Teacher in Africa
- 2018-08-08
Hi all,
I have just finished a contract working with Oxford International Academy’s affiliate company Oxford Training and Consultancy in Djibouti. I did my due diligence on this company before moving to Djibouti and came across the above post. Despite the post’s cautionary advice, I decided to take the job anyway. My experience working for Oxford seems to have been markedly different from that of the original post’s author. As such, I think that it may be beneficial to other prospective teachers to read my contrasting thoughts on this company:
The above post raised several red flags for me when I first read it. Naturally, I brought this issue up with the company’s management during the interview process. Oxford’s management was very transparent in acknowledging the existence of the original post and was happy to discuss it with me in detail. The management even provided me with the contact details of another former employee so that I could obtain an independent third-party opinion on what it is like to work for Oxford. It was on the overwhelmingly positive testimony of this other former employee that I eventually resolved to sign on with Oxford and I am glad that I did.
I personally found all of the directors’ pre-employment representations to have been truthful and working conditions, living arrangements, scheduling and pay to have been both very good and as stated in the contract. My personal assessment of Oxford’s management is also that they are certainly not the kind of people who simply lie to get teachers to come to Djibouti. After all, they will ultimately be the people who suffer the most due to poor press, or if staff leave prior to their contracts’ expiration dates due to dissatisfaction.
In my experience, wages were paid in accordance with the contract and all deductions from the contracted amount were clearly referenced within the contract itself. I can also confirm that I was paid for all national holidays and that these payments were in accordance with the contracted rate. The contract also refers to the deductions for the government mandated health insurance. I cannot though comment on whether or not this health insurance can actually be accessed if required, as I had no cause to utilise it during my time in Djibouti. I found that all basic living supplies (household furnishings etc.) were provided in accordance with the contract and were quickly fixed when any of these items broke down. Although I admit the utility prices (in particular electricity) may seem a bit steep in Djibouti, I believe that this is due entirely to the nationalised nature of all utilities and is in no way the fault of the company. All classroom stationary was provided by the company, free of charge, during my time working for it. I did though have to independently pay for documentation photographs, although I would not consider this to be a great expense and most travellers are advised to carry extra passport-sized photographs anyway. It is commonly stated that Djibouti has a relatively high cost of living when compared to the rest of Africa. However, having lived and worked previously in other parts of East Africa, I do not consider Djibouti to be that much more expensive than other places in the region. Indeed, prospective teachers should remember that Djibouti produces almost nothing domestically and so all ‘western items’ must be imported and that there will be an inherent additional cost incurred through this. Further, the ‘cost of living’ is to a large extent a subjective measure and I was personally able to save money during my time in Djibouti without making any major concessions to my lifestyle.
In regards to Djibouti’s security situation, although I understand that there was a suicide bombing in the area in 2014 (when the original post was published), at the time of writing (2018), I did not experience any sense of danger while living in the city. There are ample security forces present in all major areas and shopping centres and there is now a police depot in the heart of the city just ten minutes’ walk from the school. I do not think that the security situation in Djibouti is such that the school needs to take any exceptional precautions to ensure teacher safety and as a male, western teacher, I had no issues walking between the school and teacher housing at night. Although, I concede that this reality may very well differ between the genders and from person to person.
I do not think that the directors of this company are seeking to play the role of the ‘good guy’ or the ‘nice guy.’ Instead, I am of the opinion that Oxford’s management are genuinely good and nice people and so have no need to ‘play’ this role. I also do not believe that the directors’ amicable personalities are in any way in contradiction with their status as competent, qualified businessmen, effective managers and team builders.
In short, my experience working for Oxford Training and Consultancy was that it was a fair and rewarding exchange for my skills, time and competencies as an ESL teacher. Most importantly though it was also an enjoyable and enriching experience. I also found Djibouti to be an interesting and inviting country in which to live and work and I would recommend the experience to anyone. I am also happy to be contacted by other prospective teachers via the above email address should anyone require a further independent opinion as to what it is like to work for Oxford Training and Consultancy.
This is a warning for any teachers considering employment with Oxford International Academy in Djibouti. Unfortunately, this company gives credence to the negative African stereotypes created by fake beneficiary emails and piracy scare tactics that rely on deception and trapping those who trust one at their word. This company is one to be avoided at all costs.
Within the first two weeks of my arrival when I questioned inconsistencies and untruths in relation to living arrangements, school calendar and scheduling, transportation, and pay / contract details, both directors laughed as they explained that they told me what I needed to hear to get me here. It’s not lying, it’s business. They admitted most of what they tell teacher is untrue but feel it is a fair part of the recruitment game.
You will not get paid what your contract says you will get paid; you will get less, often significantly less. You will not get the holiday days your contract says you are entitled to; you will either not be “allowed” to take them or they will deduct a percentage from your pay claiming that holiday days paid aren’t equivalent to working days paid. You will be forced to pay over $50 a month for an obligatory health insurance, of which you cannot access should you require medical care. You will be expected to pay for a range of unexpected items such as basic living supplies which they say they provide but don’t, inflated utility prices, classroom/stationery necessities, photos for various documentation, etc. In addition to these unexpected costs, the relatively high cost of living in Djibouti can leave you paying out of your own pocket to work here.
The school stopped paying for teachers’ residency cards, even though it is a condition in the contract and a legality of working in the country. You will be expected to teach classes both morning and night, from 8:30am to 12:30pm then again from 5pm – 9pm five or even six days a week. Overtime is sometimes paid, sometimes not. The lies and deception were daily from small things like yes, another teacher is coming soon, to telling teachers that the school was in dire straits and in danger of closing any day in order to convince teachers to work on their days / time off. Your signed contract is worthless as there is no one to turn to when they breach conditions. They know this and take full advantage of it.
Security is becoming an increasing concern in the area, with a suicide bombing happening less than a 10 minute walk from the school, yet the directors have taken no precautions to ensure teacher safety. Despite increased security measures in place in all areas of the city, there is no security at the school. Teachers are still expected to work after dark (when the government advises that foreigners, the identified targets, exhibit extreme caution while out in public) and have to take public transportation while the directors travel back and forth in the company vehicle.
Despite their logo of “global opportunities for local people”, the managers make it clear that the school is not interested in the ‘average’ Djiboutian. Their humble act is a front as they attempt to play on heart strings or soft spots in teachers looking to help an impoverished country. They only want corporate contracts as they think there is bigger money to be made yet they lack what is needed to offer appropriate corporate training. When they brought in an expat expert to teach them how to run a business course and get their company up and running, they dismissed all suggestions and guidance and carried on as usual. The school, when it had run out of teachers, had to outright cancel classes at a PET (Cambridge) / Access (City & Guilds) level as the Academic Director stated he was not able to teach the material.
There is a honeymoon period which I both experienced and observed when new teachers arrive however it does not last long. The two directors are both very good at playing the good guy, the nice guy, the struggling business man trying to give back to his community but it quickly becomes clear that they are unqualified, self-serving, deceptive, and focused solely on money yet lack the ability to offer simple ESL education or run a company.
Teachers leave shortly after they arrive due to dishonest, incompetent, and inconsisent behavior displayed by these men are. Djiboutian students are often eager and discipline is not an issue however if you are interested in education in a developing country, choose another option. This unprofessional, image-based scam is a front for men who do not want to work but want to be patted on the back for their perceived contribution to society.