Dubai
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
  • Prayer time
  • Expo 2020
  • Things To Do
  • Auto
  • Property
  • Sports
  • Transport
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Government
  • Fashion
  • Tech
  • More
    • World
    • Crime
    • Weather
No Result
View All Result
Morning News
Home Education

UAE head teachers speak of struggle to recruit skilled talent amid global teacher shortage

16/04/2022
Reading Time: 7 mins read
96
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

In the UK, one in three teachers quit the profession within five years of qualifying

Jeff Evans, headteacher at Global English School – Al Ain, says recruitment is becoming easier as Covid travel restrictions are lifted. Photo: Jeff Evans

RELATED POSTS

Is it better to study abroad or in your home country? How to choose a university

Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities to offer full scholarships to 100 students

.

Schools in the UAE are having to deal with a worldwide shortage of well-qualified teachers, as head teachers struggle to recruit talent.

When schools advertise for a teaching position, they get hundreds of applications — but only a handful are qualified or match the criteria, according to UAE principals.

The world was already going through a shortage of teachers before the pandemic, which exacerbated the situation.

Many teachers around the world have been quitting the profession due to burnout, work pressure, low wages and extra duties because of unfilled vacancies.

According to Unesco figures from 2016, nearly 69 million new teachers were needed to provide quality universal primary and secondary education by 2030.

Deepika Thapar Singh, head teacher at Credence High School in Dubai said: “There is a shortage of good teachers across the world and that same shortage is what we feel here.

“It is not a teacher shortage, but when you’re looking for well-qualified teachers, there’s a shortage. When I advertise in the newspaper and on LinkedIn, I get so many resumes, but to get the best is a challenge.

“I will sometimes go over 400 to 500 resumes and then manage to shortlist maybe only five teachers and then bring them down to one or two.”

UAE teachers talk of challenges during the pandemic

ExpandAutoplay

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

Ms Singh said that because qualified teachers are few in number, they are highly sought after.

She said good salaries, working culture, and support at work helped attract talent.

“It is a challenge to find a good mathematics teacher. The reason is that we are not looking at the traditional way of teaching mathematics. The world has changed and teaching methodologies have to change. The teachers’ skills seem to be outdated and they need to update these,” Ms Singh said.

Higher salaries for teachers with local experience

Shiny Davison, director of learning at Gulf Model School in Dubai, said the school has seen a big rise in enrolment this year. Close to 1,000 new pupils have joined since January, which has led to a requirement for 42 new teachers.

Ms Davison said the school had looked to hire teachers who had completed their bachelor’s in education and had relevant UAE experience but had to recruit newcomers.

She said that during the pandemic, many teachers had lost their jobs or moved out of the country

“Now there is a shortage of teachers in the country with UAE experience and a bachelor’s in education. The only option is to recruit newcomers,” said Ms Davison.

Sorcha Coyle, a career coach, says the shortage of teachers in countries such as the US and UK means ‘there’s no surplus to come abroad’. Leslie Pableo / The National 

The school has recruited 42 new teachers, many of whom are new to the system.

To get teachers with experience, Ms Davison said, they were willing to offer slightly higher salaries.

“Of the 42 new teachers I recruited, there were just six or seven for whom I had to increase the salary a little because we valued their experience,” she said.

“There is a big deficit of good mathematics teachers. You can find teachers to teach English and social studies, but when you take 100 resumes you rarely find a CV for a mathematics teacher,” she said.

Teachers drawn to schools that will treat them well

This week, a survey of 1,788 teachers in the UK by the National Education Union found that nearly half said they would leave the profession by 2027, while one in five said they would quit within the next two years.

Sorcha Coyle, a career coach and founder of Empowering Expat Teachers, a community for those looking to work abroad, said: “If you look at the UK, 30 per cent of teachers leave the profession within five years and the majority of teachers come [to the UAE] from the UK.

“The situation is similar in the US. Naturally, it’s going to have an impact as there’s no surplus of teachers to come abroad. So that’s definitely going to have a huge impact.”

She said teachers chose schools that offered better salaries and packages and where they were treated better.

Jeff Evans, head teacher at Global English School – Al Ain, said hiring in Al Ain was a further challenge as many teachers preferred to be based in Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

“Certainly, in the last two years, there has been less overseas recruitment due to travel restrictions and quarantine. There’s been more focus on local recruitment … teachers moving within the UAE or within the Gulf region. So that’s definitely had an impact on the supply and demand,” said Mr Evans.

Read MoreHundreds of Abu Dhabi pupils back in the classroom for first time in two yearsPupil in Dubai walks 60km across seven emirates to fundraise for underprivileged children

He said recruiting mid-year was very difficult and schools started hiring as early as December or January for the next academic year.

“In terms of subject shortages, it’s always been science and maths. These are the difficult areas to find high-calibre candidates,” he said.

“So that’s become more of a challenge, definitely in the last two years, but I think this year, things are starting to open up a little bit. As the restrictions and the travel limitations are lifted, it will become easier.”

Updated: April 15, 2022, 1:40 PM

Source

ShareTweet

Related Posts

Is it better to study abroad or in your home country? How to choose a university

Is it better to study abroad or in your home country? How to choose a university

12/05/2022
106

Many UAE pupils are still deciding where to apply for higher educationExpandAutoplayFirst: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US. All photos: Alamy unless otherwise stated Young people are often told, “the world is your...

Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities to offer full scholarships to 100 students

Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities to offer full scholarships to 100 students

05/05/2022
96

The scholarships will be open to applicants in the UAE and abroadThe most popular courses at the Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities in Abu Dhabi include the Arabic language and philosophy....

Cash-for-answers websites entice pupils in UAE to cheat, says academic

Cash-for-answers websites entice pupils in UAE to cheat, says academic

04/05/2022
96

Academic ethics expert claims rogue sites are easily accessible to learnersReducing the amount of homework could allow teachers to monitor a child's progress more easily. Pawan Singh / The National .A UAE...

These degrees could lead you to the highest paying jobs in UAE

03/05/2022
100

Three top academics identify subject-by-subject salary trends for graduatesExpandAutoplayA visitor interacts with Opti the robot at the Mobility District at Expo 2020 Dubai. Robotics is one of the many degree programmes from...

Meet the four-legged well-being counsellors proving a big hit at this Dubai school

Meet the four-legged well-being counsellors proving a big hit at this Dubai school

29/04/2022
96

Ziggy and Marshall interact with pupils at Kent College to help ease stress and aid developmentExpandAutoplayMia Holmes, 11, from Kent College, is joined by Ziggy the wellbeing dog during one of her...

RECOMMENDED

Check out these new dining deals at Hyde Hotel Dubai – What’s On

Check out these new dining deals at Hyde Hotel Dubai – What’s On

28/06/2022
96

14 excellent Eid Al Adha staycation deals in the UAE – What’s On

28/06/2022
99
10 epic things to do in Dubai this July – What’s On

10 epic things to do in Dubai this July – What’s On

28/06/2022
98
16 places to treat yourself on payday in Dubai- What’s On Dubai

16 places to treat yourself on payday in Dubai- What’s On Dubai

28/06/2022
96

MOST VIEWED

  • Ronaldinho, Figo and Kaka among star names at Omega Pro Legends Cup in Dubai – in pictures

    Ronaldinho, Figo and Kaka among star names at Omega Pro Legends Cup in Dubai – in pictures

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 22 unmissable things to do in the UAE in 2022 – What’s On

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Dubai’s best restaurants 2022

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Mohamed Salah’s daughters star on the pitch at Anfield – in pictures

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Manchester City’s ‘legends’ celebrate Premier League title with open-top bus parade

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • TheKIEV.city
[email protected]
2022 © "TheDUBAI" Media Group.
All Rights Reserved
No Result
View All Result
  • Prayer time
  • Expo 2020
  • Things To Do
  • Auto
  • Property
  • Sports
  • Transport
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Government
  • Fashion
  • Tech
  • More
    • World
    • Crime
    • Weather

Copyright © 2022. "TheDUBAI" Media Group. All Rights Reserved