GEMS International School Dubai
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UniqueMonique
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2015 6:15 pm
GEMS International School Dubai
Has anyone worked at this school? There are no reviews on the forum or the schools review website? I know it is a fairly new school that was established in 2013, but I would like to get an idea about working there.
Response
GEMS is a pretty common name in IE. Its a for profit company chain of ISs, thats very corporate in its environment and culture. It has local ownership and investors with some western puppets in senior leadership. If you can keep under the radar and do the bauble head they pay pretty good coin, though they are a third tier IS group that acts like its an upper tier IS. There are a lot worse places to start an IT career, but its in the ME, and the only thing to do in Dubai is shopping.
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justlooking
- Posts: 118
- Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2009 1:02 am
Re: GEMS International School Dubai
I worked for GEMS and agree that it can be very corporate. For the most part, though, that doesn't interfere with your day to day teaching. The schools are generally well run with most decisions being made in terms of education- not profit. However, a certain "look" is expected to be projected and sometimes decisions come down from corporate that no one likes but that admin has to implement.
I do take issue with the nothing to do in Dubai but shop comment though. We are pretty much homebodies, but here are some things that even we did in our 3 years in Dubai: desert camping, beach and pool lounging, sky diving, indoor skiing, sailing trips, concerts (some good A list artists too), brunches, cinema, road trips to other Emirates, fishing, football games, volleyball leagues, drumming classes under the stars, painting and jewelry making classes, the circus, theatre shows, etc.
There is a lot to do in Dubai although, of course, it doesn't have a long history with ancient buildings and great
museums, but we traveled for that when we needed to. Dubai is also a great place to travel from. Pretty centrally located with a clean, very efficiently run airport.
Hope that give you a more balanced view.
I do take issue with the nothing to do in Dubai but shop comment though. We are pretty much homebodies, but here are some things that even we did in our 3 years in Dubai: desert camping, beach and pool lounging, sky diving, indoor skiing, sailing trips, concerts (some good A list artists too), brunches, cinema, road trips to other Emirates, fishing, football games, volleyball leagues, drumming classes under the stars, painting and jewelry making classes, the circus, theatre shows, etc.
There is a lot to do in Dubai although, of course, it doesn't have a long history with ancient buildings and great
museums, but we traveled for that when we needed to. Dubai is also a great place to travel from. Pretty centrally located with a clean, very efficiently run airport.
Hope that give you a more balanced view.
Re: GEMS International School Dubai
There is tons to do in Dubai. Live music, art, theatre, concerts, Dubai Jazz festival, water sports, sports clubs, off roading in the desert etc. There are also tons of expats so it is a good place for younger teachers who very social.
Each GEMS school has a different culture and I am not familiar with the one mentioned. Try to get in touch with someone at the school since things change rapidly.
Each GEMS school has a different culture and I am not familiar with the one mentioned. Try to get in touch with someone at the school since things change rapidly.
Reply
@justlooking
You forgot, walking, running, cycling, people watching, city exploration, etc. Those and your list are mostly ordinary activities or extreme activities you do rarely.
Desert Camping: Sleeping on sand.
Beach and Pool Lounging: Sitting by water
Sky Diving: Thats pretty exciting but unless your a pro sky diver how often do you do this and its such a specialized activity if you have the money you can probably do it anywhere.
Indoor Skiing: Ive done this and its pretty lame. Its baically a large treadmill you ski down while it runs up. There are far better options in cooler (literally) locations called alpine skiing, it involves inclines and this white stuff called "snow". The real stuff is better and Switzerland and living in Switzerland is far better (and pays more) than Dubai.
Sailing Trips: Another recreational activity you can do anywhere there is water. besides sailing is just sitting around on a boat.
Concerts: Fun, but there are way better places to attend a concert, like Italy which doesnt require living in Dubai
Brunches: This is eating, you can eat out anywhere
Cinema: You can do this anywhere and a LOT of places have better screening choices than Dubai
Road trips: This is driving to other places, you can do this anywhere.
Fishing: If thats your thing, but my understanding of fishing involves catching fish which is something you can again do anywhere there is water. Japan has these really pretty colored fish all over the place, and you can go fishing for them at night.
Football: Running around kicking a ball, you can do this everywhere. Poor kids in slums do this daily.
Volleyball: Standing around hitting a ball, you can do this anywhere.
Drumming: Pretty sure you can do this anywhere, stars arent exactly hard to find.
Painting and jewelry making: Much like drumming you can likely find this type of activity anywhere
Circus: This is how people get murdered by clowns, why would you want to do this?
Theater: You can do this anywhere but places like London, Paris, Rome are FAR, FAR better places to enjoy the theater.
Of course people can make up things to do as opposed to and compared to doing nothing, but they are still nothing more than mostly ordinary activities.
You forgot, walking, running, cycling, people watching, city exploration, etc. Those and your list are mostly ordinary activities or extreme activities you do rarely.
Desert Camping: Sleeping on sand.
Beach and Pool Lounging: Sitting by water
Sky Diving: Thats pretty exciting but unless your a pro sky diver how often do you do this and its such a specialized activity if you have the money you can probably do it anywhere.
Indoor Skiing: Ive done this and its pretty lame. Its baically a large treadmill you ski down while it runs up. There are far better options in cooler (literally) locations called alpine skiing, it involves inclines and this white stuff called "snow". The real stuff is better and Switzerland and living in Switzerland is far better (and pays more) than Dubai.
Sailing Trips: Another recreational activity you can do anywhere there is water. besides sailing is just sitting around on a boat.
Concerts: Fun, but there are way better places to attend a concert, like Italy which doesnt require living in Dubai
Brunches: This is eating, you can eat out anywhere
Cinema: You can do this anywhere and a LOT of places have better screening choices than Dubai
Road trips: This is driving to other places, you can do this anywhere.
Fishing: If thats your thing, but my understanding of fishing involves catching fish which is something you can again do anywhere there is water. Japan has these really pretty colored fish all over the place, and you can go fishing for them at night.
Football: Running around kicking a ball, you can do this everywhere. Poor kids in slums do this daily.
Volleyball: Standing around hitting a ball, you can do this anywhere.
Drumming: Pretty sure you can do this anywhere, stars arent exactly hard to find.
Painting and jewelry making: Much like drumming you can likely find this type of activity anywhere
Circus: This is how people get murdered by clowns, why would you want to do this?
Theater: You can do this anywhere but places like London, Paris, Rome are FAR, FAR better places to enjoy the theater.
Of course people can make up things to do as opposed to and compared to doing nothing, but they are still nothing more than mostly ordinary activities.
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justlooking
- Posts: 118
- Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2009 1:02 am
Re: GEMS International School Dubai
@PsychGuy- I agree with you about homicidal clowns- hate those guys. I know that the activities I mentioned can be done just about anywhere but I was addressing your contention that the only thing to do in Dubai is shop. There are lots of other things to do. That was my point. You might be able to do those in a nice place like Italy, but I don't think you can save 50K U.S. dollars a year there like we did in Dubai (teaching couple). In fact, a friend who just left Dubai for Rome this year is loving the lifestyle but just barely scraping by. Luckily, she has a U.S. pension and no kids. People have to find the right fit for them.
We like the ME. Heading back next year for our third ME country/school. The lifestyle and location works for us.
We like the ME. Heading back next year for our third ME country/school. The lifestyle and location works for us.
Reply
@justlooking
I dont dispute the idea or point that one cant find or create activities and things to do in a region or location, but I see little utility and value in identifying ordinary activities that are common in any location. It is not my position that in Dubai an IT must either shop or sit/stand staring at the walls of their residence.
To that I maintain that many ITs in Dubai outside of work are either in a shopping complex, dining "out", or they are at the athletic association (gym/health club).
I dont dispute the idea or point that one cant find or create activities and things to do in a region or location, but I see little utility and value in identifying ordinary activities that are common in any location. It is not my position that in Dubai an IT must either shop or sit/stand staring at the walls of their residence.
To that I maintain that many ITs in Dubai outside of work are either in a shopping complex, dining "out", or they are at the athletic association (gym/health club).
Re: GEMS International School Dubai
Hello, Can anyone give salary info for teachers working at GEMS schools?
Are annual flights and accommodation also provided?
What is a sensible monthly outgoings for a couple. (I know people will say it can be as expensive as you want, I talking about weekly grocery shop, bills, going out once a week or so to a mid priced restaurant and trying to save as much as possible. How much have teachers managed to save?
Are annual flights and accommodation also provided?
What is a sensible monthly outgoings for a couple. (I know people will say it can be as expensive as you want, I talking about weekly grocery shop, bills, going out once a week or so to a mid priced restaurant and trying to save as much as possible. How much have teachers managed to save?
Re: GEMS International School Dubai
desert123 wrote:
> Hello, Can anyone give salary info for teachers working at GEMS schools?
> Are annual flights and accommodation also provided?
> What is a sensible monthly outgoings for a couple. (I know people will say
> it can be as expensive as you want, I talking about weekly grocery shop,
> bills, going out once a week or so to a mid priced restaurant and trying to
> save as much as possible. How much have teachers managed to save?
I'm in Abu Dhabi, but prices are pretty comparable except for the price of housing. One USD is pegged to 3.67 AED.
My wife and I spend approximately 500 AED a week on groceries.
If you want to eat out, a cheap ME or Indian restaurant will run about 30-40 AED for two people. A low-end sit-down restaurant (think TGIF) will be about 100 AED for a couple.
Gas is about 1.3 AED a litre. We bought a 2009 SUV for 30,000 AED. Insurance for the year is about 800 AED.
Nice restaurants at hotels/brunches (all you can drink) are about 300 AED a person. Most people buy a copy of the Entertainer for about 400 AED - it has hundreds of 2 for 1 coupons for all kinds of places (low-mid-high restaurants, and all the one-off activities you'll probably do).
Return tickets to neighboring countries all seem to run about 1000 AED if you buy a month or two beforehand (Jordan/Turkey/Egypt/India/Sri Lanka/Nepal).
Internet/cable (which are bundled) cost us 300 AED a month, and together our cellphones are about 200 AED.
If going out is your thing, clubs and alcohol at restaurants/bars is expensive. I can't think of many places where a beer is less than 30 AED, although it is priced much cheaper at beer stores.
We live pretty comfortably on a salary of 14,000 AED (with provided housing), banking about a third of it and my wife's salary. We are a little bit of homebody's though.
Hope that helps.
> Hello, Can anyone give salary info for teachers working at GEMS schools?
> Are annual flights and accommodation also provided?
> What is a sensible monthly outgoings for a couple. (I know people will say
> it can be as expensive as you want, I talking about weekly grocery shop,
> bills, going out once a week or so to a mid priced restaurant and trying to
> save as much as possible. How much have teachers managed to save?
I'm in Abu Dhabi, but prices are pretty comparable except for the price of housing. One USD is pegged to 3.67 AED.
My wife and I spend approximately 500 AED a week on groceries.
If you want to eat out, a cheap ME or Indian restaurant will run about 30-40 AED for two people. A low-end sit-down restaurant (think TGIF) will be about 100 AED for a couple.
Gas is about 1.3 AED a litre. We bought a 2009 SUV for 30,000 AED. Insurance for the year is about 800 AED.
Nice restaurants at hotels/brunches (all you can drink) are about 300 AED a person. Most people buy a copy of the Entertainer for about 400 AED - it has hundreds of 2 for 1 coupons for all kinds of places (low-mid-high restaurants, and all the one-off activities you'll probably do).
Return tickets to neighboring countries all seem to run about 1000 AED if you buy a month or two beforehand (Jordan/Turkey/Egypt/India/Sri Lanka/Nepal).
Internet/cable (which are bundled) cost us 300 AED a month, and together our cellphones are about 200 AED.
If going out is your thing, clubs and alcohol at restaurants/bars is expensive. I can't think of many places where a beer is less than 30 AED, although it is priced much cheaper at beer stores.
We live pretty comfortably on a salary of 14,000 AED (with provided housing), banking about a third of it and my wife's salary. We are a little bit of homebody's though.
Hope that helps.