1. What is generally expected of those who work and volunteer for Samaritan Residential Schools?
A teacher/volunteer at Samaritans is expected to put himself/herself in the role of a parent in the lives of the children and students he/she teaches. A teacher's job is not a 9-5 job but a vocation that calls for dedication 24/7. A typical working day for a teacher begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 8:00p.m. While this is not the work schedule for every teacher everyday, all teachers will have to work in shifts over the entire week. Saturdays and Sundays are more relaxed with extra-curricular and co-curricular activities for the students. Some teachers will be engaged in these activities with the students.
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2. What is the student body of Samaritan Residential Schools comprised of?
Samaritan students come from all over India and Nepal. We also have students of South Asian origin from the Middle East and the Far East. We have also had students from Africa and North America in the past. Our students also come from a diverse background of ethnicity, financial and social status. We believe that quality education must be made available to all, regardless of their ability to afford it. While we have students who pay full fees and tuition, many are offered subsidised fees and are given partial scholarships to enable them to study at Samaritans. This offers these children the opportunity to be educated at an institution normally reserved for the the social and economically elite.
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3. What is the Samaritan teaching philosophy?
Samaritan Residential Schools is based on Christian values and ethics and as a residential school, these values and ethics permeate everyday living of the children to mould them and develop them as
citizens of high morals and good character. These values are taught from a South Indian cultural view point of conservative family values. The schools are dedicated to providing the standard educational syllabus provided by the State of Tamil Nadu Board of Education, which is followed by all teachers with the highest standard of teaching.
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4. How big is the school and how many students are in each class?
The present student body is about 200 students which permits close interaction between teachers and students. Typical class strengths are between 10-15 students in the lower classes while the higher classes may reach 20 or more in some instances.
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5. What is the average income for a teacher at Samaritan Residential Schools?
Samaritan Residential Schools is run on a purely non-profit basis and is managed by the Samaritan Educational Trust. All income and donations to the schools are utilised to increase the facilities and infrastucture available for the students and also to subsidise the tuition for students who come from low income families. A typical qualified teacher with the right education and experience will earn in Indian Currency about INR70,000 or about US$1800. The average Indian income is US$500. A teacher's expenses are considerably small and most of our teachers are able to save from their income. A more qualified teacher will be compensated according to the school's
pay scale which will be determined by the School Board at the time of hiring the teacher.
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6. What is the medium of instruction and communication in Samaritans?
English is the primary language utilised for teaching and communication at Samaritans. The local language employed by many in the region is the state language of Tamil. Our student body comprises of many languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Nepali and several other Indian languages and dialects. However, all students are taught and required to communicate in English. The fluency of students vary according to their family educational background as some of the students come from families who do not have proper formal education, while others are fluent with well educated parents.
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7. What are the benefits and housing arrangements extended to teachers?
The school has living quarters to accommodate the teachers who are given rooms to stay at a subsidised cost. There is limited opportunity for cooking meals in the quarters. This is to help teachers have a broader relationship with the students and share meal times with the students in the cafeteria. Meals at the cafeteria are of generally South Indian fare with occasional dishes from the different regions of student come from. All the meals offered to teachers are highly subsidised and are wholesome and nutritiously made from primarily organic produce. Medical insurance is not provided since the cost of medical treatments and care is much lower than most countries in the world. The living conditions in Samaritans provides clean air, fresh water and a healthy environment where it is not easy to fall ill or get sick.
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8. What assistance does Samaritans provide for foreign teachers and volunteers?
The schools will do everything in its capacity to assist foreign teachers and volunteers to secure visas to enter the country to work
here. We will provide all necessary paperwork and advice and assistance from our end. However, we do not provide for the cost and expenses of paperwork and travel. As a charitable residential school focussing on providing the best education to more students from economically backward students, all our resources are reserved for improving our opportunities for such students. For more information visit https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/
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9.
What about the general profile of teachers in Samaritans regarding education, nationality, age and background?
Almost all of our present teaching and non-teaching staff are from India, although we have had volunteers and teachers from the Western Hemisphere. Our teachers ages range from their early twenties to their mid-fifties. All of our teachers are graduates in a basic degree of their major subject speciality, some of them have added an Education degree to this education while other senior staff have Masters degrees in their area of speciality. As a School committed to its Christian values, we teach our students to show love and tolerance to one another regardless of their background. Our teachers are of different faiths and we are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against applicants of other faiths in their hiring process or employment.
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10. Do teachers live on campus, and would there would be opportunities to become involved in student life outside the classroom in sports, extra-curriculars, etc.?
Most of the teachers and support staff are provided on campus housing which embodies a homely atmosphere for the students in residence as the teachers play a parental role in their lives. Some teachers are provided housing off-campus which is very close and a walkable distance to the main campus.
Our school is based on Christian values and we encourage our teachers to be role models and to take an active interest in mentoring the children in their care. The school is co-educational and we have a responsibility to parents to teach and educate their children with the highest morals and values.
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