# Sabis education



## chris_uel

Hi all. I have been offered a telephone interview for the 3rd January.

I have a few questions but here is my background.

I am a fully qualified primary school teacher with 8 years of experience in England. I plan to go with my non-teaching wife. Here are my questions.

1. What is the salary at a SABIS school roughly? I have read €1500 a month (£1255). Is this correct? If so, I will hang up on them if they confirm this on the interview. And laugh. I currently take home £1900 a month.

2. Is this actually a worthwhile school? Or is it basically a TEFL school in disguise?

3. Will my talents and experience be wasted?

I think this will do for now. I apologise if anyone feels that I am being arrogant or anything like that but this is my future and I would rather do research first.

Many thanks, Chris.


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## Welsh_lady

chris_uel said:


> Hi all. I have been offered a telephone interview for the 3rd January.
> 
> I have a few questions but here is my background.
> 
> I am a fully qualified primary school teacher with 8 years of experience in England. I plan to go with my non-teaching wife. Here are my questions.
> 
> 1. What is the salary at a SABIS school roughly? I have read 1500 a month (£1255). Is this correct? If so, I will hang up on them if they confirm this on the interview. And laugh. I currently take home £1900 a month.
> 
> 2. Is this actually a worthwhile school? Or is it basically a TEFL school in disguise?
> 
> 3. Will my talents and experience be wasted?
> 
> I think this will do for now. I apologise if anyone feels that I am being arrogant or anything like that but this is my future and I would rather do research first.
> 
> Many thanks, Chris.



1500 a month - ??? AED

Are you sure you have your figures correct? Only 1,500 AED a month is about £260 and no western educated expat would take a job with that salary. 15,000 AED on the other hand is about £2,600. I have no knowledge of the school you mention but understand british primary school teachers earn aprox 12,000 AED upwards depending on experience.


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## chris_uel

Sorry, that was a euro sign for the 1500. From more research, it seems that they offer 7000 AED per month.


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## EmilieTS

I am not an expert but 7000AED is really on the low side. unless they maybe offer some perks that quadruple it or something.


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## LONGGOOD BYE

Sabis also known as Choueifat,their whole thing is about testing and getting students ready to test.You as a teacher do not have much say what you do in the classroom you must follow their plan exactly.One of their selling point is that you can go to any of their school anyplace and be on the same page as the school you left from. One of the things I loved was no parties or celebration of any kind and if I remember right teachers can not talk with parents,they give the info to somebody that talks with the parents.
I have had friends who worked for the Sabis organization and I have worked with students who have graduated from their.


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## Mr Rossi

LONGGOOD BYE said:


> Sabis also known as Choueifat,their whole thing is about testing and getting students ready to test.You as a teacher do not have much say what you do in the classroom you must follow their plan exactly.One of their selling point is that you can go to any of their school anyplace and be on the same page as the school you left from. One of the things I loved was no parties or celebration of any kind and if I remember right teachers can not talk with parents,they give the info to somebody that talks with the parents.


I'm no Steiner hippie but this sounds horrible.


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## Eng.Khaled

LONGGOOD BYE said:


> Sabis also known as Choueifat,their whole thing is about testing and getting students ready to test.You as a teacher do not have much say what you do in the classroom you must follow their plan exactly.One of their selling point is that you can go to any of their school anyplace and be on the same page as the school you left from. One of the things I loved was no parties or celebration of any kind and i*f I remember right teachers can not talk with parents,they give the info to somebody that talks with the parents.*
> I have had friends who worked for the Sabis organization and I have worked with students who have graduated from their.



That point is right, and this person called (Students supervisor). I went inside the school once and I didn't really like it. I like Wellington more


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## pamela0810

LONGGOOD BYE said:


> Sabis also known as Choueifat,their whole thing is about testing and getting students ready to test.You as a teacher do not have much say what you do in the classroom you must follow their plan exactly.One of their selling point is that you can go to any of their school anyplace and be on the same page as the school you left from. *One of the things I loved was no parties or celebration of any kind and if I remember right teachers can not talk with parents,they give the info to somebody that talks with the parents.*I have had friends who worked for the Sabis organization and I have worked with students who have graduated from their.


/SNIP/

What exactly is the point of being a teacher at this school if you are not allowed to teach?


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## chris_uel

pamela0810 said:


> They obviously do not teach grammar at the Sabis organization
> 
> What exactly is the point of being a teacher at this school if you are not allowed to teach?


/SNIP

I am withdrawing my application. I have decided to cut my legs off as this sounds like much more fun than teaching/being enslaved there. 

Thank you all for your comments.


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## travellingTeacher

*A Proud SABIS Teacher*

Hey Guys, this is my first post on this forum. I came across it by chance earlier today and stumbled upon this thread, it caught my attention because I do actually teach in SABIS now. I enjoyed reading your posts but I do feel compelled to clarify a couple of things.

Chris_uel, having gone though the same process myself a couple of years back I know for a fact that these guys would have sent you a very informative welcome package; I am a bit confused as to why you ask if the school is "actually a worthwhile school? Or is it basically a TEFL school in disguise?" when this is a school network that has been operating for 125 years plus. Just a simple glimpse at their website will tell you that it is an international school system with over 79 schools in 15 countries... 

I really find it difficult to believe that at this age and day people, with all the access to information online and so on, still base life-changing decisions on rumors. LONGGOOD BYE as a teacher with SABIS now, i am a little offended by the way you have portrayed the school's teachers as being passive and controlled! I do get to say a lot in my classes! I have (and still do) attended numerous events with students and colleagues! What is wrong with having an organized environment where parents cannot simply walk into the class and interrupt you? what is the problem with having a specific channel for them to go through? I am thankful that I don't have to spend hours on dealing with parents issues every week and that there is someone who does it as a full time job! 

I find teaching in SABIS to be fun, worthwhile and challenging. I work in a safe, clear and focused environment that conducive to learning and that is highly productive.

I do understand that there are different views out there about education methods and there are different schools of thought out there; but it is unfair to mix opinions based on other opinions or rumors with facts. So I hope I was able to present a different point of view, one that is not based on rumors and guesses, but on actual experience; experience that is shared by over 4500 teachers around the world (and thousands others over the years)


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## BedouGirl

Traveling Teacher, I may have misunderstood but did Long Goodbye actually say they were a teacher there? I think they were basing their information on friends friends who were. It's good to have another perspective (and I do know that Choueifat is well respected here) but you don't refer to OP's question about the package, which, as another poster commented, did not seem to be a great deal.


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## chris_uel

I do take your points on board. I could read all the literature in the world that they publish but I would prefer it from the metaphorical horse's mouth. I have had contact from a parent at one of the schools also. 

As for parent walking in, if that happens in any school then you are not in control of your environment. I work in a school where I have daily contact with a lot of parents and I like it that way. Part of being a successful teacher is being able to communicate with parents and outside agencies to ensure successful learning. But sorry, SABIS do not differentiate. No chance of that there then. 

As for the TEFL school comment, I have watched video CVs amd spoken to others that are either NQT or unqualified teachers that have been employed by SABIS. A school is a place where professional teachers should be employed. Not just anyone. Teaching is a respectable profession and should not be undermined by a school employing people with no qualification or experience. It is an insult. 

I think I am right in saying that you teach from a textbook? Great. Sounds fun doesn't it. I don't see how creativity is invited in to the curriculum there. I find from what I have read that this school sounds Victorian and draconian in every way. It sounds the same as when I worked for English First for a few weeks. 

Maybe I am wrong but I can't believe or commit to a system like SABIS. A lot of schools use the NC there. Must be a reason for that? Possible because it offers children a wide spectrum of activities and allows free thinking and not just box ticking and and saying "I have been shown that point. "

And the salary. Am I wrong in thinking it is about 7000-10000 AED a month? No offence but I wouldn't get out of bed for that. More stress, longer hours, more paperwork and no creativity? Behave. 

But that is just my opinion.


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## nm62

I have the third eye... I was following this post for a while without commenting....

I have no idea about Choueifat school teachers...

When i was in university my university/class mates were from this school (all of them were high flyers in IGCSE) but stumbled in A levels (may be they were use to the parrot learning methods)....
They were repeating few Zero level subjects due bad grades in A levels... Most of the students go away from Dubai after schooling in this school as they are just transiting in uae for few years... 

All students study here are assumed to be from the influential and richest family in the city... 

The first time ever i heard of this school was back in 1999/ 2000 because Benazir Bhutto's kids use to study here...

Pakistani slain Ex-Prime minister Benazir Bhutto's son and 2 daughters use to study in this school... Her son just graduated from Oxford University (2010) and he is soon going to join politics... he was known for his good grades 8 A *... her youngest daughter must have completed A levels as well by now...

When Benazir Bhuto was forced out of pakistan in 1997/ 1998, her children use to study in UK and then moved to dubai... her government was forced out due to corruption so whenever the Pakistani government use to threaten her, she use to shift to UK over night (political asylum)....

The point is, this school is good for those who keep shifting twice thrice during the year...
On other hand i have heard about this school is not the regular kind of school on other forums and over all teachers dis like this school... (i never knew the reason before reading this post)... 
But the fact is this school is successful in manufacturing/ batch production of A* students with this method of teaching....


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## Jynxgirl

Doing a quick search, one can see that they take teachers with no experience, straight out of college/university. 

I would think a parent who is paying premium for a private education, would want very well qualified teachers. I know everyone has to start somewhere, but.....


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## chris_uel

Two short points. 

1. The school produces robots without free thinking and life skills. 
2. It is still an insult to call their staff teachers if they are reciting from a book.


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## hayesh

*Sabis*

I graduated from the SABIS system in 1998 so my experience reflects that period of time. Choueifat, as it is commonly known, is a well-respected school in Dubai. It offers the American, British and IB curricula. In my time, we had lots of extra curricular activities and I fondly remember all of our teachers and our interactions with them. Most Choueifatis graduate and continue their college education abroad in all four corners of the globe. The school has a strong heritage here in Dubai unlike some of the more commercial schools that have sprung up all over Dubai over the last decade.

Definitely, this is not what has been described earlier as some TEFL school or whatever.


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## LONGGOOD BYE

They do have schools all around the globe, so of course their management could be run better,but they all run the same style.I had a number of friends that worked in their schools in Egypt and that is why I know the inside issues such as not being able to talk with parents,all the test taking ect.

I also talked to a principal at of one of the schools in the UAE and he is the one that filled me in on the no parties,also on the testing system,teachers can't talk with parents and many of the other issues.

I am not here trying to bash the school,but this is what I know.


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## jump

LONGGOOD BYE said:


> They do have schools all around the globe, so of course their management could be run better,but they all run the same style.I had a number of friends that worked in their schools in Egypt and that is why I know the inside issues such as not being able to talk with parents,all the test taking ect.
> 
> I also talked to a principal at of one of the schools in the UAE and he is the one that filled me in on the no parties,also on the testing system,teachers can't talk with parents and many of the other issues.
> 
> I am not here trying to bash the school,but this is what I know.


Dilemma- should i send my son to regent international school or sabis? He'll be fs1


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## chris_uel

Do you want your child taught be an unqualified teacher who just reads from the manual? If so, send you child to SABIS. And don't think you can just go and chat to the 'teacher' because by the sounds of it, that would cost them their job. 

Go for Regent in my opinion. But the decision is yours.


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## Ben_130

My girlfriend worked for Sabis in Bahrain for one school year just after graduating from University. 
For her it was a stepping stone and to gain the vital experience needed to get onto the PGCE course. 
She made some good friends, many of the other teachers were of the same age and not long out of uni. Not one had any form of teaching qualification (probably why the wages are lower).
Even she found it strange how parents pay such high fee's when the majority of teachers are fresh out of university.
She certainly found it far easier than her job here in the UK now where the responsibility as a fully qualified teacher is far greater. It probably doesn't help that her school here is rubbish!
So I guess if you are a qualified teacher work somewhere else, where you will earn more. If you are not and need the experience to get on a teaching course for example, then Sabis is the best option for this.


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## natesk8

*???*

Wow. There seems to be quite a ruckus about the subject of Sabis. I was recommended the group from a friend back home and I have a telephone interview coming up but I remain skeptical.

Is it true they put you up on campus as to watch over you?


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## travellingTeacher

Wow it has been a while since my last stop here. I have changed my iPhone and in the process lost the application. Anyway, I would like to answer your question, natesk8, if I may. I have been teaching in one of the choueifat schools in the UAE for a few years, and I have always been residing on campus. 
The simple answer to your question is no, that is not the reason for accommodating us on campus. You see the school mostly hires expatriate teachers, the schools are in general huge and so a lot of teachers work in each branch. So I think it makes sense that the school has built teachers accommodations on campus, it saves a lot of rent! On the other hand, the accommodation area has a security gate, and there are security personnel all day long. I never felt that they are there to watch me; neither do any of my friends on campus. On the contrary, their presence means more safety for us! Some people might not like the fact that they still live in the school environment/community after work ends, and i totally understand that point of view. But you won't find me complaining, I have free parking, I walk two minutes to work, I have my lunch break in the comfort of my flat, I play football twice a week with the guys and I have a swimming pool all for myself any day of the week 

But as is the case in any respectful residence, there are some rules to be aware of. For example, usually we are asked to inform the school of any relatives or visitors who plan to spend a few days over. I guess it makes sense because should something go wrong on campus, the people in charge should be at least aware of who is on campus. By the way, over the past two years I never reported my visitors because myself and he people I know stay out o trouble and don't end up breaking things around 
One has to be always aware that as a resident on the school campus, you have the responsibility of giving the right image to the community around it.


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## bigdaveisalegend

Hi All,

My sister is working in a SABIS school in Sharjah at the minute and is counting down the days to leave. Absolutely hates it with a passion - teach to the test, behaviour problems all over the school, key personnel leaving. I was advised not to touch the school with a barge pole!

Just saying.........


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