A Career Abroad

I am currently seeking teachers in China and India. I am also looking for Administrators and teachers for Dubai. Please contact me via email if you are interested.

The BC Offshore Program

The BC Off-Shore Program is an educational program, not a brick and mortar building, that is offered by 2 groups - first it is usually offered by a group of private citizens - from either Canada or from another country - most commonly Chinese owners in China but this group is growing and diversifying. Usually it is this group that initiates discussions.

The second group is the Ministry of Education (MOE) in BC, Canada. The MOE sanctions the program through a complex process - it also verifies its offerings in a formal way with the local and national governments of the host country (ie: BC MOE/Beijing/China letters of mutual understanding). These letters from the local and national governments to the BC MOE and the School Authority allow the school to operate and allows the host school in that country to provide an alternate educational program and supports that program. This is of prime importance in the set-up process.

The MOE in BC ensures that certain things are done and processes are put into place to their standards and that the people involved are from BC, are BC certified staff and represent the owners, the MOE and the students with a degree of credibility. The certification of staff is very important to the success of the program and as such BC MOE has a very complex process to ensure teachers and administrators are qualified and certified. You can access more information regarding this from the MOE web-site - www.bced.gov.bc.ca/offshore_schools

The Ministry has 28 items in an agreement that the school owners (the school authority) agree to before the MOE approves the start and the advertisement of the program. You can access these from the Off Shore Web site, but in short they include English 10-12, math and socials 10-11, science 10-12, PE 10, a foreign language 10-11, Planning 10 and the university transfer requirements such as senior level courses that lead to entrance in specific university or college faculties.

The off-shore program provides for the teaching of the BC Graduation Program and all of its courses that lead to the earning of a Dogwood Diploma at the end of the three years. The graduates will have taken the same core courses that all graduates from the BC program take - the real only real significant difference is that in the off shore program the students might take all their courses in Beijing, China, Abu Dhabi, UAE or Moga, India.

The students usually start in grade 10 but it is possible for them to start in Kindergarten or at almost any other grade level. Usually this is determined by the local school jurisdiction and the parents ability to pay a tuition fee for that long.

The students may have to take one or more ESL courses but that is determined through a language acquisition process. Students take all the courses and must complete the number of credits required for Graduation. Specific requirements are obtainable at the MOE Web-Site.

Instruction is in English and the courses must be instructed by a certified BC teacher. The school must have a Principal and the School Authority must have a BC Agent. The agent represents both groups - the MOE and the School Authority. The agent works with both groups and the school administration to ensure that all the requirements of the Off Shore Agreement are met.

The MOE has a process for approving selected schools. They work with the owners and the agent to gather and evaluate information. This task is to ensure success further down the road. Once a selected school has been in operation for a time the MOE will send a team into the school's Off Shore Program to evaluate it and how it has complied with the 28 requirements of the off shore program and how well it is delivering the curriculum. Once an off shore program has been approved for candidacy it goes through another and annual certification inspection. These are usually held in the late fall.

The MOE works with the school, the school authority and the agent to ensure that a quality program is provided and that students have a reasonable amount of success - expecting that students will work hard and that all students have an opportunity to be successful.

India

Before I left for India I had been told to be prepared for a country of extremes - from very hot to very cold, from the very poor to the very wealthy. Those who told me were Indo-Canadians born in the Punjab but raised in Canada. And they were correct.

India is the world's largest democracy and the world's second largest population. And while it is a poor country it is changing and changing rapidly.

Flying over India or even taking a train from one city to another, one gets a better idea of just how much food is grown there. Mile after mile, farm community after community, agriculture is happening everywhere.

India is a developing country for sure. The infra-structure is getting a first class over-haul - the airports, the highways and the internal road system are all under construction at the present time. Traffic is just something one will have to live with until the construction is complete but until then - "get used to it". Roundabouts and driving on the left side are just two things that need some serious consideration when driving there.

The food is also different and while many cities have foods from all the world it is not as readily available as one might expect. I especially enjoyed the spicy tastes of the various curried dishes.

The Indian people love to work but they also love to spend quality time with family and the country's parks seem to be the place of choice to spend time with family. They were many parks throughout the cities I visited, lots of green grass, amusing things for children to do and places for families to have picnics.

In Chandigarh I visited a park that was commonly referred to as the "Rock Garden" - check it out on Google Earth. It must be seen to be believed. Thousands of people visit every weekend, no matter what the time of year.

India is a very old country but its roots are seen everywhere. Indian traditions and attire, their arts, and their music are everywhere but so is Bollywood, Cricket and Hockey (Field Hockey). And the Indian people are especially passionate about their "Asian Hollywood", their Cricket and their Hockey. Every newspaper carries pages and pages dedicated to these new worthy items. Kids and adults can be seen practicing their skills at every opportunity and at every available piece of property.

Education is another item that gets a lot of newspaper coverage - everyday. That is nice to see. The Indian Government is really trying to make a good education available to every child and parents will mortgage their house or farm to help their children get into the school they desire.

While there I traveled by car, train and plane but nothing can accurately describe the traffic. Anything with wheels is used to transport people and work related necessities. And the traffic will become more and more a problem as Tata Motors makes its very inexpensive car ($2500) The Nano available. Check it out on Google too. The Tata family are into everything in India - from food and agriculture to transportation airlines to technology.

India is located such that most of the country gets 4 seasons but the north gets cold for sure and the south - well let's just say it gets very warm. While in Ahmadabad (in the middle of the country) it was 39 C and I was there in March.

The people are friendly and very family oriented. I always felt safe while I was there. But there is poverty. And while the government is doing whatever it can to do away with the Caste System there are some remnants still there.

The cow is still sacred in India. It is used for its milk, for its cheese, and for its waste. The waste is dried and used as fuel. The cows really have freedom to roam but more and more are contained and while we did see some on the streets most were corralled and contained.

As we start our BC Program in India I'll get to see more and more of this big, beautiful and mysterious land. I'll get to know the people better and learn about it religions and cultural traditions. I expect to return to northern India in December - just before or after my visit to DuBai - I'll have to get ready for the extremes - in air temperature I'm thinking.

Dubai, Abu Dhabi and The United Arab Emerites

Having just returned from the United Arab Emirates, India and our province's capital city, Victoria, where I met with Ministry Officials I now have the time to update my blog.

The Victoria trip was very interesting as it provided us with the opportunity to share our plans for starting off-shore programs in The UAE and in India with The Ministry of Education. They were impressed and gave us the go-ahead to continue working within the guidelines set out by Victoria to set-up Off Shore Programs in these countries and others.

In the next few months we will visit and start talks with other educational jurisdictions in other countries - throughout the Middle East and possibly South America. Stay tuned for those exciting opportunities.

As far as The UAE is concerned - well that was a surprising experience. This is a very young and rich country. And it is global in every aspect.

There are actually only a few hundred thousand Emirates living in DuBai and Abu Dhabi but there are a few million people living in these two Emirates. There are people from all over the world doing business there. And no matter where you go you see people from Western and Eastern Europe, Australia, Canada, The USA, Asia and Russia.

Construction is happening all over the city of DuBai and Abu Dhabi is right behind it. I've heard it said that 20% of the world's cranes are in the UAE and I believe it after seeing the amount of construction going on. The roads are excellent and the business people there drive very nice, newer model cars and they drive at high speed - 225 Km/hr is not out of the question.

The cost of living was surprising though. I expected it to be very high but its not outrageous. Higher than in China and India, about the same as it is Canada and the US. You can find almost anything you need as a westerner, and almost everyone speaks English.

Shopping is second nature to people all over the world and its no different in DuBai. The two huge malls in DuBai are were always full of people searching out deals in the many name-brand shops - and you can even snowboard and snow ski in the Mall of the Emirates if you wish - just Google 'Ski DuBai'.

If you enjoy warmth and sun then DuBai and Abu Dhabi are places for you with only about three days of precipitation annually. If water sports are your passion the ocean water is clear and warm, if running, hiking, and walking is your way of staying in shape - the sky is clear and clean and its flat, but if golf turns you on - the golf courses are green and not over-crowded.

There is a Formula One Race Track, there is a thorough bred horse race track, and for the fun lovers there are amusement parks - all within a few minutes cab ride. The night life is certainly world class and the tourist attractions like Desert Treks and Camel Rides are plentiful.

And you are not very far from other world class locations and either the Emirates Airline or Etihad Airlines are absolute first class organizations. Enjoy!

I found The UAE and in particularly DuBai and Abu Dahbi to be very liberal - far from what I expected. While the dress is business like in the city centre its very casual for both men and women alike after work and while out enjoying life in the "desert".

I particularly enjoyed the food there. It is food from all over the world - it reflects the globalization of this new country. Yemanese, Lebanese, Indian, Chinese, Arabic, European, Western - it doesn't matter what your taste buds desire - its there. And there watchful eye can find a deal too.

As I traveled throughout DuBai and Abu Dhabi I couldn't help but notice the buildings. Someone had sent me an e-mail before my last visit - it was all about DuBai from 1993 to the present and how it had grown. You just have to see for yourself. Go to Google Earth and check out the man-made islands in the Gulf, the most expensive hotel in the world and the tallest building in the world. Go to Google Photos and Google 'DuBai' and see for yourself. It is a place worth seeing.

I expect to return to DuBai and Abu Dhabi in the winter as our school will probably be going through a Candidate Status Review by the BC Ministry of Education. I look forward to returning.

Photos of Dubai

Photos of China

Photos of India