Adec acts to ease paperwork

ABU DHABI // After complaints from some of the hundreds of newly appointed expatriate teachers that they were being left without paperwork or communication, education officials have set up counters they say will smooth out the process. 

Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) has set up help desks at its Al Ain and Abu Dhabi headquarters to deal with legal procedures and process documents. Many of the 1,000 teachers hired at the start of this academic year were left without their passports for several weeks and have had accommodation difficulties.

The counters will be open every weekday from 3pm to 6pm until at least the end of the month. They will help the new teachers with visa procedures, authentication of documents, family visas, driving licences, ID cards, travel services, tickets for dependents, official letters for banks and other problems. Andrea Johnson, one of the new teachers, said she had been pleased with the transition from America to Abu Dhabi. "I got my passport from the counters in Abu Dhabi last week," she said."I really appreciate what Adec has done. They've been working overtime to help us."

Another teacher, Rihana Shahid, said she felt fortunate not to have suffered as much as some of her colleagues. "The only major complaints I hear are about housing," she said.

 osalem@thenational.ae