From Barbados to Dubai: Teachers uproot to UAE for new school year

Hundreds of thousands of teachers applied for roles in the Gulf for the new academic year, with attractive salaries, quality of life and upheaval back home prompting many to make a fresh start.

As many as 1,850 teachers from 57 countries will be joining Gems Education schools in UAE and Qatar for the first day back to school on Monday.

Speaking to The National, Matthew Tompkins, senior vice president human resources at Gems Education, said they got an overwhelming response, receiving “600,000 applications for those 1,850 places”.

“So it's still an incredibly popular destination,” Mr Tompkins said.

The teachers come from “a diverse range of backgrounds” with “29 per cent from the UK, 27 per cent from India and 20 per cent from Egypt”.

Unique career growth

Noorul Choudhury, a 48-year-old British teacher, will be moving from Amsterdam to the UAE for its “dynamic and rapidly growing educational landscape that offers unique professional development opportunities”.

After working in the UK for 15 years and in Europe for six years, he feels “the schools in UAE are a little more forward-thinking than I've been used to in Europe when it comes to educational innovation”.

Mr Choudhry will be taking on the role of head of Secondary at Gems Westminster School in Ras Al Khaimah.

It was Ras Al Khaimah's “quieter lifestyle” with its stunning landscape of “mountains, beautiful beaches” that attracted Mr Choudhry away from the “glitz and glamour of Dubai”.

“The lifestyle that UAE offers is beyond just the sunny climate. To me, it's about the rich cultural heritage that the UAE offers which is an attraction, and the fact that more and more people are adopting the UAE as a second home.”

It was career growth that prompted Salvador Barros from Spain to move from Barbados to Dubai's Gems International School.

“I always heard about the high-quality teaching, the good living standards and how well-resourced schools are,” said the 40-year-old, who has taught in schools in Portugal and Germany.

“I'm excited to see how much this city has to offer.”

Mr Barros, who will be head of department for individuals and societies, said he's also keen on exploring sports clubs, “whether it's running, cycling, climbing, hiking, swimming, triathlons”.

Strong sense of community

Hannah Mcdonald, a 25-year-old Irish early years teacher, said she was willing to move to Dubai for its “strong sense of community and diversity that makes it feel so welcoming”.

She will join Dubai British School Jumeira and hopes that “clubs and groups, like Gaelic football clubs, will help people settle in and feel at home and meet new people”.

Apart from the culture, it's the “attractive pay packages” that make the move worth it, especially for Irish teachers who are dealing with a “huge housing crisis” and “high cost of living” back home, Ms McDonald explained.

Connor Moffatt, a British teacher, also moved to Dubai British School Jumeira said the recent happenings in the UK had motivated him to move “to feel a little bit safer”.

He moved with his partner and toddler after working at a school in the UK for 11 years.

“In the UK at the moment, it's just things are a little bit all over the place. So that was a personal reason, I think, for my family to come to a culture that's a little bit more respectful and to feel safe in the environment,” said Mr Moffatt, who will be working as an inclusion teacher.

“Also in terms of career development, the opportunities seem really amazing.

“I'm really looking forward to the varied cultures and nationalities and really excited to see how that dynamic works.”

Gagandeep Kaur, an Indian business and economics teacher, moved to Gems New Millennium School-Al Khail this month after living in Qatar for 12 years for “the city’s holistic environment for growth, where you feel secure, where you feel safe”.

“With crimes that are going on [in various parts of the world], where women do not feel secure to even go out of their houses after dark, I feel UAE offers safety. And if you're safe, only then can you achieve things,” said Ms Kaur.

Competitive salaries and perks

Most UAE schools offer competitive tax-free salaries, accommodation or housing allowance, private medical insurance, annual air travel to home country, free or discounted schooling and an end-of-service gratuity, but individual schools may have different offerings depending on the role.

Salaries vary from school to school, but typically teachers can expect to make between Dh9,000 and Dh14,000 a month ($2,450-$3,800) depending on experience and qualification.

Top-end schools tend to pay between Dh16,000 to Dh17,000 a month – plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000.

New school openings in the UAE - in pictures