Saudi school. Anyone know anything?
Saudi school. Anyone know anything?
Anyone know anything about Dhahran Ahliyya school in Saudi? There are no reviews.
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Never heard of it - doesn't mean much. If you aren't ISG (International Schools Group which runs a set of British and American schools for expats in the Eastern Province and Yanbu), AIS-R (American International School of Riyadh), BISR (British International School Riyadh), Jeddah Prep, British Grammar School of Jeddah (Conti), or American International School of Jeddah, KAUST (King Abdullah University for Science and Technology school for kids of professors) or ARAMCO, all of which are considered "first tier" schools in Saudi, then you are not really serving a Western expat population.
Once you go outside this zone, student body demographics change, you are teaching on a segregated campus, there are more regulations/restrictions etc...
Just my two halalas (Saudi cents)!
Once you go outside this zone, student body demographics change, you are teaching on a segregated campus, there are more regulations/restrictions etc...
Just my two halalas (Saudi cents)!
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expatteacher99
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 4:46 am
Let me first say that I am not a Middle East basher who will come here and tell you that the whole region is terrible and that's why nobody wants to teach here. I am working in Saudi right now, and I love it. I love the whole region. The people are warm and friendly, it is safe, travel opportunities are great, expats form close bonds with each other, and yes the money is great. I understand that ME sounds "scary" to many, but those of us that have spent significant time here know the truth - that it can be an amazing place to live and work for some teachers. Sure, there are negatives, and it's not for everyone. But that is true of every single country/region in the world. Also, the ME isn't one homogenous area. You can't paint the ME in one broad stroke just like you can't with Asia, Europe, South America, or Africa.
Now that you know perspective I'm coming from, I will tell you that I would be VERY cautious with that school. My guess is that there aren't reviews because they haven't had too many foreign teachers. I did a little research on the school, and it sounds like one of those schools that Shadowjack was talking about. The school's own website says that 95% of the kids are Saudi, and the other 5% are Arab. It was previously an Arabic-only school that is trying to move into a more bilingual school, but I'm skeptical of how that actually looks. If you take a look at the staff list on the school's website, almost every single name appears to be Saudi (or Arab). So you would most likely be one of very few western teachers. That could be very isolating, both professionally and socially. The main language used at school will most likely be Arabic, and you will have a huge learning curve when trying to adapt to Saudi customs and ways of dealing with issues. They do things very differently, and it can be maddening at times. I have previous experience adapting to local cultures when I was at other schools, but Saudi takes the cake. From what I've seen, behavior seems to also be a huge problem amongst Saudi kids, so I would be nervous about working in an all-Saudi school. I know that personally, I don't think I'd be happy in a school like that. Part of what I love about my current job is the diversity in the study body and the camaraderie with colleagues (who are all expats). Finally, since it's a Saudi school, I'm wondering if you would be living in the city iteslf (vs. a compound). If that's the case, the differences in culture will be right in your face, and you will not be able to enjoy the freedoms that westerns have on compounds.
On the flip side, there are a few positives I can think of. One, Search shows quite a few positions, so maybe they are expanding the English program. You will most likely become very close to your western colleagues. While the school has Dhahran in the title, it is not actually in Dhahran (an Aramco camp). It is in the adjacent city, Dammam. Because of Aramco and other companies, there is a large expat community in the area. You would be close to the causeway that connects Saudi to Bahrain, which is a fun city for shopping, partying, drinking, etc. Some people living in Dhahran/Dammam/Khobar head over to Bahrain just for dinner or a movie after work, while others spend their weekends there. You're also close to two international airports, so you can easily travel on weekends and breaks.
Either way, good luck with your job hunt. I don't mean to discourage you - I just suggest that you ask a lot of questions and think about it very carefully to make sure it would be a good fit for you.
Now that you know perspective I'm coming from, I will tell you that I would be VERY cautious with that school. My guess is that there aren't reviews because they haven't had too many foreign teachers. I did a little research on the school, and it sounds like one of those schools that Shadowjack was talking about. The school's own website says that 95% of the kids are Saudi, and the other 5% are Arab. It was previously an Arabic-only school that is trying to move into a more bilingual school, but I'm skeptical of how that actually looks. If you take a look at the staff list on the school's website, almost every single name appears to be Saudi (or Arab). So you would most likely be one of very few western teachers. That could be very isolating, both professionally and socially. The main language used at school will most likely be Arabic, and you will have a huge learning curve when trying to adapt to Saudi customs and ways of dealing with issues. They do things very differently, and it can be maddening at times. I have previous experience adapting to local cultures when I was at other schools, but Saudi takes the cake. From what I've seen, behavior seems to also be a huge problem amongst Saudi kids, so I would be nervous about working in an all-Saudi school. I know that personally, I don't think I'd be happy in a school like that. Part of what I love about my current job is the diversity in the study body and the camaraderie with colleagues (who are all expats). Finally, since it's a Saudi school, I'm wondering if you would be living in the city iteslf (vs. a compound). If that's the case, the differences in culture will be right in your face, and you will not be able to enjoy the freedoms that westerns have on compounds.
On the flip side, there are a few positives I can think of. One, Search shows quite a few positions, so maybe they are expanding the English program. You will most likely become very close to your western colleagues. While the school has Dhahran in the title, it is not actually in Dhahran (an Aramco camp). It is in the adjacent city, Dammam. Because of Aramco and other companies, there is a large expat community in the area. You would be close to the causeway that connects Saudi to Bahrain, which is a fun city for shopping, partying, drinking, etc. Some people living in Dhahran/Dammam/Khobar head over to Bahrain just for dinner or a movie after work, while others spend their weekends there. You're also close to two international airports, so you can easily travel on weekends and breaks.
Either way, good luck with your job hunt. I don't mean to discourage you - I just suggest that you ask a lot of questions and think about it very carefully to make sure it would be a good fit for you.