• Home
• /
• Education

Most UAE teachers 'unhappy' with salary

Abu Dhabi - About 44 per cent of teachers want better allowances, such as improved housing and better career development.

Most of UAE's teachers are dissatisfied with their pay and are actively looking for a new job. According to the latest survey by WhichSchoolAdvisor.com and the UAE Learning Network, 73 per cent of teachers would consider moving immediately and their primary motivation for doing so is to increase their salary.
Only eight percent of teachers said they received a "real" salary increase last year, and a further 16 percent did receive a pay rise but below inflation, while another 15 per cent got a pay rise at the inflation rate. The largest chunk of respondents, 45 per cent of teachers, said they had no pay rise at all last year.
The UAE Teacher Survey 2016 was carried out among 531 teachers across the UAE , including 24 principals.  More than 48 per cent of respondents were in Dubai and 43 per cent in Abu Dhabi with the remainder across the other five emirates. 
"These findings should come as a wake-up call to school management and school operators," said Shaun Robison, partner at the UAE Learning Network. 
"When three out of four members of your staff room are actively searching job websites, there is a big issue.  Salary is consistently a problem across all curricula and across all salary levels," he added.
The survey revealed that 39 percent of teachers were unhappy with their current salary, compared to 38 percent who were somewhat happy and 24 percent of teachers who said they were happy with their current salary.
On the other hand, the survey found that teachers in the UAE are highly qualified, with 52 per cent holding a master's degree. This quality, however, enables them to choose from other popular teaching destinations such as the U.S, Qatar, UK, Australia or Hong Kong, which are high on the list of desirable teaching destinations, according to the survey.
The reasons given for considering a move elsewhere ranged from 'better salary', 'better lifestyle', 'the cost of living in the UAE', 'better work-life balance', 'fewer school inspections' and 'better professional development opportunities'.
Within international schools, teacher retention is a huge challenge as schools compete globally for the best teaching talent. A Thomson Reuters report recently stated that "demand still outstrips supply for teachers in Gulf region", and that "14,000 more teachers are needed in UAE international schools in the next five years".
"From our studies we know that for parents the quality of teaching talent is a top consideration when it comes to assessing the right school for their child," said James Mullan, co-founder of WhichSchoolAdvisor.com.
"The worry is that, with a well-publicised teacher shortage gathering pace among international schools across the globe, the UAE could be left behind in the 'talent race'."
A significant percentage of teachers do benefit from some form of 'expat salary package' and housing is its third most common constituent. Just under half (48 per cent) of teachers that took part in the survey are given accommodation during their period of employment, with another 33 per cent given a housing allowance.
The most common elements that form part of a teacher's total package are an annual air ticket and health insurance. However, employees are entitled to both of these under UAE labour law. The fact that 37 per cent of teachers do not get an air ticket, and 31 per cent are not part of an insurance scheme suggest a significant number of teachers in the UAE are either new to the country or, of more concern, are not on full time, permanent contracts.
The survey, which ran throughout the month of January, also highlighted the impact of the rising cost of living for teachers in the UAE, who frequently recorded a lack of savings and a desire for a better salary.  Further to this, 44 per cent of teachers want better allowances, such as improved housing and better career development.
Also, 35 per cent of all teachers surveyed said they were happy with their overall package, excluding their salary, whereas 20 per cent of teachers surveyed get no additional benefits other than their salary.
Among curricula, teachers at American curriculum schools are the most unhappy with 86 percent saying they would consider leaving the UAE for another country if a better opportunity came up.
"The American curriculum is the most popular among schools in Abu Dhabi and its presence is growing significantly in Dubai and the other emirates," said Kevin Simpson, partner at the UAE Learning Network.
"But there are excellent opportunities closer to home, in particular in Qatar as well as in south-east Asia as the school market is developing there rapidly. The data in the survey indicates that change is on the horizon for American curriculum schools in the UAE," he added. [end]
silvia@khaleejtimes.com