Where is the best place to teach?

Hi,
I am thinking of heading abroad next school year - not too fussy where (although would probably prefer europe but also americas, carribean and non dangerous bits of asia) I would need to service some sterling costs (about £400 a month) and would ideally like somwhere with a high standard of living for teachers, somewhere my non teaching husband could live but not need to work much and that I could bring my cat (!)
Where do you think would be best?

 

Hi,
I am thinking of heading abroad next school year - not too fussy where (although would probably prefer europe but also americas, carribean and non dangerous bits of asia) I would need to service some sterling costs (about £400 a month) and would ideally like somwhere with a high standard of living for teachers, somewhere my non teaching husband could live but not need to work much and that I could bring my cat (!)
Where do you think would be best?

 

You're a little late for this September, but you might get a last minute vacancy.

Not asking for mush are we??

 

MUCH.
sorry.
Although, mush can sometimes be what my brain produces.

 

ahhh - sorry didn't meanthe september coming but sep 11 - my school here has already started new timetable and year - hence why my brain is 2010-11 already!

I obviously would compromise - but thats the ideal place to me iyswim

 

You want to take a cat? And a husband who doesn't want to work?


Falkland Islands.

 

Man, I thought they wuz one and the same thang...
but not to the malveenars, surely..

 

Do you have international experience? IB experience? Teach in a high demand subject area?
Unless you have particular selling points you might not be able to afford to be too fussy if you really want to head overseas. Of course you can be as fussy as you want as long as you accept that you might not end up going at all.
From my experience Japan would meet all of your requirements (if you were in a good school) but with a non-teaching spouse you'll have to have some impressive qualities, experience or luck to land a position. Still, no harm in trying.
From what I've seen Europe is not the best place to save money or have a high living standard as a teacher (well not compared to what we have in Asia anyway).

 

In South America, e.g. Peru, you can enjoy a pretty good standard of living even with a non-working spouse. This is in Lima and only really if you work for the American school or one of the top British schools (the two in Miraflores and the one in La Molina in particular).

 

"not too fussy where (although would probably prefer europe but also americas, carribean and non dangerous bits of asia)"

An interesting comment. There are many places in the Caribbean and the Americas which are more dangerous than most of Asia!

 

There are places in Europe where you can have a very high standard of living and save a lot. Some of the boarding schools in Switzerland offer packages matching those available in the Middle East or Asia. However boarding school life is not for everybody.

 

if you wanna save then here you go:
<table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"><tr><td> </td>

<td>UK (London)</td>

<td>UAE (Dubai)</td>

<td>Egypt (Cairo)</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>Yearly salary before tax
(1)</td>

<td>&pound;28,000</td>

<td>&pound;19,200</td>

<td>&pound;15,600</td>
</tr>

</table>

But do the following calculation of your actual
expenses:




<table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"><tr>
<td> </td>

<td>UK</td>

<td>UAE</td>

<td>Egypt</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>Yearly salary before tax
(1)</td>

<td>&pound;28,000</td>

<td>&pound;19,200</td>

<td>&pound;15,600</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>Monthly salary before tax</td>

<td>&pound;1,770</td>

<td>&pound;1,600</td>

<td>&pound;1,300</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>2009 Income and National Insurance
(Social Security) tax </td>

<td>&pound;564</td>

<td>0</td>

<td>0</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>Rent, utilities and council tax
</td>

<td>&pound;500</td>

<td>0</td>

<td>0</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>NET SALARY</td>

<td>&pound;1,206</td>

<td>&pound;1,600</td>

<td>&pound;1,300</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>NET SALARY ADJUSTED FOR COST OF LIVING
(2)</td>

<td>&pound;1,206</td>

<td>&pound;1,920</td>

<td>&pound;2,600</td></tr></table>

 

You forgot one detail - which may or may not become relevant in the future. However at this moment it is:
Pension:
UK : Normal teachers pension.
UAE: Zero.
Egypt: Not sure, but may also be zero. ( I doubt it is much either way ).

 

Well, I'm sorry, but if the whole saving up for a pension and having a safe life thing is for you, then maybe you're not the adventurous type.
Go on, live a little.
I'm pretty sure that all those decent hard working people who find that their pension is actually peanuts sometimes wish they'd walked on the wild side occasionally.
(I say this as someone with grown children who is rather crumbly and frayed at the edges, but boy, I've lived.)

 

You know nothing about the life I have had penny.

 

The Cairo salary is 'bottom dollar'. Several schools in Cairo pay pretty much double that for a bog standard teacher.
Those same schools pay that to teachers that aren't even bog standard.
Wish they'd leave....

 

There was a young lady of Riga
Who smiled as she rode on a tiger;
They returned from the ride
With the lady inside,
And the smile on the face of the tiger.
...which may or may not be marginally preferable to choking on a peanut.

 

Some very strange figures there McFly20. The UAE amount in Sterling you can times by, at least 2 for an 'average school' in the UAE and by 3 for the highest paying schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Yes, in the region of 4,000 Sterling per month - tax free, rent free, bill free, flights medical cover etc.
Even the most poorly paid international schools in the UAE would pay quite a bit more than 8-9,000 Dirhams (1,600 Sterling per month).

 

Actually no, crashtest. That is a common salary for the UAE. I've seen lots of schools advertising in the 9000d range and even some at 7500d.
Many of these schools require teachers to share accommodation and don't pay utilities.

 

Firstly i'd recommend looking in the TES jobs section. For most of the jobs they will list the benefits. Any British School around the world will offer great benefits. For example, they'll pay for return flights, accommodation, shipment of personal belongings and medical cover. Malaysia has very high living standards.
However, I believe that getting a job in the right school is more important than the standard of living. I've just got a job at a school in Cambodia. I chose it above other schools which offered more benefits because it had the ethos and philosopy that suited me. At the end of the day you need to be happy in your job so think carefully before you apply.

Good Luck!