Saturday 16 August 2014

As clear as the noonday sun

I am more than happy to present for my readers' approbation another 'recommendation' from HCT faculty in Abu Dhabi. This particular writer has since collected his/her gratuity and wisely moved on, but he/she seems keen that others do not make the same mistake of believing the HCT Bullshit Machine that inhabits the HR and Recruitment Department!

Well, what can I possibly say about the three years of my life that I have wasted working for HCT in Abu Dhabi? I suppose I should start with the positives, so this section will be very short. And my conclusion might raise a few objections too.

My colleagues were, in the main part, the best thing about my time there. They were generally professional, nearly always helpful, and cared about their students. My department was not filled with divas and prima donnas, and only featured a couple of ‘nasties’ and boot-lickers. Moreover, the students could be really great at times, although in general they were not greatly different from most typical Gulf Arab students. However, the negatives far outweighed the positives.

Many of my colleagues appeared to live in genuine fear of the upper management, as it was impossible to know what to expect from them. The senior managers used the fear of being fired as a whip to keep control, and this was backed up by seemingly random sackings. Our department head was generally regarded as a careerist bootlicker, a yes-person, and was treated (and quietly ignored) accordingly. In my department every single teacher was expected to teach way beyond the contracted 20 hours per week, and with so many different sections to teach, it was impossible to maintain the quality.

And regarding the subject of quality, I have to say that I noticed a deterioration in the calibre of the new teachers that arrived during my tenure. This was clearly related to the salary package, which actually underwent a noticeable decline, mostly in terms of reduced housing benefits and school fees allowances. No good teacher with a family would really want to work there now, as there are so many better offers available elsewhere. Now, any sane educator would ask themselves just why such a well-resourced and at one time well-respected college would take such an obviously willing dive southwards in terms of its salary offer. Wouldn’t HCT be keen to retain and recruit the best possible teachers for its students?

And then the answer hit me – like the Arab Spring! The powers that be in the UAE do NOT want top-notch westerners teaching its citizens anymore, as that sort of stuff only leads to the creation of false expectations amongst the people. Democracy? Forget it, Emirati – just stay in your overpaid job and do as you’re told. Enlightenment? That just causes problems, so let’s make sure you’re taught by docile Indians and Philipinos, who will be grateful to work for 10,000 dirhams a month. Yes, that was the reason behind it all the negative changes!

It’s all as clear as the noonday sun now. How sad that I wasted three whole years of my life at HCT in Abu Dhabi before I managed to see it for myself!

58 comments:

Anonymous said...

Every time I see that twerp "Crown Prince of Dubai", chairman of the Gulf, Head of all Armed and Unarmed Forces (with US equipment of course), Falcon Trainer, Lion Tamer and Camel Toe Inspector, I just friggin cringe! Ha ha, democracy indeed!

I would like to send him up to Manchester for a beating! What a twat! Hopefully his days are numbered.

Anonymous said...

Why send him all the way to Manchester (cattle class, of course!)?

There's a few ISIS guys to the north who would probably like to meet such a compromised Mozzie(although a good few of them probably hail from Manchester too!).

Anonymous said...

Did anyone notice that a transit passenger in Abu Dhabi airport died of Ebola? This type of development could really put a wrench in the UAE's Emirates/Etihad "hub" strategy! Who the hell wants to transit through a place that has Ebola passengers?

Anonymous said...

No shit, and can you imagine being quarantined over there? No one would give a damn about you! You would be locked up and no one would ever come around! Probably die of thirst!

Anonymous said...

I think you are a bunch of disgruntled, xenophobic whites who miss the 'good' old colonial days when you could swagger around imposing your ideas!

Anonymous said...

Much better to have Arabs cracking the whip!

Now, back to Ebola in the UAE, and also UAE fighter jets bombing fellow Arabs. Could we discuss those issues please?

Raja Karma said...

Yes, we do miss the 'good old days' of colonialism. I suspect most negroes do, eh, Anonymous (August 27, 2014 at 2:25 AM)? Or are the modern states of 'Black Power', such as Zimbabwe, templates for modern development?!

As for the Arabs 'cracking the whip', I don't think many of my Emirati students would know which end of a whip to hold. Best pay the house-servant to do it - sounds like too much effort!

Anonymous said...

I feel sorry for all of you. I honestly do. You have so much hatred in your hearts, not only to the ridiculous management, but to the students, the Prince himself and fuckin' Etihad?! Do you also hate the garbagemen? Seems to me that you all got sacked! Well good luck! NOT!

Anonymous said...

As an HCT student, it makes me so sad to see all the hatred for everyone in the college, including the students. I've never been in a class where the students were disrespectful to the teacher, in fact, many students are actually very nice to the teachers. To hate a whole group for the mistakes of a few? Really? Is that what makes you better than the HCT? I would really think more about it if you guys were mature enough. Apparently, you're not even close to being mature since you critize/hate a whole country for one specific group in it, use ugly words, and one of your strongest comebacks is to fix the grammar of whoever disagrees with you - especially if English isn't their mother tongue.

Anonymous said...

I do hope the student who commented understands that this blog does not speak for the vast majority of HCT teachers. Rather it is a voice for those who have failed to cope in a different environment. Some commentators appear to be rather sad souls. We should all hope that they find a place that will bring them more happiness and allow them to become positive contributors.

Suede Oasis said...

Hmm, according to my ISP data, BOTH of the above comments came from the very same source!

How who's the saddo now, not only trying to defend the awful HCT sysyem, but also pretending to be a student?!

Oh dear, how desperate of the HCT Goon Squad. AND, as if there would EVER be an HCT student who can write such good English?!

ROTFLOL!!!

Thuraya said...

I can assure you buddy that the above 2 comments aren't from the same source, I'm connected to a VPN, you have failed.

And I AM actually a student, I could change the anonymous for all I care. You tried, Sherlock, good luck next time. Now that I know how much of a failure you are, I'm not gonna be surprised if this blog got shutdown for good one day.

Oh and, thanks for the compliment. However, let me correct you on a few things. First, I'm not the only HCT student with good English skills :). Second, I wasn't defending the HCT system at all, even I as a student get bothered by it sometimes. I was just saying how pathetic you are for criticizing something when you're just as bad, and how you hate not only the system, but the students as well. I read a comment on one of your disgusting posts that talked about a student's body. How inappropriate it is for a teacher, let alone an adult, to talk about a student in such manners!


This is hilarious.

Anonymous said...

Was that the long-necked camel and "camel toe" story you mention "Thuraya"?

You have any thoughts on why Zayed U is now melting down? Is it just bad luck? Or something more sinister?

Thuraya said...

Anonymous November 24, 2014 at 4:16 PM, yes it is. Also, feel free to explain more. I'm interested.

Suede Oasis said...

Oh yes, sure. And I'm Father Christmas!

It looks like the good ol' HCT Goon Squad have shot themselves in the foot yet AGAIN!

Cheese Grater said...

I can't believe a student with that level of English is slumming it at HCT.
Or has ZU become so bad now that even the students are leaving in droves?

Thuraya said...

You're so confident for no god damn reason, it's funny.

Thuraya said...

So I changed the anonymous to my name, what should I do next to prove that I'm a student? Change the name to my student ID instead? Oh god.

Thuraya said...

I will just take it as a complement anyway :) let's hope you're not being sarcastic though.

Anonymous said...

Thuraya, I like your sassiness. Are you hot? I would totally like to jam a muzzie!

Anonymous said...

Hey, Suede-O, looks like you got yerself another fan!

Thuraya said...

I'm afraid I'm not your type of muzzie, sir. My work is done here, anyway. Have fun hating on every living creature and making dick jokes :) I definitely enjoyed the compliments. Goodbye!

Cheese Grater said...

Ah, such a typical Emirati - no stomach for the long haul!

So long, 'Thuraya' - get back in your Landcruiser and hide in your gilded cage forever.

Thuraya said...

I will surely come back one day; It was fun.

Tayeb Kamali said...

I jam muzzies all the time! Them and non-muzzies alike.

I like it when people take MY abuse for money that's not even mine.

Think about it...I get PAID for being me and doing to people what I do to them!

How sweet is that?!?!?!?!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, having seen the Emirati and UAE attitude towards all types of pets, the abandoned dogs every summer during the holidays, the cats shot by BB guns, etc. I am sure that you can claim westerns "hate on living creatures"!!

Delma said...

The problem is that when you are born, raised and (badly) educated in a hole, you have no conception of what life can be like outside that hole.

Only when you have clambered out of the hole for a good while can you see the hole for what it is - a hole. Not 'the best place in the world', as your teachers told you.

Even then, you need a certain amount of education and perception to be able to realise how much of a hole your place is.

This is precisely why the UAE government no longer wants its citizens to be educated properly. If they were, they might (a) decide to leave the hole behind, or (b) change the hole for the better.

I can think of no better argument than this for the 'Benevolent Despots' of the UAE to run down ZU and HCT to the status of mere 'Training Centres'.

Who needs education anyway? Sheikh Zayed got by without any!

Anonymous said...

Where did that stupid-ass crown prince graduate from? He definitely has had some training in smirking and smarminess!

Lucky for him he has wasta - that will keep him out of prison for his homosexual lifestyle.

Anonymous said...

NO, I'm sorry, but you CAN NOT say that the Clown Prince of AD is a sausage-jockey.
That is strictly NOT ALLOWED!
Please step outside for an ISIS-style beheading...

Anonymous said...

Nah, he probably only stuffs sand in your mouth, salts the wounds caused by the board with nails that he beat you with and shoots an AK-47 around you, just like his uncle!

Way less brutal than ISIS. Not all muzzies are the same!

Anonymous said...

Ha, his Excellency is even a "wingwalker"!!!

http://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/crown-prince-wingwalks-over-dubai

You just can't make this stuff up!

Anonymous said...

Ah, a true Clown Prince indeed!

And while he's getting all the applause for doing the really useful stuff up in the skies, the HCT troops are being shat on for their mediocre classroom performances!

There's justice 4 ya, UAE style!

Anonymous said...

As His Excellency might say, "it ain't easy, bein' greasy"!!!

Anonymous said...

I wonder if 'His Excrecency' could do us all a favor and stay up in the clouds for a LONG time?!

Delma said...

Look here for another excellent appraisal of HCT:

Well, the HCT used to be a very pleasant place to work. However, it has long lost its way; it is supposed to be a technical institute, but is now run by managers from university backgrounds who don't seem to understand the function of a technical institute. Instead of being practitioners, the staff are now expected to be academics with qualifications more akin to those teaching in universities. The Arab mind equates 'excellence' in teaching with qualifications, which is a big mistake. It is simply not necessary to hold a master's degree to teach at the level required at HCT.
In addition, the leadership and management positions at the HCT are made up by highly-qualified (PhD-level) academics who have written extensively about leadership and management, seemingly without possessing those skills themselves. Many of these 'managers' have little or no interpersonal skills and seem unable to communicate effectively with their staff.

Without a union to represent staff members, many managers don't even pretend to apply any management skills, but rule instead by threats and bullying.

Before applying for a position at HCT, it would be advisable to visit the website, 'HCTSucks', for an insight into what the staff has to put up with from their managers.

http://www.answers.com/Q/Why_are_you_interested_in_a_position_with_the_Higher_Colleges_of_Technology

Anonymous said...

I think it is a bit of a stretch to state that the leaders and managers at the HCT are "highly-qualified (PhD-level) academics who have written extensively about leadership and management", although I do strongly agree that the people lack management and leadership skills!

And that isn't counting the new Emirati bosses who cannot even be fairly classified as "retards" (they are worse!).

What a friggin shithole it is!

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas to the Middle East and in particular to the retards enrolled at the HCT!

Anonymous said...

This site has lost credibility not by its postings but by its comments. Hopefully, people will not read the comments. I thought the intention was to warn people/paint a picture of what the job and environment are like. After reading the comments, I wouldn't trust anything about the site. All you need to do is present the facts.

Anonymous said...

Anything related to the "suckiness" of the HCT should be fair game! The side stories add lots of flavour to the simple fact that the HCT is evil, and it sucks!

Anonymous said...

Most of the comments say more about the posters than about HCT. Pretty sad lot.

Suede Oasis said...

You're welcome to your opinion, Anonymous above. At least I'm prepared to give you the freedom to express a contrasting viewpoint (even if there is NO evidence to support it). This differs greatly from HCT itself, which prefers to clamp down on 'dissenting' views and fire the holders of such opinions!

Anonymous said...

What makes you think than Indians or Filipinos are inferior teachers?

Anonymous said...

Well, it's the same sort of thing that makes me think that Indian and Philipino universities are not quite up to the standard of American and european ones.

But I could be wrong, I guess. Anyone checked the ranking of the world's leading 1000 universities lately?

Anonymous said...

And in the Middle East they are clearly inferior as they cannot take charge of a class the same way as a blue-eye can. That is a simple fact and it arises from the prejudices of the Gulf population independent of any western beliefs.

You know who the teaboys and maids are in the Gulf.

Anonymous said...

Wow that last comment seems to have shut down the conversation!

Shock & Awe at its finest!

Anonymous said...

Read (and weep) the latest from 'Glassdoor'...

“Being dismantled ”

Former Employee - Anonymous
I worked at HCT full-time (more than 8 years)

Pros
The largest university in the UAE

Cons
The new leadership is completely undoing an institution built up in two decades of hard work and dedication of thousands of faculty. Those who left even two or three years back - would not recognize this place if they were to come back (no one will).

Advice to Management
Leave the management to those who have experience in education

Doesn't Recommend
Negative Outlook

Anonymous said...

Just wait till everyone starts posting on Glassdoor during summer holidays! That should be a hoot!

Lawrence Comben said...

Their economy is completely based on oil. Ponder for a moment on what will happen if the price of oil continues to drop.

Anonymous said...

Wow a year as passed since the stupid ass Crown Prince Hamdan was mentioned above.

That boy was born on third base, and he thinks he hit a triple!

Can we expect him to sign up for national service and to go to Yemen like other Emiratis?

I saw him riding his horse around Europe last month. Maybe he can ride the horse down to Yemen?

Hardy har har. All shit is going to break loose in the UAE.

And the UAE also needs to be taking the refugees that are going to Europe. Why the hell are they in Europe? They need to live with their fellow Muslims! And the UAE has accepted ZERO!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Hamdan and all you other Sheikhs.

Ain't freedom of speech awesome?

You are going to have the truth come out here, and there isn't a damned thing you can do about it. Except take your blood pressure meds, that is!

Anonymous said...

The Saudis have lots of room for the refugees!

http://www.prisonplanet.com/saudi-arabia-has-100000-air-conditioned-tents-that-can-house-3-million-people-sitting-empty-yet-has-taken-zero-refugees.html

Why aren't the Gulf states stepping up? Sheikh Hamdan? Any answers?

If you've ever worked at the HCT, you will know that it is all smoke and mirrors in the UAE. Pure bullshit at every turn. Emiratis hate Syrians, guaranteed.

Anonymous said...

So it turns out that the spawn of Sheikh Mo are faggish drug addicts.

That smarmy face on Hamdan is actually just the heroin talking. If he is the future of the UAE, they are in for a rough ride!

https://themuslimissue.wordpress.com/2015/09/19/drug-overdose-dubai-ruler-shaikh-mohammads-son-dies-of-heart-attack-at-the-age-of-34/

Anonymous said...

I am pained to read all this crap about the Crown Prince. i personally know from someone who taught him at LSE that he was like any other student in class: a regular guy. Not that this is going to change anyone's mind here, since you are so determined to hate!

Anonymous said...

You know what? I think that Mr. Hamdan may actually be a fine fellow. He's certainly been repressed by being born into the position he is in.

Thus the heroin etc. to escape.

But if he's a violent killer of servant lovers, then I retract my sympathy. That was his brother's story. And that other brother, the fat fucker that looks so stupid, certainly is a conservative Islamist.

The UAE will never survive once Hamdan is in charge.

In fact, the whole Gulf is doomed under similar tribal scenarios.

Soon Gulf citizens won't be able to travel to the USA, and then Europe after that.

I guess the good thing is they won't be racing their cars around family-oriented neighborhoods in the west where kids are playing!

Anonymous said...

Oh my god you absolute losers

Anonymous said...

Who are the losers exactly?

Anonymous said...

ERM, probably the leaders of the UAE. With oil prices falling through the floor, they have a real problem on their hands. And as they are not at all used to dealing with real problems, this represents a real watershed. It should be fun admiring the fireworks from a great distance!

Anonymous said...

This is something HCT teachers and staff should know. The federal government has ordered HCT to follow federal laws about end of service settlements. This news has been spreading like wildfire and I had to find out myself if it was true. Turns out it is. Until 2016 has been ripping off teachers on their end of service thanks to a snakey slimy liar named Zakir Khan in HR. From what I understand, a teacher resigned from HCT and found he was getting less than he expected for his end of service so he did not sign it. That seems to be the most important thing. Don't sign your end of service settlement until you have had a chance to take it home and check it against your own calculations. There seems to be this not well known agency that is oversight for HCT. It is called the federal authority of human resources. After getting information from a former colleague of his I checked the website for the laws. FAHR.gov.ae. HCT until now only gives one month per year of service but they are supposed to give 1.5 months per year of service after five years and 2 months after 10 years. I heard that the federal authority ordered HCT to change their policy but they only use it if an employee knows about it. So get the word out.