A recent development among expatriate women in the Kingdom has been that a large number of them have gone into teaching in and around Jeddah. Mostly from South Asian countries, the women are filling a vacuum in a field which not only requires knowledge and skills but also qualification and ability.
As the cost of living rises in the Kingdom, more expatriate men see an opportunity for their wives as teachers who can bring in extra income. Although technically illegal, many schools don’t make an issue of hiring female teachers. All they require is a valid iqama for the woman’s husband. The woman gets a job while the school gets an employee who is willing to work for less, with no expectations of any benefits aside from basic pay and often with no signed contract either.
If there is a contract, it is often meaningless and offers little in the way of job security. There are often no set standards for teachers; they are often employed on the basis of personality or previous experience. If they stay in the job long enough, they do get hands-on experience but chances are very good that they will stay a short time in the job and then move to something better.
It is unfortunate when this happens because children tend to develop an affinity for the teacher. Research has proved that this interaction works at both conscious and subconscious levels: Language teachers will mark that time and again phrases used in ordinary speech in the classroom manifest themselves in students’ worksheets in a myriad of shades and meanings. The responsibility of the teacher, therefore, has far-reaching implications. Students seek her out not only for intellectual development but counseling as well. Consequently, the hiring of staff necessitates the selection of trained and qualified personnel.
But in a place like Saudi Arabia, where is one to find the right kind of teacher? And when that problem is solved, how does one help train people for the job? Needless to say, parents expect a great deal from teachers. But do they fully realize what is required? Yes, teachers should be screened before being taken on; they need to present testimonials of previous experience and be observed for teaching methodology from time to time and much more. But generally, international schools overlook the fact that these teachers need to be updated regularly and provided with refresher courses or INSET (in-service training) in their particular subject. The school also needs to be willing to bear, at least partly, the cost of these training programs.
Much as the term is repulsive, education is an industry and like other business ventures, school administrators need to start viewing their staff as a long-term investment instead of temporary or part-time workers, or worse, on an indefinite probationary period! After all, a teacher’s training is beneficial to the school and its students.
As for the long hours, one has to remember that most of these women are mothers and housewives too: In other words, they have a life beyond the boundaries of the school. Moreover, overtime should equal extra money rather than an opportunity for exploitation.
Owing to the casual attitude of both staff and administration around Jeddah, teachers constantly pick up and drop jobs without any real commitment. It is, therefore, not unreasonable to call for a stop to this. One suggestion is to make the iqama mandatory for female teachers. The problem lies in the conditions that bind the employee to the place of work by the iqama. Many teachers ask themselves: What’s in it for me? The school secures its staff hand and foot in a manner of speaking, but what does the teacher get in return? Does she for example get a very attractive salary? Are there any fringe benefits such as annual increments, housing, an annual ticket, transport allowance, medical insurance or pension/fund? In other words, what is the school doing to keep the teacher?
When teachers decide to leave for a better salary in a school which is offering them the same kind of job, one wonders why international schools cannot coordinate on matters of wages. Nearly all the schools around Jeddah are doing the full range of the three key stages and beyond, so it shouldn’t be hard to devise a system, both fiscal and academic, which would be standard for all schools. Whatever the reason for leaving, teachers should not leave a school simply because of better pay. This is something the school can and should address.
The bottom line is that school administrations need to be more considerate and sensitive to their employees. No price is too high for qualified, trained and conscientious teachers and the iqama is certainly not the only way of retaining them.
