Hello folks. I wonder if anyone here can give me a heads up on the Matrix International School in Malaysia. The web site makes the school look amazing (of course) but I was wondering if anyone can tell me about the expectations for teachers, the workload, the expected hours and the actual hours. Anything would be useful There is one report on ISR which was pretty scathing, but I'm always a bit sceptical when there is only a single report. So, if anyone can give me any information or opinion please do so. It will be warmly welcomed.

Many thanks WhoamI, very helpful. I will have a look at the school websites to see what springs to mind. I hope they don't ask me about parrots or spiders though!

Hello folks, having been employed in the ME for the past 10 years, I have now decided to leave and try something new. I have a couple of interviews set up in Malaysia, with two schools I know nothing about yet. One of the recruitment companies has advised me to research the school and to think about questions I'd like to ask during the interview. I have quite considerable teaching experience internationally and domestically but I am very rusty on interview techniques, having only one short telephone interview 5 years ago. So, can anyone of you experienced people give me a heads up on the type of general questions that will seen as appropriate and insightful by the administration during an interview (maybe 4 or 5)? Both schools employ the Cambridge International Curriculum (IGCSE). If it's helpful I can supply the names of the schools.

I have no idea where this school is located, however I did work for a time at the Sultan's School. It was advertised as being located in Muscat, which technically it was, however it was 25km from Muscat City and taxis there are quite expensive. The area is known as Seeb and there were several International and private schools there, so there is a chance that this school might be around there too. Very handy for the airport, but not much else.

Many thanks Curiousme. Something to be concerned about. Hopefully some others can contribute with specifics. I will go ahead with the Skype interview but comments from previous or current staff would be of great value. I wonder why though, if it has such a bad rep, that nothing is on ISR about it. I find that strange. Anyway, thanks for the information, I'll certainly try to find out more if possible.

Speaking as a teacher currently working for ADEC, if you are serious about a career in education, DO NOT TAKE THE JOB WITH ADEC! The primary schools, who are integrating the new education system are a little better than the secondary schools in terms of behaviour and integrity. They are not perfect by any means but should get better as time goes on. The secondary schools, especially the ones in the more remote places are just crazy. Truly awful behaviour, corruption, dishonesty etc. If you want to make some money and have a pretty good set up outside of school, then do it for a year or two, but be prepared to sacrifice your integrity and professionalism, however, it will not add any value to your CV and indeed any longer than two years will have a negative effect. In terms of remuneration, ADEC base their salary on confirmed years of experience, so, those who are fairly new teachers will be at the bottom of the scale. I think the basic salary for a 2nd year teacher is around 2700 GBP per month. This is tax free of course and housing is good and also free. However, once you start working with ADEC they do not count the years spent in service there so you will not be able to climb above your starting rate, unless you leave the organisation, do some time somewhere else, then return. So, as prices rise, the job becomes less attractive in terms of salary. Furthermore, someone at ADEC has got the idea that removing teacher's holiday time and replacing it with pointless PD sessions is a good idea. Teachers this year lost three weeks and the PD sessions that we had to endure are not recognised as official, anywhere! Seriously, the number of PD sessions throughout the school year is staggering and after 5 years, I cannot remember a single one of any value. So, in some ways working for ADEC can be financially advantageous, and the lifestyle can be excellent, but only really for those who are either nearing the end of their career in education, or those who have little interest in furthering the career (not a criticism by the way) in a real system. ADEC are going through an embryonic stage in education. The old system is being replaced by a new one, year on year. However it will be another 2 years before it reaches the secondary schools and I suspect even then, it'll take a generation, maybe two, to change the attitude of the administration, the students and the parents. Oh, for your information, having a pint after work in UAE is easy, there are plenty of bars, just not great ones.

I wonder if any of the good folks out there have experience of the Rafflesia Education Group Malaysia? I have an interview with them at the weekend and I'd love to hear a teacher's perspective, both good and bad. I have tried to find some reviews, here on ISR and elsewhere but there is very little information. So, can anyone help?

Many thanks

Rob

I wonder if someone who has some experience of Rafflesia Education Group could post some details. There's no review of REG on ISR but I have a Skype interview coming up and I'd like a heads-up if possible. I see a couple of posts which appear to be negative, but no specific details unfortunately. Over to you guys.

Apisa68, I'm a little concerned with some of your terminology. "very serious drinking problems", "it really seems to be a very big problem", "These people seem like decent people, but their behaviour...". Firstly, how do you define a 'very serious drinking problem'? The reason I ask, is that I drink, in my opinion, in moderation. However, it came to light recently that several parents (all Americans) had been discussing my drinking within their own little clique. Apparently they had me branded as a raging alcoholic. This information got to the school director. I informed him that I do like a drink and I do so openly. I never get drunk, I never miss work, I never drink alcohol at all during the working week. So what was the problem? He agreed. I believe that the problem is that those who judge others, perhaps need to question themselves. Do you come from a country where it is quite normal to go to the bar and drink? I know for many Americans this is not, but for many Europeans it is perfectly acceptable social behaviour.

"These people seem like decent people, but their behaviour...". You seem surprised by the fact that someone who drinks can be a decent person. In my experience, most people who drink are decent people. There are some who drink too much and their behaviour can become unacceptable, but by and large, most drinkers are perfectly normal people who choose to socialise in a way that they enjoy. Different strokes and all that.

"I looked up Alcoholics Anonymous to see if there is a local chapter". Are you serious? Were you really going to advise your colleagues, that in YOUR opinion, they should be getting help for their problem? I know what I would have told you if you did that to me.

"their behavior - both outside and inside of school - seems to be effected by their alcoholism and its associated problems." Once again you make an assumption. Because they drink does not mean that they are alcoholics. Are you in some way qualified to make this diagnosis? Specifically, what problems inside of school are you talking about? Are we to assume that your colleagues are staggering around the school drunk, fighting etc? And, if there are problems outside of school, what business is that of yours?

"I've heard stories from other teachers at other schools about colleagues who enjoying drinking quite a bit". Yes Apisa, many teachers do enjoy drinking. The fact that other teachers had to tell you that, tells me that you have very little experience in this area. Cut out the tittle-tattle Apisa and tell your friends the same. They'll enjoy life much more.

Seriously Apisa, I think you need to either rewrite this stuff or you need to lighten up as to YOUR perceived behaviour of your colleagues. And, you really should stop gossiping about people and things that you clearly know very little about.Are you American by any chance?

Folks, for your information, there is a Facebook page dedicated to current ADEC teachers and prospective teachers. You should be able to get precise answers to all of your questions there. 'ADEC Licensed Teachers: 2009 & beyond'

DD, it is entirely possible that ADEC teacher's children could go to an expensive private school, but it will be because either the parents have agreed to pay for it, or one of the parents is employed by a company (outwith ADEC) who do pay school fees.

DD says "ADEC salaries up to 20 k AED per month, plus 140k accommodation allowance plus schooling for kids in international schools. Not all teachers work and live in Abu Dhabi city though, you might be in the middle of nowhere."

The stated salary is fairly accurate, but you will need to have approximately 15 years experience to reach that level. I do not have the exact salary levels but newer teachers with 1 to 4 years are paid a lot less than that, in some cases, less than many of the Private Schools. 10 years experience will get you 18k maximum.

The accommodation allowance is based on the numbers of family members. A single person's allowance is 65k. I have never heard of an ADEC westerner receiving 140k, unless perhaps, they are employed as a Principal Advisor or a Cluster Manager. With the rising cost of accommodation, ADEC will no doubt be forced to increase accommodation allowances but 140k? Now that would be something! Furthermore, if you find cheaper accommodation (below your allowance level) you will not be reimbursed for the difference. You simply lose it. They do provide 20k furniture allowance at the beginning of the contract, which is essential as all accommodation will be unfurnished, however a single person will get exactly the same as a family of 6. I never really understood that one. So, maximum allowance is 20k which is returnable pro rata if you leave before the initial 2 year contract. Therefore, if you leave at the end of the first year, you will immediately be docked 10k from your final salary. After 2 years, the allowance is considered spent.

There is a possibility that a new teacher could be sent out to the remoter parts, but ADEC do take into to account your preferences and family requirements. Very few teachers actually end up in the Empty Quarter under protest. Busses are provided for most of the remote locations so you will not have to stay there, but you may have to put up with significant travel every day.

Micky, most of the private companies including the private schools in Abu Dhabi, provide free schooling (in their own establishment) although the number of kids per teacher is variable. I think they the better ones will allow 2 free places, but some will allow only 1. The government package (ADEC), as it stands at the moment, do not offer any free private education places whatsoever. I worked for a time with a few American teachers. One guy had 5 very young kids and his wife was investigating home schooling because there is no way that his salary could have covered the costs. He actually left to take up a position in the States. The other guy I worked with had one daughter of high school age and he really felt the pinch when he was forced to enrol her in a private international school. He eventually left ADEC to take up a position in Abu Dhabi at a lower salary because the company were offering free schooling for his daughter. Financially he was much better off with the lower paid job because of the ridiculously expensive private school fees. I should add, that most, if not all, the private schools are profit making organisations. They are usually Arab owned, although there are several UK and USA franchises. The quality is extremely variable with some schools having excellent facilities and staff whilst some others have fairly basic functionality and questionable staff. All, in my opinion, are grossly overpriced. If I had kids of school age here, I would not be working for ADEC. It is simply not economically viable. Many of the western teachers here who work for ADEC either have pre-school age kids or their kids remain in education at home. You need to research very carefully before jumping in. Who knows? Maybe future ADEC contracts will include school fees, but I doubt it, as the whole idea of western teachers working in ADEC schools is to try to bring on local teachers who will eventually take over and the westerners will go home. That's the theory anyway. My advice would be, if you have school age kids, and you want to come here, look at the private sector. The pay is lower, but add-ons will help cushion the blow.

One more point to consider. ADEC will take in to account your years of experience when deciding on your salary level. However, they do not count the years that you actually work for ADEC. In other words, the salary level that you are offered at the beginning of your contract will be the same salary level for the entire duration of your stay. Your salary may increase if ADEC award a general increase, but the level will remain fixed. In the 5 years I have worked here, my salary level (gradepoint) has remained the same and there has been no increases at all. So year on year, the true value of your salary will drop until you decide it is no longer viable. After your initial 2 year contract, you will be offered only 1 year contracts, depending on the results of your annual evaluation. This gives ADEC scope to change the contents of your contract year by year.

I work with ADEC and have done for the past 5 years. The school system is split between Cycles 1,2 and 3 (Primary, Middle and High school equivalents). If you are a Cycle 1 teacher, the New School Model will be in place. It moves on per year, so some Cycle 2 classes will work with it. Potentially things should improve as the children have been exposed to western teachers from an early age and the curriculum is very much more in tune with western philosophy of education. If however, you happen to teach Cycle 3, well, little has changed there. You will almost certainly have to deal with, frankly, some awful behaviour, administrations who have no idea about what they should be doing, endemic student corruption, apathetic and often poorly trained Arab staff and a small, but absolutely useless band of Emirati teachers and staff, who for the most part, show up, sign in and promptly leave, only to return at finishing time to sign out. Apathetic students (not all, but a serious minority), constant lesson interruptions, no translators or classroom assistants. In sort, Cycle 3 at this time, is an illusion of education. The students you will have to deal with are expected to succeed at Year 10, 11 and 12 levels, when in actual fact their abilities are KG or level 1. The fact that most pass comfortably in the end, will give you an idea of the rampant corruption across the country. I personally have never failed a student, even those whom I have not laid eyes on for the entire year! The hassle for failing a student is incredible, therefore the teachers will not do it. So, the student is happy, the school administration is happy and the teachers just become more jaded and cynical with each passing year. There has been a huge programme of school construction with many State of the Art buildings popping up all over the place to replace aging constructions. However, like most construction in this country, the build quality is poor, the equipment rarely works consistently, there is considerable student vandalism. In short, the schools look a lot better than they actually are. An old saying in the UK "all fur coat and no knickers!"

You may be able to tolerate this state of affairs for a while, but it will get to you in the end. Unfortunately for many, by the time you reach that condition, you will have been out of mainstream education in your own country for so long, that reintegration would be very, very difficult. There are many teachers who come here and realise this very quickly. The usually leave at the end of their first year or even earlier. There is a fairly high turnover of staff and serious teacher shortages across the region.

The salaries on offer are for the most part reasonable and the accommodation is usually pretty good, especially if you work in one of the areas away from the main hub of Abu Dhabi. More 'bang for your buck', so to speak. However, after initial promises of an annual salary increase to combat inflation, ADEC simply decreed 4 years ago that due to austerity measures there would be no increase for that year. There has be no increase since and I would suspect that there will never be another one. So, the financial rewards for working for ADEC diminish year on year. It is still a fairly attractive financial package, but there will come a point where it will not be so. Local staff, who are already on ridiculously high salaries (roughly three times their western equivalents) do get annual increases and several other increases too.

So, with ADEC, you will probably receive a reasonable standard of living, tax free salary, nice accommodation etc., however if you have a spouse and kids, remember school fees are not part of the package and the (good) private schools there are horrendously expensive. Jobs outwith education are basically slave labour, with salaries and conditions you just would not believe. So if your husband or wife is looking for work, unless they have specialised skills that cannot be matched by Pakistani, Indian, SE Asian workers (that rules out most IT, finance, nursing and administration jobs, they will not find employment worth getting out of bed for. Many of the teacher's spouses advertise themselves as airport taxi drivers (a good idea when you see the standard of driving there), handyman, computer repairs and some mechanical work, but as mentioned before, competition is horrendous.

My advise would be, think carefully about working there. If you decide to go, make sure that it will be fairly short term. There is little in the way of job security in any case, so that may not be an issue. If Cycle 3 be prepared to sacrifice your principles and integrity or you will not be employed beyond a year. Never openly criticise the school or the administration to Arab staff, who are always looking to ingratiate themselves. Be careful about trusting western staff also. Many are failed teachers in their own country and are looking for longevity in UAE. The are always seeking the approval of the administration. Having said that, most of the western teachers I have met, have been a good bunch.

Apologies for not having more positive things to say, but I have worked there for 5 years and have become very disillusioned and worn-out. It will happen to you!