Related: A guide to earning potential at government and private schools
Schools across the Emirates are recruiting to fill hundreds of vacancies – with start dates ranging from next term to the next academic year.
More than 400 jobs are on offer in the country according to Tes – formerly Times Educational Supplement –- one of the largest job sites for the education sector.
In February, almost 500 teaching vacancies in the Emirates were advertised on the same site.
Major school groups in the country including Gems Education, Taaleem, Aldar, and several independent schools have advertised jobs.
What jobs are on offer?
There are several opportunities advertised for primary school teachers in Abu Dhabi, where recruiters are looking for an immediate start.
Subject teachers also have a wide variety of opportunities with jobs offered in design technology, computer science, sciences, English, economics and business studies, among others.
Some schools are looking for inclusion specialists and counsellors. Positions for school principals, vice-principals and year head positions are also on offer, but are few in number.
Gems Education has many roles advertised, from teaching music and media to performing arts and mathematics.
Foundation stage teachers can apply for an immediate opening at Gems Metropole School.
Safa British School Dubai is looking to recruit a secondary geography teacher, a secondary mathematics teacher, and a secondary business teacher, and applications need to be submitted by December 9.
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Pupils arriving on the first day back of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. Nearly 13,000 pupils went back for in-person classes across three campuses. All photos: Ruel Pableo for The National -
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. Close to 95 per cent of these pupils were returning to in-person schooling for the first time in 18 months. -
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. Pupils were excited to meet their friends and teachers again. -
Pupils go through the proper sanitation protocol on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Pupils arriving in school buses on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Teacher Usha Devi on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Students on their first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Punit MK Vasu, chief executive of the Indian High School, on the first day of in-person learning. -
Pupils listen to their teacher on their first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Priyal Babariya was one of the pupils to attend on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. -
Sian Shinjo, a 10th grader at the school, said: 'I am a bit nervous as everything has changed a lot. I am sure it will be safe, and the school has kept us informed.' -
Rohi Ilyas, a mother-of-two and an entrepreneur, said her children had studied at home for 18 months. -
Utkarsh Chaube, father of a 13-year-old pupil at the Indian High School, said his son spent about 10 to 12 hours in a day in front of a screen when studying remotely. -
Pupils on their first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School. -
Sathya Lakshmi, 15, said seeing everyone back together was the most special part of returning to in-person classes. -
Uma Madhumohan, whose daughter Tejasvi is a 10th grader at the school, said her daughter was excited to get back to learning. -
'I am on cloud nine. It’s been one-and-a-half-years since I have been on campus for in-person classes and I have missed it and my friends terribly,' said Nehan Naseem Ali, 12. -
Pupils back at work inside the classroom. -
'Having the pupils back is unbelievable. I feel ecstatic,' said Punit MK Vasu, chief executive of the Indian High School. -
Indian High school -
Ajyal International School in Mohamed bin Zayed City is looking for a primary teacher to start in January.
Al Mamoura Academy in Abu Dhabi has a spot for a primary class teacher with a chance to become head of year.
Cranleigh Abu Dhabi also has a few positions open, including one for an Islamic and Social Studies teacher and for an Arabic teacher.
Where are the jobs?
While the majority of jobs are in Dubai, there are some listed in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.
What are the work requirements?
Common requirements include a bachelor's degree in education or subject-related degree and a PGCE / PGDE or equivalent teaching qualification.
Some American schools said experience of working in an American curriculum school would be desirable.
Some schools also ask for a minimum of one year experience after graduation.
In most cases specialists need to have proven experience in teaching the designated subjects.
Taaleem employs 1,200 teachers at 17 schools in the Emirates. All of their teachers need to be fully qualified and approved by Adek or KHDA, the private education regulators of Abu Dabi and Dubai respectively, said Kate Fisher, head of human resources at Taaleem.
"Primary school teachers need to have a qualified teaching degree while secondary school teachers need a postgraduate education degree as well as a specialised degree in the subject they teach," Ms Fisher said.
It is not necessary for teachers to have worked abroad.
UAE teacher salaries: How much can you expect to earn?
Teacher’s salaries in the UAE can vary from one school to another.
Schools have not mentioned salaries in their postings but highlighted the fact that teachers would get tax-free salaries, furnished accommodation, medical insurance and annual air tickets.
On average, teachers in the UAE can expect starting salaries between Dh9,000 ($2,450) and Dh15,000 a month.
Earlier this year, The National reported that at British and US curriculum schools, a typical salary for graduates with up to two years’ experience could be between Dh9,000 and Dh11,000 per month, with free accommodation. Those hoping to become a principal can expect to secure a salary of between Dh25,000 and Dh40,000 a month.
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Dubai schools will end all distance learning on October 3 - ensuring pupils will return to classrooms across the city. Shruti Jain / The National -
At the end of the summer term 2021, just 52% of pupils were in classrooms, with the remainder studying from home. Victor Besa / The National -
This autumn term, no pupils are required to be vaccinated to return to school and no regular testing is mandatory, the city's education regulator KHDA said. Victor Besa / The National -
Under the new KDHA rules for the autumn term of 2021, social distancing of one metre is recommended, but not mandated. Shruti Jain / The National -
Eligible school staff who do not wish to have the vaccine must submit a negative PCR test each week, said the KHDA. Victor Besa / The National -
Officials said 96% of Dubai's private school teachers were now vaccinated, and that 70% of children aged 12 to 17 had received coronavirus shots. Pawan Singh / The National -
After-hours extra-curricular classes can now restart. Pawan Singh / The National -
Swimming and sports classes can restart. Pawan Singh / The National -
School trips, excursions and camps will now be allowed. Courtesy: GEMS
According to Indeed and Gulf Talent recruitment sites, some lower-end private Indian curriculum schools offer between Dh3,500 and Dh6,000 a month, with no accommodation allowance.
That rises to about Dh8,000 to Dh10,000 for mid-range Indian curriculum schools and upwards of Dh13,000 a month for top-rated schools, plus accommodation.
Optimistic outlook for sector
Some UAE schools have announced that they will lift pay freezes, starting in September 2022.
Improved enrolments and an acknowledgement that schools need to retain staff are two key factors influencing plans to remove pay freezes introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
From next year, some teachers will receive pay increases and incremental raises that were put on hold.
Ashwin Assomull, head of LEK Consulting’s Global Education Practice, said enrolment at schools in the region and beyond were bouncing back after an initial Covid-19 impact.
"Everyone valued what schools did when people were at home during the pandemic.
"Definitely there is demand for more private school enrolments [more people seeking admission at schools] which means there is more demand for teachers, which means that salaries will adjust."
He said in many countries, such as the United States, many teachers had opted for early retirement during the pandemic, which lead to a drop in the supply of teachers and a consequent push in teacher’s pay.
"There is a strong demand for private education and there will be an increase in wages over time,” he said.
Schools looking to recruit locally
Taaleem, a school developer in the Emirates, is already looking to recruit staff for its schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the academic year 2022-2023.
The education group, which runs more than a dozen schools in the Emirates, is holding a recruitment fair on Saturday, November 27 in Dubai. Teachers can apply by submitting their resumes.
"The talent pool of teachers we have in the UAE has definitely grown in the last five years, given the fact that we don’t need to recruit internationally every time for experienced teachers,” Ms Fisher said.
"The number of experienced expat teachers in the UAE is rising because of the number of new school openings we have witnessed in the past five years.
“We usually fly internationally in January and February to recruit teachers for the following year academic year, however, we wanted to reach out to teachers already in the UAE prior to international travel."
