Hire learning

zoom

The number of schools in the region is on the increase – but can they attract the right teachers?

Education in the Gulf is booming. Like a film played on fast forward, schools and universities are mushrooming throughout the region, with more than 42 schools opening since 2003 in Dubai alone. According to KHDA, the 2008/09 and 2009/10 academic years will see another 20 schools open, increasing student capacity by nearly 15%.

With this growth comes the sector's hunger for well-qualified, experienced teachers. Schools and universities are clambering to entice teachers to make the move to this region. But that isn't as easy as it used to be.

Ed Goodwin, principal of St. Christopher's in Bahrain and chairman of British Schools in the Middle East, has noticed a major drop in the number of CVs in his inbox.

"We now receive about one third of the applications we used to 10 years ago," he says. Chris Wright, director of pre-operations for GEMS Education, shares his experience. "We have to be a lot more proactive in our recruitment," he says.

The main reason for the dwindling number of applications is the growth of international schools in the rest of the world, says Simon Dweck, of international recruitment firm Synarbor.

"The number of schools is going up, but there is a finite pool of teachers." International schools in Asia, Africa and South America are providing more opportunities and options for teachers. China is especially proactive in its recruitment strategies, with some schools offering lucrative contracts reminiscent of the halcyon days of teaching in the Gulf.

"In Dubai teachers often used to get a two-bedroom villa, now in China they are given high-end flats and save three quarters of their salary," Dweck says.

The cost of housing takes a huge bite of the salary that schools can offer teachers. Wright says giving teachers an attractive enough package is getting increasingly difficult.

"A flat that cost AED 28,000 (US$7662) now costs AED 90,000 ($24,502), and we have to pay the going rate," he says. Goodwin admits that his school "is not able to match salaries to the rate of inflation."

The government cap on school fees in Dubai causes schools even more headaches. "Market forces should be allowed to prevail," says Wright. Schools which can charge as much as parents are prepared to pay can then afford to attract the most qualified teachers.

"When we have to cover costs and pay the going rate for housing," he says, "that's going to have a knock-on effect on recruitment."

Rising inflation and the decreasing value of the US dollar have further consequences on recruitment. Older teachers often have mortgages back home, expect to save some of their salary in the Gulf, and prefer not to live in shared accommodation. Yet some schools can no longer afford to house teachers in their own apartments.

"Dubai is not so attractive in terms of financial rewards," admits Wright. As a result, there have been younger, less experienced teachers coming to the Gulf, and though "no schools want to have unsuitable teachers", Dweck says, "it's a must."

Print | Email | Discuss this article |

READERS' COMMENTS

View all comments (0)

Have your say

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Security Code *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM