Case Study
DAVID DEAN comments on teaching in Eygpt
What has been your experience of teaching abroad? The highs and lows. On the whole good. I've been teaching abroad for a long time now. I've learned to accept the local customs and where possible learn the language. The highs in Egypt have been the people, the weather and the very low cost of living. The lows have been the local food, the increasing orthodox Islamification of the country and the organisational chaos (bureaucracy, traffic etc).
What have you enjoyed the most about your new school? The kids. Easy to teach, polite and happy. No hangups as per UK and Europe.
What cultural differences surprised you the most? The role of women. The general attitude of people, which is a cross between Mediterranean and African - easy going. Corruption and poverty - both of which go hand in hand. The difference between the social classes - between educated and well off and the non-educated, semi-literate fellaheen (peasant class).
Did you engage in any cultural learning such as learning the language or any customs? Yes. I have made an effort to understand as many of the local customs as possible and also made a feeble attempt to learn Arabic.
What was your new home like? The city? The School? The students and colleagues? My apartment is good, well furnished and with adequate AC (it converts to heater in the winter - this is necessary), clean and on a free bus route 5 minutes from school. The city I live in is one of the new developments outside Cairo. It is well planned with 2 Malls, a medical centre, sports and leisure club and cheap bus transport. The school is well constructed and growing well. A lot is being done to refurbish and try to increase classroom resources. This will take time but the signs are there. My colleagues in secondary are a fine, professional bunch. In primary the staff seem to be much younger and are more transient.
What did you do in your weekends/ spare time? Weekends and spare time are spent either at the Sports Club (pool and gym), visiting Cairo or Heliopolis, shopping at one of the Malls in town or, even better, going off to the Red Sea resorts, which are an hour and a half, away by car.
Did you imagine your new school and country to be as it was? Yes and no. The School held no surprises. The country was much colder in winter than I had expected. I expected Egypt to be much less westernized than it is.
What advice would you offer new teachers about to start an international teaching post? Go into to the job with your eyes wide open! Check out the country thoroughly through the web or guides such as Lonely Planet. Check out the climate. Check out the political situation. Check out the tax situation. Check out the exchange rates and the economy. You will not be going on a holiday. You will have a normal working day under all the local conditions. It might sound sexy to go and work somewhere exotic but beware of all the possible pitfalls. If you can do this properly you won't be disappointed.
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