Notes for prospective teachers. El Alsson British International School. 

January 2008.
Working in Egypt and the Middle East.

The ‘New Teachers Info’ section on our website tries to honestly describe the school and life in Cairo. What it does not talk about is the current situation in the Middle East and whether coming to Cairo is dangerous.  The 62 expatriate staff in the school (part of a staff of 173) will tell you that perhaps ironically, Cairo is one of the safest places they have ever lived. Our female staff will tell you that whilst they are subject to minor hassles in the streets (just because as foreign women they stand out) they feel safer here than in London, where they would be very hesitant about taking public transport alone late at night, and the idea of walking home at 11pm usually gets you certified! In Cairo, they do just that!

Is everyday life in Egypt being effected by the situation in Iraq or the Israeli and Palestinian conflict?  The answer is ‘no, not really’. On the contrary tourism is booming and the Egyptian authorities work extremely hard to prevent any possible attack or disruption to their country by protecting foreigners, so Cairo is probably safer than London or Washington.

Egypt has strived over the last two decades to position herself as a moderate, cooperative country, at peace with the Israelis, sympathetic to the Palestinians, critical of the old Iraqi regime and a sort of firm elder statesman to some of the more difficult Middle Eastern factions. Along the way, Egypt has become one of the more obviously pro-USA Middle Eastern countries, although not afraid to speak out when American presidents become too pushy or when American foreign policy seems to be interfering in Middle Eastern affairs. Egypt has a formidable zero tolerance record of stamping on Islamic fundamentalism. Egypt has managed to maintain a steady peace with all of her neighbours.

Our concerns are not for our personal safety but more for the economic effects terrorism can  have on any country. Such is the way of our modern world. Our teachers do not take holidays in Iraq, nor do they try and visit Israel. They do, however, travel all over Egypt and Sinai, go out into the Western desert, dive in the Red Sea and spend holidays in Africa, North Africa, Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.

So if you like what you have read about the school so far, do not be over apprehensive about living in Egypt.

Colin Rogers.
Director.
January 2008.

New Teachers’ Information 2008.

Foreward

These are notes intended for teachers that know neither El Alsson School, Cairo, nor the Middle East.

Teachers over the years have pointed out that it is important to be prepared for the differences between living in a large cultural melting-pot such as Cairo and in more familiar places nearer to home.

The notes have been developed in an attempt to give the reader an idea of living in Cairo and Egypt and a background on the school.

We hope you will find the information useful.

Colin Rogers
Director
January 2008.

Modern Egypt

Cairo is a mega-city of 17 million people.  Cairo is called “Mother of the World” given its location at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East.  The city is a diverse and cosmopolitan where ancient and modern cultures co-exist.

Old Cairo with its bazaars, dusty alleyways and coffee shops is circled by the modern city of five star hotels, fashionable coffee cafes, shopping complexes and cinemas.  The River Nile dissects the metropolis with the east bank comprising the city centre and old Cairo; the west bank with newer residential suburbs with their local shopping areas.

Housing and city developments adjacent to the city are rapidly developing in the form of the new desert cities where modern Cairo is emerging.  Modern Cairo has become the home of hi-tech industries such as the Smart Village, factories producing Mercedes, BMW, Suzuki and General Motors; tech companies like Toshiba and National and other multi-national electronics industries; food factories like Nestle and Cadbury; pharmaceuticals, textiles and weaving; clothing producers like Benetton, Naf-Naf and Pierre Cardin and a huge range of industrial products and top brand names, all manufacturing under license in Egypt.

The School

El Alsson was first opened in 1982 in a suburb of Cairo and then moved to our present site in 1983 of 5½ acre site in Haraniya, near the Great Pyramids of Giza.  The Pyramids can be seen from the school in one direction and in the other, lush, cultivated land with water buffalos and palm trees and the Mokattam (airport) side of the Nile valley.

The school has 1400 students from 3 – 18 year olds (FS1 to A2) in two purpose-built buildings, one housing the pre-school, early-years and primary, and the other housing secondary students.  Each building is designed and equipped to suit the age group of the children, and they are located at either side of the playing fields (football field, volleyball and basketball courts and playgrounds).

The Early Years/Primary section has 34 classrooms with class computers, music room, a big art suite able to handle two classes as a time, gymnasium/ multi-purpose room, large ICT suite, and a well-stocked library. There is a very well resourced “resource-room’ under the control and guidance of the KS2 curriculum and assessment deputy head, where teachers will find pretty well all they need for KS1 and 2 teaching, in addition to the everyday resources provided in the classrooms, teachers have a staff room with café facilities and a staff work room with teachers’ computers and printers and access to the internet. Most importantly, class teachers should remember that in our school specialists will take their class for Arabic and Religion, French (Yr5 and 6), music, PE, ICT and Art.

The Secondary school has 35 general classrooms, a really big library with WiFi and attached  DVD/video viewing room, 4 large ICT suites, 8 science laboratories, drama studio/theatre, expressive arts, PE & sports and 5 art studios.  Each subject has a teachers’ office/workroom with computers and internet access.

In addition to educational facilities, there is a central print shop, clinic, staff day care centre, engineering department, network center and housekeeping.  The ICT network for students, teachers, accounts and administration is a Microsoft NT system connecting the whole school.

The students are 90% Egyptian and come from well-off families.  The children are invariably co-operative and keen to learn.  Egyptian parents have high expectations of their children and most students work hard and strive to achieve high grades.

The school has a cosmopolitan teaching staff with Egyptian teachers working alongside  62 expatriate teachers from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

School Philosophy

We believe children should be taught to be confident and establish standards of self-respect and discipline.  We believe that each and every child is able to do something well and by offering a full and comprehensive education; we aim to find individual talent and help it grow.  We believe in accepting children of all abilities, within reason and the school’s ability to cope, working with them and making the best of their talents.

El Alsson has an informal atmosphere with no regimentation that is unnecessary – but at the same time, maintaining clear and precise codes of discipline and order.

El Alsson Educational programmes

El Alsson has three sections:  the “British International”, which follows the National Curriculum of England from FS1 to A2;  the “National”, which follows the Egyptian Ministry of Education up to the end of Primary and the “American International”, which is growing and currently offers the American High School and Middle School expanding to G4 and G5 in the Elementary stage in September 2007. The following year, 2008, will see G1-G3 introduced to the Primary / Elementary stage.

Children are admitted to the school by tests and individual interviews of parents and children. Thereafter, parents choose which educational programme they want their child to follow.  In the British section students follow Edexcel’s GCSEs leading to AS and A-Levels. In the American section the school is accredited by the American CITA organization.

We realize that the ‘foreign’ curriculums must suit Egyptian children living in Egypt so good syllabi therefore need to be adapted to be culturally and environmentally suitable. Over the years this has been achieved successfully. As part of the curriculum, Arabic and Religion (Islam or Christianity) are taught by Egyptian specialist staff. Non-Egyptian students study Arabic-as-a-Second-Language.

The school has a complete range of subject handbooks (in addition to general policy and procedure –type staff handbooks) which are followed in all subjects, updated annually and reviewed by heads of department, coordinators and curriculum managers.

GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education)

El Alsson British International is a registered Edexcel Examination centre and offers GCSE, AS and A-Levels.  GCSE is offered on a two-year basis with the normal combination of course work, modular exams and finals.  The students take 9 subjects choosing 5 from option blocks.  English (Lang and Lit) Maths and Arabic are compulsory.

After completing year 11, most students take 3 or 4 / AS levels, and an increasing number are taking 3 forward for their final A-Level year in Year 13. (Due to Ministry of Education vagaries in Egypt, students can leave after Yr 12 and go to university. Happily this trend is changing).

The Teaching Day

The teaching week is Sunday to Thursday, beginning at 8 am with morning assembly.  Most staff come to school by school bus arriving at approximately 7.50 am.  The bus journey takes an average of 45 minutes from central Cairo.  The recent opening of a huge ring road around Cairo has meant getting to school is now much easier.

Primary staff will have worked out by now that they too, (like senior colleagues) have free periods when Arabic teaching staff or other specialists take their class.  In a forty period week, in most year groups, 7 or 8 periods will be free.  Secondary teaching is subject based and divided into 40 x 40 minute periods per week.  Most staff have around 28 periods per week contact time.  All teachers participate in cover and duty rotas…… oh joy….!  The school day finishes at 2.00pm for FS1,2 & Yr1, 3.00 pm for everyone else.

Teachers with responsibility posts will also find that additional time is allocated for them to do their job, and as far as is possible all necessary meetings are scheduled into the working day, with only occasional after school meetings.  We are also careful not to inundate teachers with in-service training after school or at weekends.  An awful lot of schools seem to ‘do-in-service’ just for the sake of ‘doing it’.  We do run in-service programmes, but try to ensure they are pertinent, useful and time efficient.

Teachers in EA work hard; such is the nature of our profession.  However, we do our best to ensure that staff are not over-timetabled and try to take into account the travel time to and from school, respect for teacher’s personal time and the fact that they want to be able to see as much as possible of the fascinating country they are living in.

At the end of the teaching day, Primary after-school clubs currently include horse riding, football, netball, badminton, basketball, music, drama, needlework, art, maths, IT.  All suggestions for new activities and offers of help are more than welcomed. In the secondary school, there is a one-hour lunch break, during which a variety of clubs, sports training and student support activities are run. Students compete in sports matches against other International schools in Cairo, after school.

Leisure

Newcomers to Egypt will want to sample Cairo’s Pharonic history such as the Pyramids, Saqqara and Memphis and visiting the Egyptian Museum.  These places are easy to find but there are many other interesting archaeological sites within a day’s drive from Cairo that are less crowded.  Those who are particularly interested in Egypt’s ancient archaeological sites and seeing those that are less accessible to the general public should join the Egypt Exploration Society (EES) which organizes regular lectures and visits to archaeological sites, or tag along with lots of school trips with the kids which won’t cost you anything, except the absence of a shower for a night or two!

Islamic Cairo (Old Cairo) and Coptic Cairo are fascinating parts of the city, both having excellent local museums.  Islamic Cairo has survived virtually intact as it was spared the ravages of Mongol and Crusader invasion.  Apart from the famous mosques and the “souk” area know as Khan El Khalili, Islamic Cairo is little changed, except it just sadly fell into ruin. Recently, it has been completely restored, become pedestrian-friendly, and now includes the extraordinary Aga Khan’s El Azha Gardens of 35 acres. The old city walls have emerged along with the gardens from a very ancient and very, very large rubbish dump and the whole area is now really exciting!

Cairo has many modern cinemas showing British and American films. There is an international film festival in the autumn which shows some of the latest releases.  There are 10 local television channels with many programmes in English and numerous companies offer satellite TV, e.g. Orbit and Showtime, with masses of channels. 

The modern Cairo Opera House presents international events in classical music and opera in sophisticated surroundings.  They also have an excellent art gallery where we exhibit our annual whole school art exhibition. The large number of international hotels provides a wide range of international cuisine.  Teachers use them for their night clubs, bars and swimming pools.  Apart from the hotels, there is a wide range of restaurants and quality coffee shops throughout Cairo and the suburbs.

Cairo has the weather for outdoor sports.  The PE department is only able to claim that they cannot teach outside for about 4 days a year because of rain!  There are many sporting clubs with swimming pools, fitness centres like Gold’s Gym franchises, tennis and squash courts.  Most teachers pay the daily rate to use the club’s facilities but longer term arrangements such as membership can be organized.  There are also many excellent golf courses. During school holidays and long weekends, the Sinai peninsular and Red Sea are popular destinations.  Scuba diving and snorkeling on the coral reefs is just incredible and indescribably; beautiful!

Further a field are the desert oases of Siwa and Baharia, Farafra and Kharga (best visited in winter). The school can advise you on visiting these little known oasis, where off-road expeditions in 4x4’s or camel are becoming increasingly popular with teachers. (Problem is most of them don’t want to come back!) Then, of course, there are the wonders of Luxor and Aswan. Travel by plane, train or bus to any of these destinations is possible for short holidays.  Once your residence permit has come through you will be able to fly internally in Egypt at less than the normal foreigner rate; this also applies to hotel rates.

For more info about places to visit, click here

Food and Drink

Almost everything you want is available from supermarkets.  (Except Marmite, which only appears occasionally and causes a small riot amongst a very small group of very strange expatriates including the author!)  Prices vary considerably whether you shop at supermarkets like Carrefour or street markets, small shops and street vendors.  Fruit and vegetable markets display a huge range of produce all year round – Cairo definitely welcomes vegetarians!  There is a flourishing fast-food market with all the familiar names – Pizza Hut, McDonalds, KFC, etc, all providing home delivery services.  More ‘sophisticated’ cuisine is also available in the city and suburbs including Thai, Chinese, Indian, French, Italian, Lebanese etc. and of course Middle Eastern.

Although Egypt is predominately a Muslim country, alcohol is widely available and not prohibited.  The local beer and wines are good (now owned by Heineken), including made-under-license beers and good local brands.  Quality local spirits (plus designer drinks) have recently come on to the market from the same company and are also good.  However, more basic ‘home-distilleries’, although cheap, are truly appalling and at best will only make you blind and impotent!  Please don’t even think about buying them!

Click here to find a nice place to dine.

Medicine

Pharmacies abound, most medical products are available and many of those subject to prescription in the UK are available over the counter.  If you have to take special medicines regularly, check with us to make sure they are available.

Clothes

Winter is usually warm during the day but cold at night, with temperatures dipping to single figures, so for 8 – 12 weeks of the year you will need jumpers, cardigans and jackets.  (Most foreigners think that Cairo is always hot – not true!)  For other times of the year when it’s hot, smart loose cotton clothing is most comfortable.  Due to the conservative nature of the country and Islam, staff should dress modestly in the city. In Sinai and the Red Sea resorts, wear what you like. This does not mean that women have to cover up, or anything extreme Saudi-style; it just means you have to be sensitive and sensible.

There is a huge textile industry in Egypt which is famous for its cotton.  As a result very reasonably-priced casual and smart clothes are widely available. Just a note: you should also bring clothes for more formal occasions. When Egyptians celebrate, they really dress up! Don’t forget your diamonds!

Foreign Exchange

Exchange rates as of January 2008 are £1 = LE 10.75, U$1.00 : LE5.70 (Egyptian Pounds, ‘Livre Egyptienne’).  Although you are able to borrow from the school when you arrive, we do advise new teachers to bring around £1,000 with them to get you started (Around U$2000). We will also open a bank account for you with HSBC where we will pay your salary.  Cash can then be withdrawn from ATM machines that are located all over the city.

Living on the Salary

Teachers obviously have varying perceptions of the adequacy of their salary.  Your salary, paid in local currency with a sterling supplement, does enable you to live at a decent standard, afford good accommodation, eat out, take holidays and participate in a range of activities such as sports clubs.  Everyday bills for phones, electricity and gas are reasonable and traveling around the city by taxi or going to different parts of Egypt by plane, bus or train is cheap.

As a teacher you are working very much ‘in Egypt’, not in a remote isolated expatriate community or compound.  There are a few ‘International-only’ schools in the city (British or American) that serve the high-income expatriate community and the very rich Egyptian elite / nouveau riche.  They charge 2 – 3 times EA fees in hard currency and pay higher salaries.  We have never tried to enter this end of the market. However, our facilities, resources and staff in our International school are highly regarded in the market.  Many parents, both Egyptian and expatriates on more modest incomes, feel much more comfortable sending their children to EA, rather than the very expensive ‘international schools’ which they cannot afford.

Just a few important points:

• If you have serious financial commitments at home, such as a large mortgage or expensive pension schemes, the exchange rate will be against you and you should not apply. 
• We will advise you honestly because if you are not content and happy working with us, this hurts you, the school and the students. 

If, on the other hand you would like to consider working in a well-resourced school that pays serious attention to its curriculum, staff support, pastoral care of the children, where the salary is good but not amazing in sterling or dollar terms, then consider us.

Over the 25 years of the school (we will actually be 25 in September 2007) we have had very experienced early-retirement teachers work with us who just want to experience working abroad and continue to enjoy teaching; NQT’s (who we carefully support), young and middle-aged teachers, and teaching couples with children. Teachers with children are amazed to find we offer a full day-care centre for their little children. We currently have 12 babies in cots in our pretty and really well-supervised centre. Many of our staff have stayed on, are happy and continue to renew contracts.

Work Permits and Residence

The school is responsible for ensuring the proper legal status of all employees and teachers are not required to go to government offices trying to sort out their status.  We do it for you.  However, there are 3 very important things you should note:

1. You must provide us with your original degree certificate(s).  Certified copies will also be required.  (We will advise you on procedures.)
2. To get a work permit Egyptian law requires you to take an AIDS test upon arrival which is organized in the school clinic. The results are strictly confidential and the school is only informed of whether the test is satisfactory or not.
3. We have to keep your passport for some weeks whilst the formalities of the work permit and residence are completed. During this time we issue you with an ID card so you have valid identification.

Applicants who have worked in other International schools abroad may have had to leave their passports with the school, to prevent them breaking contract.  We do not do this and abhor this practice.

Teacher Accommodation

Upon arrival in Egypt the school accommodates you on a bed and breakfast basis in a hotel.  Currently we are using the Flamenco Hotel (4*) in the centre of town in Zamalek. We usually allow staff to stay up to 1 week at our expense, during which time we arrange finding flats.  This is not difficult but it is pretty boring and stressful. We survey teachers reactions to arrival every year, and they all say, finding ‘flats is a pain’. We agree. We do our best to help you but there isn’t a way to make flat hunting fun!

Flats are spacious in comparison with the UK.  The main complaint comes from staff who have recently vacated a bed-sit in Fulham who find them ‘too big’!  The apartments will have two or three bedrooms, a decent kitchen, living room, dining room and entrée, one or two bathrooms, and are fully furnished, down to cutlery and linen.  All will have a telephone and air conditioning, washing machines and TV.  The school gives you a settling-in allowance of LE1,000 for all the odds and ends you need to be comfortable.

Many teachers share as this is obviously more economical and means that you can find a good furnished flat.  However, sharing does not mean being without your privacy and everyone has their own room in flats of this size.  It is worth noting that small single accommodation is more difficult to find.  Families in Egypt are usually extended and no one has ever thought of building bed-sits.

Rents for the type of shared accommodation described above can range from LE4,500 – 6,000 per month.

Career and Opportunities

Obviously the number of senior responsibility positions is limited. However, there are posts for HOD’s in the senior school, subject coordinators in both primary and senior, and year group heads in primary.  Applications for these positions are invited on an annual basis.  Each year we advertise in January for the next September, so we are not sure at the time of writing if responsibility positions are available.  Please let us know if you are interested. 

New teachers are given a full orientation and induction programme.  When you arrive late August we are very aware that you are coming to Egypt when it is hot and it’s all a bit confusing.  The orientation covers Living in Egypt,  Do’s and Don’t’s and the local Education System, plus a variety of social events where you can meet colleagues.  Before school starts, there is a week’s preparation when you are working with experienced colleagues who help you get ready.  Throughout the first year staff meet regularly with their relevant line manager who provides support and guidance as well as regular staff meetings..  At the end of the first 3 months all staff new to the school are observed and a simple appraisal given with feedback and an opportunity to add your own comments.

The school offers professional development through Edexcel and CITA and locally through us or by bringing in specialists.  Each year a programme of in-service is prepared according to needs and interests. We are also an associate member of ECIS and the British Schools of the Middle East which benefits both the school and teachers.

Other Benefits

The following benefits are provided for expatriate teaching staff:

• Initial 1 or 2-year contract extended on a yearly basis. (Discuss at interview)
• Annual return flight to your country of residence. Internal journeys to the nearest airport within those countries may be offered.  During the 3rd year an additional UK-value ticket is provided as a bonus.
• Baggage allowance over normal airline allowances  – up to 30kg.
• Medical cover.
• Family terms and conditions (please request).
• Residence and work permits.
• Fully paid 12 month salary.
• Reasonable timetables.
• Free transport by school bus.
• Settling-in allowance.
• 14 weeks holiday.
• Sterling or dollar allowance (paid abroad – tax free).

APPENDIX.

Holidays, teaching weeks

The 52-week year normally divides up as follows:

36 teaching weeks usually of 165-170 working days, depending on public holidays.

+1 week pre-opening end August/early September.
+1 week closing down late June

Holidays.

1 week holiday October. 
2 week Xmas and New Year  
1 week March Holiday. 
1 week+  April/May Orthodox Easter. 

National and religious holidays are also honoured.

To view the Senior School Calendar for 2009-10 please click here.


Correspondence:

 

El Alsson School, P.O.Box 13, Embaba, Cairo. 12411,  Egypt.

Phone: 00202 33888510 (Sunday to Thursday 0800 to 1500). Cairo is currently GMT + 2hours.
Fax: 00202 33868414

Email:    cjrogers@alsson.com (Director) nsmith@alsson.com (Primary Head)
             gemam@alsson.com (Senior Head)

Website: www.alsson.com
www.thesixthformatelalsson.com    

UK Representative. Norman Chambers. vacancies@alsson.com, nmchambers@hotmail.com