Poor pay, low morale and lot of work for teachers

Dubai: One of the lowest paid jobs in the UAE, teaching, survives mainly on the tag of the noble profession attached to it. Stripped of its erstwhile glory and revered title, it is the most demanding yet unrewarding job, especially as the basic salary of teachers has remained at Dh2,500 for almost a decade.

"We are like lemons. Schools squeeze us to the maximum and then we are treated like waste," said an Indian teacher who chose the career because of her passion for teaching.

But after working for a CBSE school in Dubai for two years, she has bowed out of the profession. With an undue workload, rude treatment by the management, after-school corrections and preparations late at night and above all a paltry sum as a salary, she says her family and children suffered because of the nature of her work.

"Every day, we had nine to 11 periods of class. The school would make us do all kinds of work and make us run around a lot. There was hardly any time to do notebook corrections. It was after coming home at around 3pm that my real work started. I was preparing lesson plans, setting timetables, doing corrections, making worksheets every day till 1.30am," said the former primary schoolteacher.

She said everybody "conveniently" forgets the fact that teachers also have a family and their own children to attend to.

Most of the teachers who spoke to Gulf News had similar stories to tell. According to many, ever since the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) started school inspections, schools have forced teachers into meeting unreasonable targets.

"We do understand that it is for the benefit of students and we are happy to do it. But there is a limit to how much we can do in a day. From making posters and clay models to posting online quiz and project works, the demand is unending. But is anyone talking about paying the teachers better? Our bus drivers are paid better than us," said another teacher who requested anonymity.

Most Indian schools pay annual increments as low as Dh50 to 100 to their teachers. Last month, GEMS announced a Dh200 to Dh250 increment to its teachers of mid-level Indian schools after they got approval for a 15 to 20 per cent fee raise from the Ministry of Education. Similarly, this week the Indian High School, Dubai also declared a hike in its teachers' salary to the tune of Dh250 to Dh350.

In an online poll conducted by Gulf News this week, 69 per cent of readers voted that teachers are underpaid and agreed that school managements should reduce their profit margins to pay teachers better. Another 15 per cent said private school operators are currently focused on cosmetic improvements and needed to invest in teachers.