Thanks for bringing this thread back to life, Candyapple -- you are so right that it needs to be kept up to date!

The original posting on ENS (with over 23,000 views now!) is currently on page 3.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: AVOID THIS 'SCHOOL' LIKE THE PLAGUE!!! It is an absolute disgrace to the world of education.

DECEPTION TECHNIQUE, exactly as explained above.

Look closely at the TES advert and you will see that there is mention of Dubai ONLY in the heading. Obviously, this will generate more interest / attention than writing Abu Dhabi or Al Ain, and also make it (initially) seem like this is a different school.

OPEN the advert and you see that this is, indeed, the SAME Emirates National School of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain that ex-ENS staff have all been warning propsective teachers about. And interestingly enough, there is NO MORE mention of Dubai in the rest of the advert at all!!!

Nice try, ENS. Unfortunately, you grossly underestimate us. As usual.

Yup. Last year when I was there.

For those of you going to the recruiting fairs soon you should know this:

Again more staff did overnight runners or got fired from ENS this year. Many, many are also leaving the school.

I have just one thing to say about the phantom 'IB programme' at ENS: HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! As far as the school in Al Ain is concerned, it opened last year and the first principal was FIRED within a month. So basically, nothing new under the ENS sun.

You will never believe this, Newbie, but . . . I was actually in the principal's office when she made that dubious phone call to you!!! I had gone in to see her about something totally unrelated, when she suddenly picked up the phone and rang you in a panic because one of the teachers (who was actually not even qualified in education) had just done a runner and she was told she must fill the position asap or risk losing her own job as well. Of course you didn't know this at the time, but the principal actually even LIED TO YOU about the salary!!! I was there and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. You know that so-called 'starting salary' she quoted you? That was actually the TOP TIER salary, which you would only get if you had a graduate degree and something like a minimum of 10 or 12 years' experience! Yes, she made it sound like she wasn't 'exactly' sure about the salary but given that, as you say, you are new in teaching, there was a HUGE dicrepancy between what she quoted you on the phone and what you would have REALLY gotten. Plus, I KNOW that this principal knew EXACTLY what the real salary scale was . . . mainly because several teachers in her part of the school had had problems recently what with not getting paid the proper salary and she had had to deal with them. YOU ARE SOOOO LUCKY YOU DIDN'T TAKE THE JOB!!! The girl that did take it was also poached from elsewhere and was gone (like many others) before the end of the year!

Just want to make everyone aware of the recent new reviews posted since the May recruiting fairs. Those who may have found it hard to believe that any school could be this bad, please have a look at what some of my other colleagues have to say about it. You'll know soon enough which two reviews were posted by the administration . . .

WARNING: I have just read the recent reviews for Emirates National School. It is clear that the two recent glowing reviews have been put in there at the last minute by panicky administrators worried that all the negative (but true) feedback on the website will make it difficult for them to recruit new teachers at the upcoming job fair in London this weekend.

ENS 'World Class'? Ha! More like Second Class.

Bright and educationally sound future? Ha ha ha ha ha. Whom are you kidding???

I am not angry with anyone. I just want to do my bit as a colleague and WARN other teachers so that they don't get suckered in by the school like so many of us who regretted coming here have.

Facts are facts. Anyone who thinks ENS is a 'normal' school is the one who needs help.

Hi,

I have also worked for the ESF (8 years) and I have been to Manila (but not worked there -- although some of my friends do) many times. Despite what you currently believe of the ESF package compared to the Manila package, I guarantee thet if you were to live on equal standards in both places (i.e. eat out the same amount, travel the same amount etc.) you would still save MUCH more money in Hong Kong with the ESF than at IS Manila. AND you would probably have a MUCH more fun social life in Hong Kong than in Manila. There is more to do in HK, more to see and a bigger expat community. Travel around SE Asia is also easier out of Hong Kong than Manila.

Hi,

There is already another conversation open on Emirates National School. It is currently on page 1 -- you will DEFINITELY want to check it out.

To put it very bluntly: the school lies. It is true that they are 'interested' in the IB programme and would want to have it in place, but it is more of the status of being able to say they are an IB school than anything else. I have taught IB in several schools and I can tell you now -- there is absolutely NO WAY this IB programme will happen at Emirates National.

In the first place, the IBO has very high standards and expectations of its member schools. Emirates National does not even come close to meeting most of those. As an example, the IB requires that parents and teachers communicate regularly and freely with teachers. However, if a parenst arrives at our school to pick their child up, for example, we are only allowed to greet them and that is all. MANY teachers have been reprimanded and/or have been given written warnings by their principals if they have been 'caught' speaking with parents, however 'innocent' the conversation may be (although, needless to say, we shouldn't have to even consider conversations as as being innocent or not, if you know what I mean!).

Also, the school is also not accredited by ANY OUTSIDE BODY whatsoever (such as the Middle States Association). This means that when our students 'graduate', their diplomas are hardly even worth the paper they are printed on.

In addition, there are no real policies in place, or there are but no one knows about them because they are not written anywhere. There is no proper teacher's handbook except for a few photocopied pages of 'rules' we were given at the beginning of the year. And even these are a joke as they change constantly at the whim of the Board of Directors. For example, at the begnning of the school year we were told that if we take even one sick day off we have to come in with a doctor's note to get piad for that day. That means that every time you are sick you not only have to drag yourself out to the doctor's to get this note but also fork out the equivalent of US$15 for it. Then one day, out of the blue, the Board decided that if we are sick for two days we not only have to get the note(s) but we then also have to go to the Ministry of Health to get them certified! And of course that is another US$15. Then on another day -- just last month in fact, if you can believe it -- the Board suddenly decided to bring in a new policy (surprise, surprise) whereby if a teacher is late for more than an hour to work in the morning he/she will not be paid for the ENTIRE day. Ok, of course we shouldn't be late for work. But things happen. Alarms don't go off or whatever. Have you ever worked in a place where they dock you a day's pay of you are an hour late??? Where I come from that wouldn't even be legal!

Anyway, all this is just to point out to you that the only people the school is fooling is themselves. WE all know that they wll never get the IBO to accept them into the organisation until they start treating teachers like professionals and get their act together in most other areas as well . . . which I cannot see happening AT ALL. EVER.

I speak from nearly 20 years of experience in the international schools circuit -- 9 countries, 4 continents. Believe me. This place is a circus and it's not fun!

EVERYONE!!! Have you read the school reviews? I cannot wait to put my own up once I am finaly out of there! Trust me -- you go there you regret it. Big time.

If you are looking for more than $50K /year go to Hong Kong. After paying my taxes (17%) and after tavelling, and after shopping and after going out at weekends (and weekdays!) and after paying my rent and after paying all my utilities . . . I was SAVING that in a year! (not kidding, not exaggerating -- and I was JUST teaching)

AVOID THIS SCHOOL LIKE THE PLAGUE!!! This 'school' is an absolute disgrace to the world of education. I am there now and it truly beggars belief. Teachers are lied to, threatened, bullied, cheated, degraded, belittled, humiliated in front of parents and colleagues . . . and anyone who sticks up for themselves gets fired. Several teachers have been sacked this year already, for no real reasons. Students do not get a proper education here. At the begining of this school year we were short 2 Maths teachers and an English teacher (amongst others), and teachers who have absolutely no qualifications in those fields (the Humanities teacher and the EAL teacher) were asked to teach the subject until the proper secialists were found. One of our SCience teachers was not even qualified in teaching. She was a Scientific Researcher. She did a runner in October (as did a couple of others) and again the EAL Humanities teachers found themselves taking on the subject. This time for TWO MONTHS! Studenst make up stories about teachers they don't like and the pricipals side with them. Teachers get written warnings left, right and centre, for things that you would NOT believe. One teacher got reprimanded for not wearing socks, another for asking a child to bring her back some water from the fountain, and yet another for suggesting to parents that they might like to send treats with their children to school for the class Teddy Bear Picnic (how DARE she ask parents for 'free handouts'!). We are not allowed to speak to parents except via the so-called Parent Care Office (whose English is APPALLING). This is apparently for 'our own protection'. Yeah, right. It is because the school is afraid of what we will say to the parents. NO ONE enjoys working at this school. At the top of the hierarchy, it is run by some very sick-minded non-educators who seem to get a lot of pleasure from throwing their weight around, and further down by some very inexperienced little people in big boots, whose job titles have gone to their heads and they are quite enjoying the power trip. Our principals recently returned from the CIS and ISS recruiting fairs in London and Boston having recruited only ONE new teacher. They have now put an advert in TES saying they need teachers for 2007 because of school expansion. That is total rubbish. The school is not expanding. They need new teachers because the current teachers are LEAVING! Warn others if you can and get in touch again if you want to know more. I am more than happy to give you as much detail as you want.