An in-class lesson at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Some Dubai schools are open for in-person classes. All photos: Victor Besa / The National
An in-class lesson at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Some Dubai schools are open for in-person classes. All photos: Victor Besa / The National
Lisa Johnson, headteacher at American Academy for Girls, Dubai.
Lisa Johnson, headteacher at American Academy for Girls, Dubai.
Ms Johnson said said she has ensured classroom layouts at the American Academy for Girls are flexible, to allow teachers to tailor sessions.
Ms Johnson said said she has ensured classroom layouts at the American Academy for Girls are flexible, to allow teachers to tailor sessions.
Pupils at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Depending on the lesson, teachers might have most pupils attending in person or online.
Pupils at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Depending on the lesson, teachers might have most pupils attending in person or online.
While some grades at the academy around 80 per cent pupils attending in-person classes, others have only 10 per cent.
While some grades at the academy around 80 per cent pupils attending in-person classes, others have only 10 per cent.
Pupils listen to their teacher at American Academy for Girls in Dubai.
Pupils listen to their teacher at American Academy for Girls in Dubai.
American Academy for Girls teachers say keeping all pupils engaged is more challenging when facing a mix of in-person and remote learners.
American Academy for Girls teachers say keeping all pupils engaged is more challenging when facing a mix of in-person and remote learners.
A pupil takes a break at American Academy for Girls.
A pupil takes a break at American Academy for Girls.
Pupils arrive for lessons at American Academy for Girls.
Pupils arrive for lessons at American Academy for Girls.
Pupils hard at work at American Academy for Girls. Headteacher Lisa Johnson said logistical changes were planned during the winter break.
Pupils hard at work at American Academy for Girls. Headteacher Lisa Johnson said logistical changes were planned during the winter break.
American Academy for Girls in Dubai.
American Academy for Girls in Dubai.
A teacher and pupil at American Academy for Girls. Teachers have had to adapt quickly to a new way of doing things, say staff.
A teacher and pupil at American Academy for Girls. Teachers have had to adapt quickly to a new way of doing things, say staff.
A pupil busy at lessons at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Teachers say teaching remotely can make it more difficult to challenge a student who is doing really well, to deepen their understanding.
A pupil busy at lessons at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Teachers say teaching remotely can make it more difficult to challenge a student who is doing really well, to deepen their understanding.
Having fun at American Academy for Girls.
Having fun at American Academy for Girls.
Pupils arrive for classes at American Academy for Girls.
Pupils arrive for classes at American Academy for Girls.
Pupils arrive for in-person classes at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Some classes have four-fifths of pupils attending.
Pupils arrive for in-person classes at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Some classes have four-fifths of pupils attending.
Practising balancing skills during break at American Academy for Girls.
Practising balancing skills during break at American Academy for Girls.
Arriving for lessons at American Academy for Girls.
Arriving for lessons at American Academy for Girls.
Laptops for lessons American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Technology has bridged the gap between pupils attending in person and those learning remotely.
Laptops for lessons American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Technology has bridged the gap between pupils attending in person and those learning remotely.
Pupils get creative during class at American Academy for Girls.
Pupils get creative during class at American Academy for Girls.
Pupils deep in concentration during a lesson at American Academy for Girls.
Pupils deep in concentration during a lesson at American Academy for Girls.

UAE

UAE teachers 'should be able to negotiate better salaries' due to global shortage

Maths and science educators have most room for negotiation, say recruiters

Anam Rizvi
Anam Rizvi

April 20, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Read More: Seven tips for negotiating your salary

Teachers in the UAE should not be afraid to negotiate higher pay and a better package, amid the global shortage of skilled educators, education experts say.

Headteachers last week spoke about recruitment struggles, with many having to go through 400 to 500 CVs to find a handful of candidates who match the criteria.

Recruitment experts have noticed schools offering more flexibility this year. Teachers can earn Dh500 ($136) to Dh1,000 a month more than first offered, if they negotiate — particularly in subjects such as maths and science.

But against a citywide school fees freeze for 2022, raises are unlikely to be any higher, say experts.

Sorcha Coyle, founder of Empowering Expat Teachers, which works with educators looking to work abroad, said a shortage of talented staff in any industry usually means applicants can earn better pay.

If schools are trying to recruit teachers on the cheap, then teachers will quickly realise that and it will be bad for the school's reputation
Roddy Hammond,
Worldteachers Recruitment

“The majority of teachers that I've spoken to have negotiated successfully,” she said,

“In some cases, the school couldn't offer them more salary per month but gave an increased rent allowance. I'd say probably an average of maybe 10 per cent [higher than their initial offer].

“Perhaps in shortage subjects like physics or maths they probably have a better chance because there are fewer teachers, but I would always say request a copy of the salary scale.

'Schools are under-offering in the first place'

“It seems to be that the schools are under-offering, then the negotiation is to get at least what they should be getting.

“If you've done the research and you're not getting a fair wage, in that case, you should negotiate.”

On average, teachers in the UAE can expect starting salaries between Dh9,000 and Dh15,000 a month.

In British and US curriculum schools, a typical salary for graduates with up to two years’ experience can be between Dh9,000 and Dh11,000 per month and an accommodation allowance.

Headteachers can expect to secure a salary of between Dh25,000 and Dh40,000 a month, with additional benefits of accommodation, an annual flight home and, in some cases, transport.

Ms Coyle said negotiation can work in different ways.

“If the school can't meet your salary increase, they might do something with the rent allowance or they might pay for certain professional development training for you. It's all about negotiating the whole package,” she said.

Ms Coyle said some of her successful candidates told her they were hired from a pool of 200 to 500 applicants.

US teacher programmes have been reporting dwindling enrolment numbers in the past 10 years.

“In the next few years, the fact there'll be fewer and fewer teachers actually graduating in UK, Ireland, and America, that's when I think that the full knock on effect will be will be felt,” said Ms Coyle.

According to 2016 figures by Unesco, the UN educational, scientific and cultural agency, nearly 69 million new teachers are needed to provide quality universal primary and secondary education globally by 2030.

Policymakers worldwide have understood the value of increasing teachers' wages to retain talent.

This month, lawmakers in Alabama in the US approved pay rises of up to nearly 21 per cent for educators with 35 years of experience, US media reported.

The UK's Department for Education has called for teachers’ starting salaries in England to be increased by more than 16 per cent in the next two years.

Jeff Evans, principal at Gobal English School in Al Ain, said the school has paid more to teachers when they have struggled to recruit in certain subjects such as maths and science. Photo: Jeff Evans
Jeff Evans, principal at Gobal English School in Al Ain, said the school has paid more to teachers when they have struggled to recruit in certain subjects such as maths and science. Photo: Jeff Evans

Jeff Evans, headteacher at Global English School in Al Ain, said: “Competition among private schools is becoming more intense and highly skilled teachers with the right curriculum experience can pick an offer based on the salary, location, school's reputation or housing allowance and child fee remission.”

He said the school has paid more to teachers when they have struggled to recruit in certain subjects such as maths and science.

“Sometimes we do and offer a little more in shortage subjects, within the existing salary scale for our school. However, teachers with similar roles and experience should be earning a broadly similar package within the salary scale for our school.

“As a low-fee school, this aspect of recruitment is challenging as the operational costs are high.”

Roddy Hammond, chief executive of Worldteachers Recruitment in the UK, said candidates with a job offer should not be afraid to ask for more, but to be aware of the limitations.

“We have certainly seen that employers seem to have a little bit more flexibility this year by offering a little bit more.

“But no more than Dh500 to Dh1,000 dirhams per month more than teachers were originally offered,” he said.

“But if schools are trying to recruit teachers on the cheap, then teachers will quickly realise that and it will be bad for the school's reputation.”

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Comment on Coronavirus
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tank warfare

Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks. 

“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.

“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Ferrari
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Mann%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adam%20Driver%2C%20Penelope%20Cruz%2C%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Patrick%20Dempsey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brief scoreline:

Manchester United 2

Rashford 28', Martial 72'

Watford 1

Doucoure 90'

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Best Foreign Language Film nominees

Capernaum (Lebanon)

Cold War (Poland)

Never Look Away (Germany)

Roma (Mexico)

Shoplifters (Japan)

The biog

Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos

Favourite spice: Cumin

Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter

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Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Most F1 world titles

7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)

7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)

5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)

4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)

4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Fines for littering

In Dubai:

Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro

Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle. 
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle

In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches 

The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

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5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m

6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m

6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m

7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m

8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m

9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m

9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m

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Abu Dhabi traffic facts

Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road

The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.

Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.

The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.

The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.

Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019

 

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La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017

Updated: April 20, 2022, 8:24 AM`
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