Kim67

Yes, there are heaps of schools, and you rock up in Dubai and pay each of them AED500 per application or whatever it is these days. You have three kids, that's AED1,500 per school, you apply to. You have to apply to at least 20 schools and at least 18 of those will say, "sorry, don't have a place, never had a place to offer in the first place, just thought we'd take your money and not refund it". You'll choose the most expensive of the two crappy schools available thinking it's the best, it will turn out to not even have accreditation and the poor teachers are using the resources from their home country and trying to teach 20 kids using english, when only two of the kids in the class actually speak english. You'll have to change your kids to the cheaper but more established school you couldn't get a place at when you first arrived (but you become a little more pushy when you realise how ripped you've been for your first year). The whole schooling experience in Dubai will leave you with a very sour taste in your mouth - you'll return to your home country, stick them in a state school in an excellence program, pay next to nothing comparatively and have a much higher standard of education, that's my experience anyway.

scrubbedexpat141

You think it's any different in the UK?

The mrs worked with a couple of blokes, apparently both pretty hopeless. To the point where one was given a warning to improve his lessons, but the only way they could formalise it was to observe him. He got two weeks notice of the exact lesson they were watching....he performed amazingly well...suprisingly.

Bongoman2

Says the man with no kids. I'll be interested to see how un-emotive you are once you have some kids and watch as some unreputable corporation takes advantage of your concern for your child's future to fatten their profit margins.

Mind you it seems that half the world has swallowed the corporate kool-aid that now makes it okay to profit from:
- Prisoners
- Pensioners
- Asylum Seekers
- War
- Children

Altho I had better not speak too loudly in here unless we have some peeps from our concerned corporate citizens, Serco or G4S

Millhouse

Nope. I never said it was. The point I'm making is that KHDA (and OFSTEAD) assessments are hit and miss.

My wife used to work with a teacher who was shit - always on tinder during the lesson etc. Always got outstanding for the observed lessons.

scrubbedexpat141

Whilst I don't really disagree with you, that the little cherubs need to receive the best possible education, if it were the greatest concern of any parent here and they didn't think the kid was being taught as well as possible then would they stay here?

BUT, everyone knows there are very few perfect schools, in the UK they're not all wonderful, the private schools there are even more expensive, so what do you do? Stay and complain / hope for the best / hope it improves / hope you get lucky. Just like every other issue that people have - rent prices / idiots etc etc.

scrubbedexpat141

I don't really think it's all alright, but it's the state of play and the way the world is now. All of those things are 'big business' and make a lot of money for a few people.

The assessments are a joke mate. My understanding is that in the UK it's nigh on impossible to get rid of a shit teacher - well, lots of hoops to jump through and plenty of chances to pull it out the bag.

In the mrs' school here are a whole range of types. Some that you stare at and wonder how they managed to get dressed, some that you think deserve double the pay because of the effort and care they go to trying to deliver quality.

Swings and helmets.

NorthernLad

That's bordering on the 'if you don't like it, then leave' argument...and it's not that simple.

We've been here over ten years and see this as our home, uprooting and going back to the UK is not an attractive option - for a start the company I work for has huge growth in this region compared to Europe.

scrubbedexpat141

I know it's not. Which is why it becomes like every other 'issue' out here, one that 'we' (not me, yet), can moan about / hope for the best / try and get lucky with etc.

It is what it is, the thing I see frustrating most people is the disparity in quality not just between schools but between classes in each school. You might have the best teacher ever in Yr5, but in Yr6 you might end up with a ****ing helmet.

Dumbo

Ah yes I remember when I was young, without any real responsibilities and had an answer for everything.

Its great to live in a black and white world, enjoy it while you can.

Millhouse

We do not disagree on that.

The point being, is that the average Dubai school is no different than an average state school in the UK. Just because we are paying directly (rather than via taxes) - doesn't make it better. The expats of Dubai want marble in reception but want to pay for concrete.

Millhouse

I recently bought a pair of LED slippers on ebay only to find that the seller was 'supporting Islam abroad'. I have no idea what that actually means but I assume it's funding Syria.

Bahtatboy

Personally I'm more concerned that you bought LED slippers.

Millhouse

They have solved a problem that I didn't know I had.

Bahtatboy

I hate to admit it, but they do make sense

scrubbedexpat141

I can't wait until I'm old with "real" responsibilities and can get away with having no useful input into a conversation. It looks awesome.