Shortage of Brit teachers in UAE: Will pay go up?

Schools following the British curriculum in the UAE are facing teacher shortage and this can get worse as the numbers of new schools being opened in the country are only likely to push up the demand further, according to a Dubai-based online education recruitment service.

Eteach International, which works with over 6,000 schools, academies and colleges in the UK and overseas, says the shortage of British teachers is acute and urgent action needs to be taken to counteract this crisis in teacher numbers facing British Curriculum schools.

In the UK, just London alone will need an extra 400,000 school places in the next two decades, putting an additional pressure on teacher numbers, according to the Greater London Authority, it notes.

This could have a knock-on effect for British Curriculum schools operating outside the UK, particularly in the UAE, which currently has 100 British Curriculum schools, and 10 more set to open.

“Education is a rapidly growing sector in this market (UAE), and we need to keep up with demand, and keep a steady flow of quality teachers. Schools will also need to look at the way they package their teaching jobs, to ensure they get the best possible quality, and keep in line with the UAE’s aims to be an education centre of excellence,” says Jonathan Price, Managing Director for Eteach International.

A previous study by Colliers International, a company providing real estate services in education, highlighted that operators in this sector face a major challenge in attracting and retaining quality staff.

“With the rapid growth operators desperate to recruit appropriate specialised staff have engaged in a cycle of recruiting from local competitors, this has been driving up salaries often beyond the concurrent increases the schools can charge in fees as the fee increases are capped by KHDA,” it says.

And as employers will scout from the existing pool of talent, teachers are likely to be in a position to demand better pay packages in the country.

Ideally, schools in the UAE that hire teachers from the UK offer a starting basic salary and perks that make up the package include an accommodation allowance, education allowance for children, medical insurance, one-time relocation allowance, annual gratuity and other benefits as per the UAE government policies.

Read: How high or low is salary of teachers in UAE

According to figures provided by Taleem group in the UAE, an assistant teachers gets up to Dh8,000 whereas teachers can take home anything between Dh10,000 to 20,000 per month. The head of primary/secondary get paid Dh22,000 to Dh25,000 (mid-twenties) and the principal get paid Dh35,000 upwards. These figures are relevant for teachers in British and international Baccalaureate schools in the country.

The pressure on salaries is expected to continue but to keep with the increase in demand Eteach International suggests one good option for UAE schools would be to look at hiring from teachers from other counties.

The recruitment portal is now seeking talent from, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to fill up these roles and is looking to place successful applicants in UAE schools for this September session.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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