kates2787

Hi,

I am a 23 year old primary teacher from Scotland (although currently living in Canada) and I am in the middle of various interviews for jobs in Sharjah and Dubai. I have spent HOURS trying to do research online but nothing seems to answer my questions... hoping that someone here will have the answers!

I have read that Sharjah is really strict - I am in no way a drunk or major party-girl (despite being Scottish lol!) but I do like to meet friends for a drink and unwind at the weekends - are there opportunities to do this in Sharjah? I know in Dubai the hotels and complexes are a lot more geared towards Westerners who want to do this but I have never been to Sharjah so have no idea! Also I will be travelling alone and I'm a bit worried about how a young, blonde, single woman will be viewed/treated...? One of the job offers includes "waterfront apartment and shared use of a car with your room-mate". I am confident driving on either side of the road but have read that the traffic in Sharjah is a bit crazy, is it really that bad?!

This is a slightly more "teacher-y" focused question... The school I am being interviewed for is a small, international school with kids from a huge range of backgrounds. I have been told that I will have no classroom support (i.e. classroom assistant), even in a large class in the lower stages. Is this normal? In Britain (and Canada) every classroom I have been in has had some sort of support, at least once a day.

Sorry for all the random thoughts, I am being interviewed for 4 separate jobs in various locations at the moment and my head is spinning!! Any help/advice/thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance!

spartans53

Post a few more times and PM the names of the schools My Wife has been a teacher in Dubai for over 11 years in both secondary and Primary and i can give you some honest feedback ofline.

Mike

Spugsy

Sharjah is like a mini version of Saudi. It's ****ing horrible, if you are caught under the influence of alcohol you will be arrested and put in jail. People get flogged and stuff there.

Also it's an absolute dump.

If you take a job there make sure you live in Dubai and travel there. Serious, it's bloody awful I've lived in Dubai 3 and a bit years and passed through there a few times and stopped a few times, it's rank.

Ethos83

I wouldn't go so far to claim that Sharjah is crap, but it's pretty close....

The industrial outskirts of Sharjah are very unappealing but the city does have several pretty lagoons. If this "waterfront" apartment is on one of the Sharjah lagoons then that's not too bad, but it's not as if you'll be able to swim in it. But Sharjah is not geared to a Western lifestyle. If you want to unwind on the weekends with a few drinks you will need to go into Dubai and you're looking at very stiff taxi fares to the bars and restaurants that have liquor licences. Sharjah doesn't have anything like the shopping, recreational activities and young singles scene that Dubai does.

Plus as a western woman in a city with an overwhelming non-western population from South Asia you may feel distinctively uncomfortable. You will get a lot of "looks."

One word of warning: there was a time not too long ago that some of the schools in Sharjah were housing their teachers in Ajman, the next city up the coast. Now that's a complete shithole.

spartans53

It does have the Wanderers, which is like Jebel Ali Club on Roids.

Blue Cat

I have friends who live in Sharjah and are very happy, but I am not sure how it would fair for a single person to be honest with you. Try the schools in Dubai .

weasel central

sharjah is a dump.. that is all

Ethos83

Actually, I revise my opinion.

Sharjah is crap. People only live in Sharjah if they absolutely have to.

spartans53

Yea but its like the Mirdif massive who try and justify it all the time and talk it up.

Mirdif is only 18 mins from the IV etc. SHJ is close to the hole in the wall in Ajman (is that still there?)

kates2787

Thanks so much for all your responses!! Will keep going with the interviews for the experience but you've really helped me to make a difficult decision a lot easier lol!!