Al Bayan International School, KuwaitFormerly Fawzia Sultan International School<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/h2><\/div>Dates covered:<\/span> 20xx \u2013 20xxAverage Score of all Reviews:<\/span>\u00a06Director: Tania Woodburn Callaway 20xx-20xx<\/span><\/span><\/label>School Website:<\/span> http:\/\/fsis.org\/<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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\n\n\n\nReview 12) 20XX \u2013 20XX<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\nAcademic integrity of school (10 is top score)<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nEffectiveness of administration<\/td>\n \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAcademic and disciplinary support provided<\/td>\n \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nDirector\u2019s involvement in academics<\/td>\n \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFair and equitable treatment by board and director<\/td>\n \n3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSchool has adequate educational materials on hand<\/td>\n \n9<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAttitude of local community towards foreigners<\/td>\n \n4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nCost of living in relation to salary (10= most favorable)<\/td>\n \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSatisfaction with housing<\/td>\n \n3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nCommunity offers a variety of activities<\/td>\n \n1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAvailability and quality of local health care<\/td>\n \n9<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSatisfaction with school health insurance policy<\/td>\n \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFamily friendly \/ child friendly school and community<\/td>\n \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAssistance with visas, shipping and air travel<\/td>\n \n4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nExtra curricular load is reasonable<\/td>\n \n5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSecurity \/ personal safety (10 = very safe in and out of school)<\/td>\n \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
The staff, by the way, is the genuinely international aspect of FSIS, with teachers from many parts of the world including Europe, N. America, India, S. Africa, and the Middle East. At least this year, there are plenty of nice, friendly faces. The salary is a big draw, and Fawzia is known to be one of the better-paying schools in Kuwait. Keep in mind, though, that inflation is high. Some teachers bend the rules and make extra cash by taking private tutoring jobs. If you do that and live frugally besides, no doubt you can save bundles. However, what needs to be said is that it is quite possible to spend your so-called big Kuwait salary by basically living at the same standard that you have enjoyed at home, having a comfortable apartment, eating out when you feel like it, etc.<\/p>\n
Teachers talk about the travel opportunities as if they were great bargains, but the money probably feels well spent because travel is an important part of the quality-of-life equation for westerners living in Kuwait. Schools seem to know this, and wisely provide annual full fare for a trip home as part of the contract. If you decide to take a chance on Fawzia, you will find good people to keep you company.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\nReview 11) 20XX \u2013 20XX<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\nAcademic integrity of school (10 is top score)<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n \n4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nEffectiveness of administration<\/td>\n \n4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAcademic and disciplinary support provided<\/td>\n \n4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nDirector\u2019s involvement in academics<\/td>\n \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFair and equitable treatment by board and director<\/td>\n \n3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSchool has adequate educational materials on hand<\/td>\n \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAttitude of local community towards foreigners<\/td>\n \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nCost of living in relation to salary (10= most favorable)<\/td>\n \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSatisfaction with housing<\/td>\n \n2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nCommunity offers a variety of activities<\/td>\n \n5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAvailability and quality of local health care<\/td>\n \n9<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSatisfaction with school health insurance policy<\/td>\n \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFamily friendly \/ child friendly school and community<\/td>\n \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAssistance with visas, shipping and air travel<\/td>\n \n3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nExtra curricular load is reasonable<\/td>\n \n2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSecurity \/ personal safety (10 = very safe in and out of school)<\/td>\n \n5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Currently, we have a new director was considered on the verge of becoming a very competent and respected principal last two years here, but is over her head as Director (cares, has potential, still must learn a lot more, and how to lead and inspire a staff without sarcasm and sometimes direct insults that are not humorous).<\/p>\n
Sept. 1, 2007 staff was presented with a new staff handbook that took away many rights granted by Kuwaiti law, changed the working conditions measurably, and lengthened the work year for some staff without any notice. I have been told by teachers who consulted lawyers that some provisions of the contract are illegal under Kuwaiti law, but once you sign a contract here it becomes legal unless you go to court. We are the sister school to Al-Bayan (Bayan Bilingual School) so there are some similarities \u2026check out\u00a0Katherine Phillips<\/a> episode, which was caused by a parent\u2019s actions but the director left the country for vacation while she was still in jail. Some support, huh!?<\/p>\nWe also have a new principal, Loa Midford (steam-roller technique of leadership, seemingly overwhelmed by culture shock at first so things may improve, believes teachers should handle their own discipline, but seems to begin to realize that it is her position to support discipline for chronic offenders, too). Both administrators need to develop better people-skills, but lately there have been some positive improvements\u2026such as responding when greeted in the hallways. There is still a problem with sarcasm which interferes with team building and morale. We all have our areas needing improvement, don\u2019t we?<\/p>\n
We have a teacher who apparently still does not have a Civil ID granting travel, car, government medical and he has been here since last January, while some new teachers already have theirs. Housing first year is bad because it is beside a mosque with blasting loud speakers\u2026.not just once a week, but begins before dawn and ends with the last prayer call after sunset \u2026translate during the seasons\u20263:30 am until it gradually becomes mid winter at 4:30 am. Otherwise the apartments are adequate, but not fantastic; within walking distance to school though there is a bus every morning and every afternoon from school to apartments and a shopping bus once a week. One can walk to the city bus lines a couple of blocks away and make connections to about anywhere.Recommendation: Potential still here. Life is ok and no real danger here for Westerners. Possible to save some money depending on how much traveling you want to do. Annual trip home is nice benefit. Good bunch of colleagues.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\nReview 10) 20XX \u2013 20XX<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nComments:<\/span> While I was somewhat optimistic when I wrote a review saying things were possibly getting better, here is the update.<\/p>\nWhile there was an outstanding staff who were incredibly hard-working, volunteering extra, AGAIN using yet another IEP program and again writing new assessment tests, writing proposals for upcoming attempt at accreditation, putting everything into the school, it was never enough. Director Tania Woodburn and Principal Loa Midford just never made connections to staff in a remotely positive manner in general. While they claimed an \u201copen door\u201d policy, most staff avoided it as much as possible. Teachers were harrassed, asked to sign documents in Arabic that said leaving staff had been paid all owed to them BEFORE they had been paid yet were told that they were only signing that they had received the government-mandated indemnity. This was explained after this was revealed as a lie as just \u201cstreamlining the process.\u201d The fact is that once one\u2019s Civil ID is cancelled, which this \u201cstreamlining\u201d was to do, the person has then FORFEITED ALL legal rights under Kuwaiti law. Those that won a class action suit again FAWSEC last year have yet to be paid the money owed them as their Civil ID\u2019s had been cancelled and they have no rights to force FAWSEC to pay the money owed. Thank you to those staff members for bringing suit because at least the teachers leaving this year were paid according to the suit\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
Though staff is under contract until August 31 this year, monies for housing was stopped with June payment leaving the staff with the option of moving into teacher housing or leaving the country without being paid housing owed, yet another teacher leaving the school was pressured to be out of teacher housing on June 10 when school wasn\u2019t over until June 12. How does one explain the availablity of teacher housing for the summer when one teacher living in it was being pressured out early? A little irony here, isn\u2019t there?<\/p>\n
The sad thing is that this school is considered by some to be better than most other schools in Kuwait. This is a very sad commentary on the state of affairs in Kuwait for international teachers. Remember, overseas hires are treated better than the local hires! Scary.<\/p>\n
IF you hire on, be prepared to swallow anything and everything to stay on the \u201cgood side\u201d of the administration. There were announcements by fiat that change working conditions and there is no recourse, except to hire a lawyer. There are provisions in the contract that violate or misrepresent Kuwaiti law, and the contract in Arabic is the one that is legal. Once you sign, the only recourse is to hire a lawyer to challenge the contract. Once your Civil ID is cancelled, you have NO legal recourse. Best advice is come if you must\u2026but be wary and alert, yet keep under the radar.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\nReview 9) 20XX \u2013 20XX<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\nAcademic integrity of school\u00a0(10 is top score)<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nEffectiveness of administration<\/td>\n \n4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAcademic and disciplinary support provided<\/td>\n \n3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nDirector\u2019s involvement in academics<\/td>\n \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFair and equitable treatment by board and director<\/td>\n \n3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSchool has adequate educational materials on hand<\/td>\n \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAttitude of local community towards foreigners<\/td>\n \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nCost of living in relation to salary (10= most favorable)<\/td>\n \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSatisfaction with housing<\/td>\n \n3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nCommunity offers a variety of activities<\/td>\n \n4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAvailability and quality of local health care<\/td>\n \n9<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSatisfaction with school health insurance policy<\/td>\n \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nFamily friendly \/ child friendly school and community<\/td>\n \n5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nAssistance with visas, shipping and air travel<\/td>\n \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nExtra curricular load is reasonable<\/td>\n \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nSecurity \/ personal safety (10 = very safe in and out of school)<\/td>\n \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n\n\n\nReview 8) 20XX \u2013 20XX<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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