The International Schools Review Forum

Has anyone heard of Gulf English School, Kuwait? I've been offered a job and want to know more about it.

Cheers

I interviewed there, but accepted a position elsewhere before they contacted me. What do you teach? I'd be interested in knowing more about the school and the region.

I'm a Geography teacher. I've heard mixed reviews about the school and living in Kuwait.

well, the reviews of the school on here do not make for pretty reading, however I suppose you have to take them with a grain of salt.

They are a third tier school, and the lifestyle in Kuwait isnt exactly the most accommodating.

There does seem to be quite a lot of negativity towards the school but noone is very clear as to why? Any ideas whats actually wrong with the place?

The short, short answer is that they are a for profit school and they are run very much like a business. The majority of the issues and problems really stem from that. Being "for profit" isnt necessarily bad, as some for profit schools are very well run and managed. This school just sees teachers as resources, the parents as customers, administrators as managers, and the students as work product. Its a very corporate environment.

I could go on and on but it wouldnt be anything you havent already read.

Thanks for all your feedback but I still don't understand what the problems will be working as a teacher in this school? Most international schools are run for profit aren't they? And every non-profit school I've been to/worked in is very much a business that views teachers as resources, parents as customers and students as product.

Any further clues would be appreciated.

That depends how you define "most" many ISs are actually "non profit" they do generate revenue, and are private independently run, as opposed to state, or municipal schools. Many schools are also "for profit", they function as business that just happen to be in the business of education. The difference is that with the for profits the less they spend the more money they put in their pocket/bank account. That model, permeates a whole school from the top down. It creates an environment that often puts profits a head of anything else, and thats not good for students, teachers, learning. It creates a mentality that can and often does get toxic, or at least less supportive. For instance in a non profit, a board and head will recruit qualified people. At a for profit, you will see unqualified friends and family members put into leadership positions at the school.

In general people have issues with kuwaiti schools for the following reasons:
1. Kuwait is a dirty and in general not very clean place to live. Between the dust storms (like the one this morning) and the trash and constant construction it seems like a never ending mess here. This is not the worst thing to live in but it truly is a health problem if you have any type of health issue to begin with. Many people end up as asthmatics due to the dust here.
2. Most schools in Kuwait are for profit meaning the students and parents are the priority not necessarily the academic rigor. I know people and principals from several schools and across the board they say kuwaiti students are 1-2 years behind academically and very unmotivated to catch up. This is partly because of a dual language culture and partly because students here are from birth used to maids and drivers doing their work. Maids clean up after them, deliver their meals and snacks and pretty much are on demand at all times for the parents and students. In class students will tell me what to do and demand I get them a pencil or complete the work for them. This is not the students fault but rather a society expectation. As teachers you have to figure out how to combat the sheer laziness of many students and keep the hard working students motivated.
3. Racism is alive and well in kuwait. I do not think they feel that way about themselves but it is evident in the system they have in place. As western teachers we are fortunate to be at the top of the list. Students will be very rude and disrespectful depending on the color and origin of a staff member. Indian teachers are basically disrespected and treated poorly even if they are actually from Canada or a western country. We are not allowed to talk about or teach Jewish history or culture. In fact Jewish teachers are not allowed to even work at most schools here. Although Kuwait is actually one of the most open countries and allows christian churches you still have to be careful and not share anything about your faith or anything that is not apart of the Qua-ran with anyone. The students will actually refer to dark skinned kuwaitis as the the black ones. This is culturally accepted to look down on what they feel are lesser races brought here to serve them.
4. Censorship limits schools ability to function as the western school they are claiming to be. ALL schools in kuwait fall under the ministry of education. Private or public. ALL Books are read and in some way censored. Many books and educational materials are banned all-together. If for example a fact book about a country lists their religions all religions will be blacked out except "muslim" any references to angels or images that show women's legs or shoulders will be either torn out, blacked out or paper glued on top. Imagine all the stories we read and share with our kids and realize only about 50% being approved and about 20% of the approved with blacked out images and words. Ironically even when shopping for underwear and bras at the stores the pictures on the packages are stickered over even if the shop is completely private and closed off except for the entry door.

These are generally true of all schools. The thing to consider is are these all acceptable and workable for you?
A few other considerations in Kuwait jobs are:
1. Housing location. I have been to the Gulf housing and it is OK. The location is not ideal but no the worst. It is a short drive away to a big grocery and "wal-mart" type store. The gulf is about a mile or two away. My friends at gulf are not thrilled to be there but one is staying on and one is leaving so it is not all bad.
2. Salary and cost of living here. Is the salary you are offered equivalent to the quality of life you want to have? Kuwait is expensive. Everyday personal and household items cost more. fresh foods cost less. If you have no bills back home to pay most salaries are good since housing and usually bussing to school is free. If you have to send most of your pay back home then you will live on a tight budget here.
3. Travel. Do you want to travel to other countries? from Kuwait you can see and travel to other countries fairly cheap compared to coming from north America. I have been to some pretty cool places I would never even have considered from home because of the flight cost. From Kuwait a flight to Jordan was $200. Dubai you can get deals for as low as $100. Travel from kuwait is great if that is your goal. Many people stay for the travel not the quality of their schools and jobs.
Anyway I hope that gives you some more perspective. GES is not an exception to kuwait standards but the norm. The grass is not always greener form one school to another here. The pay and accommodations are the real difference.

It all really comes down to one thing: Options...

If you have no other offers, and dont have a job to go to in the fall, then really the decision isnt about the school but is a school you dont really want to be at better then being nowhere? I get the impression from your original post that you really knew nothing about the middle east or Kuwait, and you didnt wake up one morning and think "I REALLY want to be teaching somewhere in the M.E. or Kuwait next year", this just happens to be the job on the table and what your comparing it to is the potential of a better job offer that may or may not materialize. We (and you) dont know what that position could be.... but if you no other options at this time of the year, something is better then nothing.

You can take the position and keep looking and if your dream hob or a better job comes up you can dump the Kuwait school, claiming they were trying to scam you on airfare or paperwork or something, and luckily another school came around to save you. Very few people would blame you in such a situation, and if you did it right it wouldnt really cost you anything.

Thanks 'freetoobe'. That's really useful information. It does sound like it will be a hard place to live but I've lived in big and dirty middle-eastern cities before so I think I might give it a whirl!

PsyGuy willbe surprised to know but there are some people who love Kuwait!

Dear PsyGuy...I believe we were just talking about ethical behaviour on a different forum. You do teach children don't you???

No i wouldnt be surprised that SOME people like Kuwait. Some people like fish sauce straight, some people like to be suffocated in the bedroom, some people like to cut them selves. It doesnt surprise me that there is a small group of people that like anything.