Education Experts

starofthesea wrote:

Well, it probably should be specified but it really isn't - and I've read in a lot of posts on the net that Education Experts keeps the ESL instructors on the 90 day Business Visit Visa - which technically, is illegal - but I guess they get away with it.  That's why I'm asking. 
I know you need an exit visa to leave KSA if you have a real Work Visa/Iqama but... if teachers are pulling runners, then they must be getting out of the country without an exit visa, right?

But I don't want to have to guess - I was hoping that someone here might know somebody or something...? And I'm not sure that I want to go to KSA without having any option to leave, if I feel that is in my best interests.

So, does anybody know somebody, or something...?  Thanks!

It's not always the recruiters that are the problems because you work at the university/school and have very little contact with the companies when you begin working.  It is then the school admin, students, etc that are problematic.  The companies have no control over that part of the business. They can not mandate or change the policy of the university which is essentially the Saudi Ministry of Education (government).


Some companies bring you in on an Iqama, which costs them money.  To ensure you stay, they take your passport, which prevents you from leaving if things aren't working out, or if you have an emergency back home.  You also need an exit visa from your employer to leave on this option.


The work visit visa is a 90day visa option. If you are still in the country after 90 days, they take your passport and renew the visa for you.  On this option, they do NOT generally keep your passport and you can leave at will.  If you do leave to go on holiday and plan to return, you will need another visa to return. You simple need to ensure you are visiting a country that has a Saudi embassy and you secure the visa in order to return.


The options vary depending on your situation.  If you are American, living or working in Korea or elsewhere, you can not get an Iqama.  You need to be coming from your country of citizenship; hence why many recruiters can't offer you that option.

OK Everyone.

I have landed on the 12th August as some of you might have noticed.Now there was so much controversy around the Ed experts..
Some people just like to complain regardless where they are!And Dave's ESL cafe is not a accurate indication of the company.
So far i was picked up at the airport on time.
The 90 day visa ( business visa ) is quit normal as each company only have so many Iqarma's to hand out. There is a way to send your money home.

Yes staying in a hotel that is not the greatest but got everything you need. Still early days but we will see, but nothing crazy bad so far! Being a little board is another thing all together.... I personally can only watch so much TV, read so many books...Any facebook and email then i get board.

So the biggest challenge is to make friends and find things to do! So far in the Randa hotel we can do things in the evenings with a couple of guys i have met here. Like go out for dinner toghter and go have a non alcholic beer.

But it's Ramadan, still early days and we will have to see how things play in the future.I will keep you updated. So don't panic like a mad man like i did. This is not Cape Town nor London's west end. But you can survive if you make some friends.

Bye for now.

WOW! I was just offered a job with these guys.

has ANYONE had a GOOD experience with them?

I looked but I could NOT SEE any bad press about them on Dave's ESL cafe.

senseimartin007 wrote:

has ANYONE had a GOOD experience with them? I looked but I could NOT SEE any bad press about them on Dave's ESL cafe.

Huh?    Don't you mean you couldn't find anything GOOD about them?  If not, I suggest you look at the ESL Cafe's Saudi forum again because EdEx is a hot topic.  (Hot as in h*ll...)

forums.eslcafe.com/job/search.php?mode=resultsthese posts are 2 years old now though.


forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=91821

Has ownership or management changed?

It also sounds people were taken advantage of .. but, new people to the field.  If anyone has even taught in China, you will know this is VERY common.


Since I have always had a log in issue with dave's ESl (system never recognizes me when I try to log in) - I can not see the mentioned log here : forums.eslcafe.com/job/search.php?mode=results   - so I have no idea how OLD this thread is.

senseimartin007 wrote:

Since I have always had a log in issue with dave's ESl (system never recognizes me when I try to log in)...

There's a lot; however, this is a start. You'll have to sift through some of the more off-base comments:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?p=1076378http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=96078http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=100068http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=91281http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=99074http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=98804

[Moderated: Off topic]

kafka wrote:

I've been working in a "preparatory year" program at a university in Riyadh for six months and would like prospective new teachers to know that the only reason for being here is the money.
Edex (as we call it) is a difficult employer.  The administration under William Frawley, is reluctant to grant leave, even during school vacations.  I arrived at the end of September, but was not allowed to leave the country until four months later, and then only for a week.  We are given only single-entry visas and have to pay for renewal ourselves, unless we stay in-country.
The university panders to the students, who, though in their late teens, act more like 12 year-old.  Many, if not most of them are not interested in learning English, but only in their attendance being marked, because they are paid for it by the government.  If you teach here, be prepared to being ignored, and at times, even defied.  In case of a teacher-student conflict, in most cases the teacher will be re-assigned to a different class with no notice or consultation, just on the basis of the student's complaint.         
I came here looking forward to the experience, but my level of disgust is too high for me to remain.

You are absolutely right about the student .. I am a student and i know what you means .. There are many  bad attitudes from the students because we have problems with our education ... For my perspective they put preparatory years for filtering bad students ..

When I enrolled in university i saw many things that not related in university environment but you should be patient in this case and now how to make student love your classes ...


My best wishes for you ..

Alliecat wrote:

smurfette wrote:

Kafka, why didn't you research EdEx and their mismanagement of the programs and teachers before signing up with them?  There are a lot of negative posts about them on Dave's ESL Cafe. In fact, comments about EdEx seem to dominate the Saudi forum more than any other recruiting company.

Yep, he didn't do his homework.  Or else he just thought the writers were disgruntled former employees.  I mean, you read about these recruiters/schools, and you shake your head in disbelief and think, 'Oh, it can't really be THAT bad.'  The sad reality is that it often times IS (sometimes even worse) .. so beware!

Allie,

Teachers here get killed by students due to petty disputes.

No amount of research can prepare for that !

reactive wrote:

Yeah may be its off topic but any one can get help outta it.

Don't count on that--will be probably be moderated.

salman108 wrote:

Allie,

Teachers here get killed by students due to petty disputes.

No amount of research can prepare for that !

Sure it can.. if it's true, after researching it, you can decide NOT to come, THAT is how you prepare for it

Ml7 wrote:

For my perspective they put preparatory years for filtering bad students ..

Interesting observation!  You may be right.

phillip11 wrote:

OK Everyone.

I have landed on the 12th August as some of you might have noticed.Now there was so much controversy around the Ed experts..
Some people just like to complain regardless where they are!And Dave's ESL cafe is not a accurate indication of the company.
So far i was picked up at the airport on time.
The 90 day visa ( business visa ) is quit normal as each company only have so many Iqarma's to hand out. There is a way to send your money home.

Yes staying in a hotel that is not the greatest but got everything you need. Still early days but we will see, but nothing crazy bad so far! Being a little board is another thing all together.... I personally can only watch so much TV, read so many books...Any facebook and email then i get board.

So the biggest challenge is to make friends and find things to do! So far in the Randa hotel we can do things in the evenings with a couple of guys i have met here. Like go out for dinner toghter and go have a non alcholic beer.

But it's Ramadan, still early days and we will have to see how things play in the future.I will keep you updated. So don't panic like a mad man like i did. This is not Cape Town nor London's west end. But you can survive if you make some friends.

Bye for now.

Any update, especially since you promised to keep us updated?

Are you still with them?  Do you still have the some opinion as you did when you landed?

I came here with the same scattered info - good and bad - and I can tell you this place is fantastic if you decide to make the best of it and put some effort into your social life and adventure.
   The Saudi government pays me to urge my students to learn more English and these students are pretty similar to other kids in other places around the world - 10%  really want to learn and 60% in the middle... with 30% wasting their time...    It's up to the teacher to make the best of these dynamics and fully engage the students and give the Saudi government a fair day's work for the generous pay...  anyone doing that will be as happy and delighted as I am with this city, country and job... and I'm returning with more pay and a promotion - another example of respect getting respect...
   Whiners and lazy folks stay home - we have a mission to help this country and I resent the money grabbers who don't want to put in an honest days work to get his done...    Michael G. Eggert