Frequently Asked Questions.

+What is the accreditation status of Canadian Bilingual School (CBS)?

We are currently in the 8th year of operation. CBS has been accredited from kindergarten to grade 12 by Middle States Association (MSA).

+How many students will I be handling?

The number of students in a classroom will vary and will depend upon the intake and registrations. Final numbers may be known only a month or two after the academic year commences. The maximum number of students in a classroom would be 30. JK to Grade 2 classroom teachers are supported by educational assistants. Grades 3 to 6 are supported by an ESL teacher during language sessions.

+I need help with lesson planning. How can I get assistance?

Please approach the Divisional leader for assistance in preparing lesson plans, academic clarification or training. The Divisional leader reports to the Principal and Vice-Principal.

+How do I commute to school?

The school arranged transport will be from the school provided staff housing locale to and from school. However, please note that if you miss the school transport, you will have to find your own transport to school.

+Will I be able to bring my family to Kuwait?

Yes, you can bring your family on a dependent visa after completing all your residency formalities in Kuwait but the onus of getting the visas and paying the fees is the responsibility of the employee. CBS can assist with providing information on procedures and paperwork requirements.

+Would school accommodation be provided to the employee’s spouse/ family member?

School accommodation is strictly provided to the employee only. Prior approval from school business office, is required for short term visits of spouse/ family members to stay in the school accommodation. Upon school business office approval, the spouse who is employed in Kuwait but not with CBS can stay in the school accommodation, provided he/she pays a monthly fee of KD 150/- to CBS. A non-working spouse is permitted to stay in the apartment free of charge.

+Am I eligible to get a driving license?

Yes you are eligible to get a driving license once you have completed your residency procedures in Kuwait. CBS is not responsible to procure or cover the cost of a staff’s driving license. However, the school administration can support faculty in filling out forms and applications related to the completion of the license procedures. Please note that the administration staff are not mandated to provide this service but are generally willing to oblige.

+Does the school provide cash in lieu of air tickets?

The staff may find the lowest fare in the market and if the school’s designated travel agent (Virtus Tours and Travels) is able to match the lowest fare, cash in lieu of ticket may be granted at the lowest fare available. The Business Office Coordinator needs to be contacted in this case. Definition of roundtrip ticket: Air ticket to arrive to Kuwait in August 2016 and return in June 2017 from Kuwait to country of domicile. The amount of cash in lieu of ticket to Canada/US will be KD 600 (Kuwait Dinar Six Hundred Only) The amount of cash in lieu of ticket to UK/Ireland/Hungary will be KD 325 (Kuwait Dinar Three Hundred and Twenty Five Only) The cash in lieu of air ticket will be disbursed in two equal installments: 1st installment will be paid on or before October 05, 2016. 2nd installment will be paid along with June 2017 salary.

+Is there a Health Insurance policy at CBS?

Once the Kuwait residence formalities are completed, the staff will be covered by health insurance (medical & basic dental- dental covers cleaning, scaling and tooth extraction) mandated by the Kuwait government for the period of the contract with CBS.

+Does the school provide baggage allowance?

CBS provides baggage allowance up to KD 100/- which shall be reimbursed upon arrival in Kuwait. This is only a one time allowance to support the new staff who would be relocating to Kuwait. The baggage allowance will be disbursed only upon submission of receipts.

+Does the school provide shipping allowance?

As per the school policy, we do not provide shipping allowance.

+Will I be able to have pets at my apartment?

Staff are permitted to keep only cats and fish as pets in their CBS apartment. Prior approval is required from the Business office Coordinator. We respect the fact that you are an animal lover but trust that you will be mindful of its care and your responsibility to keep your pet from being a safety concern to CBS maintenance staff or neighbors. Please note that no other type of pets are permitted in the apartments. Dogs are considered ‘haram’ in Islam. If a staff member is found in violation of this policy he/ she will be asked to relinquish the apartment and find their own accommodation. The school policy on keeping pets in the apartment are as follows: Permissible pets and conditions: a.Cats: Type of cats: Domesticated cats only. No strays please. You may wish to adopt a cat from one of the local animal rescue agencies or pet stores after careful examination and vaccinations from a certified veterinary agency. This is for your own safety as well as the safety of those visiting your apartment. A maximum of one cat in an apartment. Maximum weight: 13 lbs. (6 kg). Kindly ensure that your pet does not lounge on the sofas, chairs, beds or pillows provided by the school. Kindly provide your cat with a cat bed/ basket which it can use. Please respect the fact that the furniture will be used by subsequent tenants and it will be wrong to pass on Zoonotic diseases particularly fungal spores of ringworms to another person. In order to prevent your pet from using school furniture as its scratching post, please provide your cat with a designated scratching post which is readily available at the local pet stores such as ‘Pet Zone’. Kindly make sure that the cat litter is disposed of safely and that the apartment is kept clean at all times. The care and security of the cat is the sole responsibility of the cat owner. Please make sure that your cat is not wandering around outside your apartment unattended. Kindly ensure that your cat does not cause harm to the school maintenance staff or tenants in the neighboring apartments. In the unlikely event of an ‘attack’ by your cat, any treatment of injury caused by the cat to school maintenance staff is to be paid for by the pet owner. It is better to schedule maintenance visits when you are in the apartment to ensure that the maintenance staff member is comfortable with cats and has no allergies to cat fur. Your pet’s health and protection will be your responsibility. Please make sure that the cat is regularly taken to the vet for routine checkups, shots, deworming etc. Please do not take your cat to school at any time. Damage deposit for keeping cats in the apartment: Upon approval from the business office coordinator to keep your cat, please pay an amount of KD 200 which is reimbursable after covering for damages in the apartment which will have to be paid as a deposit to the CBS accounts department prior to bringing the pet to the apartment. If there are any damages found during the inventory check, appropriate amounts will be deducted from the deposit money. Any balance deposit will be repaid at the time of leaving the CBS apartment. Should the damages exceed the deposit, the additional costs will have to be paid by the cat owner at the time of checking out of the CBS apartment. Kindly refer to the apartment inventory sheet (form 12) for specific damage charges. Fish: Non-carnivorous fish only. The maximum tank capacity permitted: 3 liter tank or fish bowl. Any tanks exceeding this capacity will not be permitted to be stored on school furniture (tables). If tanks exceeding this weight is stored on the school furniture, the teacher will have to pay a fine of KD 30. Please feel free to purchase floor standing fish tanks or aquariums but please make sure that wires are run safely to avoid electric shocks. We hope you enjoy your pet and stay at the CBS apartment while respecting CBS pet guidelines.

+How do I meet my preliminary expenses in Kuwait?

School will have some food for you in your apartment upon your arrival, which should be enough for the first two days. We will arrange for grocery shopping during the first week. You will be handed over KD 100 /- as salary advance, which will be deducted from your first pay cheque. We highly recommend you to carry $ 1000 to meet your initial expenditure in Kuwait.

+What is the salary pay-period?

Salary pay-period is calculated from the 1st of the month to the 30th of every month. Salaries will be disbursed by the 5th of every subsequent month. The contract is dated from September 1st. Will the staff be paid if asked to work before? The contract starts from 1st September. However, the staff will be asked to arrive one week earlier for the Orientation program. The staff will not be paid for the Orientation week.

+What is the dress code policy?

The dress code for staff at CBS is meant to be that of a professional. We live in a Muslim culture where there is an emphasis on wearing non-revealing or excessively tight attire. Additionally most Kuwaitis dress formally and very neatly and expect the same from people working in professional organizations. This includes wearing laundered and ironed clothes. Proper attire also minimizes drawing undue attention to oneself. In Kuwait (as in most Asian countries), the teacher is given much respect and held in very high esteem. This means that teachers are also looked on as role models. Therefore please look at the dress code as being an essential guideline to improving staff safety, comfort, professionalism and cultural sensitivity. Acceptable clothing for women: Shirt and blouse necks should be high cut. Skirts should extend past the knee. Trousers/ slacks/ pants should be relatively loose and not tight fitting around the legs. Shirts and blouses should have half or three quarter sleeves. Sleeveless blouses and shirts are not permissible. Shirt hemlines should be long enough to cover the midriff even when raising your arms. Shoes should be polished and not scuffed or worn out. A light and loose mid-thigh length sweater or this can be replaced by pashminas, shawls, scarfs is an excellent way to cover oneself and still look stylish and well appointed. Acceptable clothing for men: A formal/ dress shirt with a tie. Formal slacks/ trousers or pants. A sports jacket is your choice. Shoes must be polished regularly and not scuffed or worn out. Clothing that is not permissible: Jeans, corduroy trousers, sweat pants, three quarter pants, shorts, low cut blouses, T-shirts with printed statements and transparent material are not permissible. Running shoes/ sneakers, high heels, high boots and flip flops are inappropriate and must not be worn at school. The PE staff are permitted to wear running shoes/ sneakers, shorts and T-shirts in school. It is preferable for women PE staff to wear sweat pants or loose slacks in school.