Design Technology/Info Technology Teacher in Cairo

  Egypt

Cairo

Length of Position: 2 year contract

Description: Salary is paid in pounds.

The school offers a full British National Curriculum program, mainly to Egyptian nationals, 98% to be exact, eventually from Reception to A-level. At present the school roll totals just 500 students from age 3 to 14, but the school can cater for a total of 1500. Next year will see the opening of Year 10 classes and the IGCSE program. Some of the class sizes are ridiculously low but at a reasonable capacity they will be no larger than 18 in the Foundation classes and 20 in the others. Primary students receive the full benefit of specialized teachers for ICT, Art, Music and PE; and there are teaching assistants in each of the foundation classes. There is also primary and middle school English language support. A typical school day spans from 8.00am until 2.45pm; but there is an expectation for teachers to stay until about 4pm for 10 weeks per year of extra curricular activities and school / departmental meetings.

Highlights: Impressions of Cairo

This brief review does not pretend to be a comprehensive 'Lonely Planet Guide' to life in Egypt, nor does it reflect the impressions of a typical acclimatized expatriate; but it does provide a most realistic insight of what to expect when one first arrives in one of the most fascinating countries of the African continent.

There is only one constant in Cairo the addictive honking of car horns. Whether it be cautious driving (that I seriously doubt) or just an annoying habit, the deafening experience is relentless as a never ending stream of dented vehicles (that should be on display in the Cairo Museum of Antiquities) jostle aggressively for position along an intricate maze of unkempt streets and flyovers; an infinite spiders web of movement within a decaying landscape of old and crumbling buildings and tower blocks. Despite an impressive ability to judge distance with such amazing precision that redefines the phrase, 'that was a close shave', pedestrian daily life is fraught with danger avoiding a colorful array of impatient road users; brightly colored tuc-tucs, blue neon lighted Russian made taxis, overburdened donkey drawn carts and motorcycles with the whole family and big bags of shopping on board! No wonder the affluent of Cairo are escaping the crowds and the congestion of the downtown area for the modern housing developments located around the city, places like 6 October, Al Rehab and Obour City, even if it is to escape the extortionate personal accident premiums!

But the traffic flows, indeed with an obvious disregard to road etiquette and proper lane usage, but it never seems to stop for long, each driver communicating his intentions using a unique language of body movements, making the traditional art of indicating almost redundant! And the pedestrians appear to survive, confidently jumping with amazing dexterity and precision too, from one lane to the next avoiding driver eye contact, to make it to the other side! For its entertainment value alone the whole experience is best viewed from one of the bustling street side cafes, a cup of mint tea in one hand and a shisha in the other, appreciating a most impressive coordinated exercise of road usage!

Despite its aged and unkempt appearance, Cairo offers an exciting opportunity to absorb a whole new culture set in a crazy and chaotic landscape, full of life, character and adventure, and indeed a great base from which to explore the many archeological and historical treasures from Alexandria in the north to Luxor and Aswan in the south along the Nile, not to mention the Red Sea retreats for unique diving adventures or for simply chilling out on the beach!

In between, venturing out beyond the city limits, experiencing local village life is a must. I was taken to such a place via a two-way highway, the drivers of our side deciding to make it a four-lane highway in our favor pushing the opposing traffic onto their pavement! With the usual array of musical two tone honking avoiding local women folk in traditional dress balancing huge pots of water on their head, passing through frenetic communities of street side traders and scruffy little kids targeting tourists with their wares, we bumped across the Alexandria-Cairo railway line littered with the burnt out tangled wrecks of train carriages into a haven of complete tranquility. Despite an impoverished appearance of crumbling buildings and dirt streets, the local villages are bound by an extraordinary rich community spirit, a relaxed and peaceful way of life, set in a superlative landscape of water plantations and palm trees stretching to the distant shores of the Nile. The rustle of the vegetation in the cool evening breeze, the clatter of donkey hooves struggling to pull heavily laden carts of local produce, the smell of wood smoke and the distant cries of children playing with a very worn canvass football makes an unforgettable moment after a long hot day in the city!

This is Egypt! It is not an affluent country. Life is simple and poverty is abundant. However, expatriates who select Egypt as a destination for work will be rewarded by an overwhelming reception of warmth and hospitality and will savor an unforgettable experience of adventure, culture, history, landscapes and archeology. If one readjusts the expectations, conducts comprehensive research, asks the right questions then I am positive that one will not be disappointed by what Egypt has to offer!

Qualifications: You must be a qualified/certified teacher of Design Technology/Info Technology for secondary school.

You must be teacher trained/experienced in one of the following countries:
-UK
-Ireland
-US
-Canada
-South Africa
-Australia
-New Zealand

You must have at least 1 year of experience and UK curriculum experience is highly desired.

Minimum Education: Bachelors

Salary / Pay: 14000 - 20000 British pounds + free housing + flights yearly + medical + professional development allowance. Note: housing is not suitable for teachers with more than 1 child per teacher.

Experience Required: yes

1 year

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi and South African Participants.

Participants Travel to Egypt Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Resume

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Teach Anywhere's Mission Statement: Teach Anywhere is a specialist recruitment agency focusing exclusively on the recruitment of teachers to private international English-speaking schools around the world - primarily qualified/certified teachers. Teach Anywhere' s mission is to be recognized and acknowledged for consistently achieving excellence in quality of service to all. We *never* charge a fee to teachers for our services!

Year Founded: 1980