LOW SALARIES IN TEACHING JOBS IN SHARJAH AND AJMAN

Expatriates who applied online for teaching jobs in government schools are now declining to appear for interviews. After the announcement of vacancies, the Sharjah Education Zone had received 164 applications and the Ajman Education Zone 178 applications. Earlier the Ministry of Education (MoE) announced interview dates for the applicants, but both the Ajman and Sharjah education zones reported 60-70 per cent ‘no-shows’. The MoE had even relaxed the requisite experience from three years to two years, but to no avail. Mohammed Al Mulla, head of HR Department in the Sharjah Education Zone, informed that this was a new trend. Most of the applicants apologised because of the low salaries which are not enough to meet the rising cost of living, especially accommodation rents. This is an indicator of the danger that will negatively affect the education field, as the MoE will be faced with enormous number of resignations and retirements by the end of the academic year. The increase in government school fees for expatriates from Dh3,000 to Dh6,000 has forced parents to send their kids to private schools, and some even preferred to send their families back home.