The International Schools Review Forum

@Chargerfan

Having worked in the Kingdom its a hole, you can get nice housing, but sometime you get what the school gives you sometimes its nice, and sometimes it isnt, and housing quality can change within the same compound and building. Unless you made your list of wants/needs and money was the only thing on it or was written in 3 inch block letters and everything else was fine print, the ME is not the place to go. You have to be a mercenary to work the ME, you have to go for the money. Everything else is true, its just not as sensationalistic and common as the media presents.
If your a Westerner you will be a target, just not as big a one as you hear/read about (when I was there I told outsiders I was Canadian, their embassy parties are better too). I wouldnt go back, a harem of genies couldnt incentives me to go back (well actually they could, but thats a pretty high standard).
I would say if the ISIS affiliate was a former teacher, probably wasnt a successful one.

@senator

WHAT, defend IE at all costs, what have you done with the real senator, and what are your plans for the world take over, Id like to see if theres a leadership available in your plan conquest.

It wasnt a treasure 10 years ago, and Id argue that you need to go back to the later half of the 1800s too early half of the 1900s to apply the term treasure to it.

Situational awareness is a very valuable skill to have ANYWHERE, you werent born with it and if you learned it in the states you can learn it anywhere. Adopting situational awareness in a foreign country does not mean starting with a blank slate, a lot of human and biological behavior transfers across cultures. People perspire when their nervous and have anxiety its true everywhere. Does that mean if you have a blonde volleyball/cheerleader teenage daughter or Victoria Secret wife, should you be worried, yes but you should be worried everywhere.

Yes, they never really had a chance, once your confronted you better have skills and once they have you restrained its over, but again thats ANYWHERE. If your in NYC and an intruder has a weapon on you in your home, its really close to over, if they have you bound it is over, it doesnt matter where you are.

Most ITs dont go to teach thats not the motivation, most go to travel live a certain lifestyle, the teaching is just the job that affords them the opportunity to pursue that goal. They can or were teaching domestically well before going overseas.

Yes you can teach and live being cautious. People get into trouble when they get lulled into a false sense of security. Even Bhutan has crime. That stranger danger scenario is just as likely to happen in a western country and more so then in the ME. People in the ME generally are on the defensive, as opposed to somewhere like Italy.

Why the Kingdom? Money.

Sorry to see you flamed, Shadowjack. I have read you as a respectful and thoughtful poster for a couple of years now.

Thanks lantana. I don't get angry about it - everybody is entitled to their opinion. But if their opinion isn't really backed up by rational facts/thinking, then I'll post about it.

That's why when people point out the dangers of a place like Saudi, I try to point out their lack of thought by turning it back to the lack of safety in the US, where of course they feel safe.

Regarding the original post, while no longer in Kingdom, I do know some who are in Jeddah. According to them, the threat (several months ago, wasn't it?) from ISIS suggested several schools across the ME as targets for willing terrorists - but specifically named the school in Jeddah as a 'hard target' - i.e., discouraged it as a target, and suggested other 'softer' targets. They know of no rock throwing at busses, and no rock throwers could get on campus to target parents picking up their children. They do not report feeling under siege nor do they fear terrorist acts any more than they would elsewhere. Your instinct is probably correct that the story you heard was BS.

Regarding other posts which generalize life in the ME, how can one reason with people who aren't interested in facts or realities? Speaking for the UAE, life is pretty darn pleasant. Terrific climate most of the school year, tons of activities - sporting, arts, entertainment. Example - just two weeks ago the International Kite Festival transformed one of the many beautiful beaches into a festive celebration (free for all). There are 14 km of beaches, many with playgrounds for kids, facilities, food booths. A walking/running path and a cycling path connect more of these, and more segments are being added all the time. Weekly horse races at an amazing stadium for free - only the big race at season's end costs money, and you can still get in for about $10. There's a 60 km or something (never made it to the end) cycling path. Motorcyclists have clubs, car racers rent time at a professional track, sky divers enjoy some of the best in the world, various athletic groups exist for runners, bikers, swimmers, yoga enthusiasts, rowers, sailors, rugby, football, basketball, volleyball. There are weekly markets during the cooler months at parks offering artisans selling their wares and organic food to consume and buy. It's wonderful eating out of doors this time of year at your choice of hundreds of restaurants, and contrary to belief, many venues offer beverage choices which include alcohol (which is pricey, but drinking at home is cheaper and there are plenty of liquor stores.) Why would so many tourists from Europe come here if life was so constrained, as some on this forum have suggested. I visited Dubai 25 years ago and found it limited, dingy, and unappealing - you should see it today.

Those arent facts or reality they are YOUR perceptions and your opinions.
The climate isnt terrific its hot and its dusty, the grit ruined a laptops optical drive. You dont get credit for sports, arts, etc, thats everywhere. Your hyping ordinary. Paris has art, the Kingdom, no.
A Kite festival, really thats your support? I suppose if your really into kites. Singapore, Fiji, Thailand, Japan, China just about everywhere has beaches, many of them WAY more beautiful then anything in the Kingdom. You realize that a beach is sand right, your peddling sand in a desert.
A walking/running/cycle path, thats a strip of concrete. Thats a small road, your hyping roads., do you not have roads where you come from?
Horse racing, okay maybe for some people thats there thing but lots of places have horses and horse racing. Macau is way more fun then horse racing.
Sky diving, now your selling air. You can literally sky dive ANYWHERE on this planet, its jumping out of a particularly good airplane with a chute into air.
All of your other sporting events are just as ordinary. You can play volleyball, etc anywhere.
Eating outdoors is ordinary, its called not having a building.

Why are there so many visitors, shopping. The price for high end luxury fashion and soft goods is much lower, thats the reason tourists go. Theres nothing else to really do except shop, move around, an eat.

Or, PsyGuy, people want a decent climate and home base, and then travel on holidays? There are worse places to be based then the UAE - Mrs. Shadowjack and I looked at it, but decided after 10 years in the region to try somewhere different for a change of place/lifestyle.

Thankfully I have came across some actual teachers at the school via research and I got some actual facts. My instincts were correct, most of the stories were BS/exaggerated. Kids are good, school is getting ready for a new campus in two years, compound is still old, but livable. Supposedly the principal and superintendent are good guys and trying to genuinely make life better for the teachers. Overall there was some concern with the article that was posted, but nothing super crazy. Psyguy is right, the ME isn't Thailand, or Paris. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself if you are more of a homebody and just go out occasionally. Me personally I think the "dusty" climate is 100 times better than any other place cold. I'd take a beach on the Red Sea or Arabian Sea over winter in Norway or Boston any day. But that's just me. I'd also rather be at a German beer garden than at a Sheesha bar. Every place has it's plus and minuses. To each their own. In the ME you can save some great money which is always good if you have financial aspirations or debts. If the ME paid South America money I doubt anyone decent would be there, but all international schools have their own little supply demand flow they follow. Thanks for the comments guys/gals. It's been beneficial for sure.

@Chargerfan

In the ME you gotta go for the money.

@Shadowjack

Decent is everywhere, and no people dont want decent they want great, neither of those apply to the ME, neither decent or great. I can think a 100 better places to call home. Id much rather live somewhere amazing and skip the whole idea of decent. What your doing is advocating settling for the bottom.
Yes there are worse places, but theyre all in the ME.

I currently work in KSA (although not Jeddah) and yes, international school teachers were specifically mentioned as good targets and particular schools in Jeddah were named. The idea is to look at international schools and teachers as good targets that would be high profile and very disruptive. It has been a very unsettling year.