Teachers leave the UAE for many reasons. Here are our top 10…..
#1 – Not feeling valued: Even if you earn a great salary, if you do not feel like what you are doing is really making a difference then it won’t be long before you quit. Many teachers in the UAE feel like they are not having an impact on their students. Hence, they look for other opportunities.
#2 – Overworked: The teaching landscape in the UAE is very varied. There are some teachers who have a comparatively light teaching load while there are others who barely get a break each day.
#3 – Behaviour Problems: In both public and private schools behaviour can be a problem. Lack of accountability and sanctions can make it very hard for teachers to reign in the behaviour.
#4 – Low salary: Contrary to popular belief, the streets of the UAE are not paved with gold and there are teachers in some schools that are not earning very much.
#5 – Homesickness: The majority of teachers in the UAE are expatriates and after a while the novelty of the new country wears off and teachers become really homesick.
#6 – Change in family circumstances: Residence visas are tied to employment, so if a spouse loses his or her job, the family sometimes has to relocate.
#7 – Culture Shock: We may read about what life will be like in the UAE before coming over but once here some teachers find the culture far too different from what they are used to or able to handle.
#8 – Lack of support network: Leaving friends and family is never easy and some teachers find it difficult to rebuild a new support network once they arrive in the UAE.
#9 – Goals accomplished: Many teachers before leaving their home countries have a set plan and once those goals are accomplished they return home.
#10 – Problems with money management: The UAE is an affluent country with easy access to credit. Some teachers find it hard to resist temptations and find themselves in over their heads and having to literally flee in the night.
