than I was last year but I'm so much happier because the staff morale and support is so much better. That's worth more than the extra cash to me.