Head Warns of ‘Dog-Eat-Dog’ Teacher Recruitment
Without ethics a ‘dog-eat-dog culture’ can develop as international schools scramble for staff, says John Bell
By Irena Barker, Digital Editor, School Management Plus
4 minute read
International schools in the Middle East must develop codes of conduct on recruitment to ensure a “dog eat dog culture” doesn’t develop with institutions poaching each other’s staff, a leading principal in the region has said.
John Bell, founding principal of Bloom World Academy in Dubai, said that there was a danger of staff “jumping ship” after only a short period due to a global shortage of qualified teachers and a proliferation of schools.
He said that if there was not “some level of ethics” between schools they became “too competitive” when they should be working collaboratively.
Referring to the international shortage of teachers outlined by recruiter Diane Jacoutot, he told the International and Private Schools Education Forum (IPSEF) in London:
“I just think it leads to a dog-eat-dog culture…ultimately what happens in places like Dubai is that you get the two year turnaround so quickly and teachers will leave you at the drop of a hat…I will do the safeguarding reference but I do not provide a [personal] reference for some teachers that jumped ship really quickly, because they’re being headhunted, effectively. “
He said that he had “good connections” with some schools to avoid such behaviour.
“Unless there’s a code of conduct between schools you have the devil’s own job,” he said.
Having schools steal teachers from one another “makes us too competitive,” he said, while a more collaborative approach would benefit children and the teachers themselves.
Diane Jacoutot, managing director of international recruiters Edvectus, said the number of British international schools had grown 300 per cent over the past 10 years but the number of British teachers had grown just 15 per cent.
She also warned that restrictions on age, strict rules around teacher qualifications and an aversion to those with families were narrowing the pool for international schools in the UAE to choose from.
Mr Bell was taking part in a Middle East panel session at the IPSEF conference, which explored the key opportunities for UK and other institutions wanting to set up schools in the region.
Chinmay Jhaveri, a partner at international strategy consultants LEK Consulting, explained that the Middle East was still one of the fastest growing regions in the world for K-12 education, accounting for up to $10bn of annual tuition fee revenue, with growth at eight to 10 per cent per year.
He also spoke about the explosion of interest in Saudi Arabia and its growing capital Riyadh, where a number of British schools have already established themselves.
High profile UK institutions to set up shop include King’s College School, Aldenham Prep, Reigate Grammar School, Downe House and Ellesmere College, according to the International Schools Database.
Blenheim Schools, the international division of Chatsworth Schools, set up Beech Hall, the first fully-inclusive international school in the city, last year.
Mr Jhaveri said: “The question that we kept getting asked five years back is ‘is it really optimal to set up a British curriculum school in Riyadh? And interestingly…the British curriculum schools that have been set up in the [Saudi] kingdom, especially in Riyadh, have had a very strong start.”
Atif Mulla, legal director of Clyde and Co, said the Saudi government wanted to transform Riyadh into a “top 10 global city and reform K-12 education” and a programme was in place to attract international schools.
He added that there was now much more flexibility in the curriculum and school calendars and there was no longer compulsory segregation between the sexes.
Sean Davey, global business director for Reigate Grammar School International, which has a branch in Riyadh, talked about his experiences of setting up schools in the Middle East.
He stressed the importance of the British school being “hands on” and removing any suspicion that it may be a “fake handbag” that bears the badge with none of the quality and rigour of the mother institution.
Source
Knowledge Bank articles and images are supplied by our third-party partners. Where we are able, IPSEF will be happy to credit photos where currently missing.