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Teaching Centre, HR, British Council, 49 Alfred House Gardens, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka

T +940114521515 E: mark.barnabas@britishcouncil.org

Section A
Information about the vacancy

Recruitment Responsibility Branch Manager Kandy Date 02 June 2017

Location Kandy, Sri Lanka Job code Full-time Teacher
Job Title Teacher Job Type Teacher
Start Date Closing Date 23 June 2017
Advertise job internal & external Number of posts 1

Advert Text including job Specific skills, knowledge, qualifications & experience

Located in the cultural heartland and former capital of Sri Lanka, the Kandy Teaching Centre is recruiting an Adult
Learning Cordinator to start work on 27 August 2017.

The British Council enjoys considerable prestige in Sri Lanka. The Teaching Centres in Colombo, Kandy, Jaffna and a
partner centre in Matara, represent one of the largest teaching operations in the British Council network, with over 6,000
students registered on courses each term. In addition to the Teaching Centres, there is a very successful exams business
and our libraries boast over 25,000 members.

Our centres in Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna combine libraries, Exams centres as well as the English teaching activity. The
Colombo centre also has the support services staff and Arts, Education and Society teams. These are centrally located
and receive large numbers of visitors. British Council Jaffna is located in recently refurbished premises, the Kandy centre
gone through a refurbishment project and the Colombo centre is nearing the end of an extensive building project. British
Council Sri Lanka is investing in providing excellent premises which are suited to best serve our customers.

This is your chance to join a dedicated team working in a small centre. As well as the opportunity to teach groups of highly
motivated adult and young learner students, we can offer opportunties to develop in academic and people management,
teacher training and materials development, an attractive salary package and, for qualified examiners, regular
opportunities to supplement this with IELTS/ESOL examining work.

Away from work, Sri Lanka provides teachers with a comfortable lifestyle and the chance to explore one of the worlds
most beautiful island destinations.

Internal candidates need to inform their current line manager and recruiting manager.

The British Council is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and is keen to reflect the diversity of UK society at every
level within the organisation. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. In line with the British Council's
Child Protection policy, any appointment is contingent on thorough checks. In the UK, and in other countries where
appropriate systems exist, these include criminal records checks.

Local restrictions on employment (if any)

All expatriate staff require a work visa and applications must be made prior to arrival in Sri Lanka. Please see the visa
requirements section at the foot of this document for further information.

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Section B and C

Information about the Teaching Centre: a brief overview and Job Overview

Location and facilities

The Kandy Centre is located in the centre of town on the third floor of a modern building and has 5 fully-equipped
classrooms, all with IWBs, and a spacious and well-resourced teachers room. In addition to this there is a study room
and library, where students can access learning materials. Furhtermore, the Centre plans to buy a class set of tablets /
iPads over the coming months.

Academic Year
The Kandy academic year, along with Colombo and Jaffnas, is divided into four 10-week terms and leave is taken
between terms.

Students
We teach both adults and young learner students from the age of 6 and up. Sri Lankans are cooperative, keen and highly
motivated students and its not unknown for an adult student to travel for up to 6 hours to get to class. Young learners in
particular tend to be creative and very enthusiastic. Teachers experience few behavioural problems.

Class hours
In the Kandy Centre most adults attend 5 hours per week, either for 2 x 2.5-hour lessons or 1 x 5-hour lesson. Young
Learners mostly come once a week for 1 x 2.5-hour lesson.

Courses, syllabus, assessment and materials

For adult students (aged 18 and above), we offer a range of integrated skills-based courses, each one designed around a
a can-do syllabus adapted from the CEFR as well as this there are speaking courses, and exam preparation (IELTS)
courses. All students are encouraged to use the self-study resources available. This is currently under review.

Our young learner courses (for 6 to 17 year olds) take a blended approach which combines language/skills-based input
with video or story book materials. These courses are very popular, with term-on-term reregistation rates of over 90%.
Again this programme is currently under review.

Teaching Centre Management team

While the Colombo-based TCM, Head Academics, Head Teaching Operations and four Senior Teachers are involved in
the management of finance, HR and academic programmes for all Sri Lanka Teaching Centres, responsibility for the
operational and strategic management of the Kandy centre lies with the Branch Manager Kandy, supported by the Adult
Learning and Young Learner Coordinators, a Registrar, an Intergrated Customer Services team, and up to 10 teachers.

The teaching team is a close knit and supportive group and can offer advice on all aspects of life in Kandy.
Up to
Teaching
Teaching Total no. 1150 Maximum Total no.
6 staff (PT & 4 20 5
staff (FT) students per class size classrooms
HP)
term

Section C

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Information about the terms and conditions of service (TACOS).

Contract Length 24 - 36 months Renewable Period none

Contract Type Network Recruited No. of Staff Managed none

Contract Hours 37.5 hours per week Contact Hours 25 hours per week

Annual Salary

The post holder will receive:

There is a 3 tier system in place. Salary given is per month.

Salary Core Higher Coordinator Allowances

Teacher
(expat) LKR 177,100 LKR 220,306 LKR 263,511 LKR 100,000
Teacher
(local) LKR 177,100 LKR 220,306 LKR 263,511 LKR 27,750

Placement on the tiers will be based on the following criteria:

Core teacher Celta/Trinity Cert + 2 years full-time teaching experience

Higher teacher Celta/Trinity Cert + Delta/DipTESOL (+ TYLEC)
Coordinator Celta/Trinity Cert + Delta/DipTESOL (+ TYLEC)

Allowances:

Expatriate Teacher combination of transport allowance + expat allowance.

Local Teacher this is based on local staff TACOS, and is a combination of transport allowance + medical allowance

In addition to this, 13th and 14th month salary payments are made in June and December of each year. This is pro-rated if
the post holder has worked for less than one full calendar year.

LKR 196= 1 GBP (June 2017)

Income Tax & National Insurance

Income Tax
Salary and all allowances are assessed as inclusive of any local taxes of whatever kind that may be levied by the
Government of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Government taxes and EPF (Employees Provident Fund) are deducted. EPF
and ETF (EmployeesTrust fund) can be reclaimed when you leave the country (with accrued interest).
Depending on the country of your residence before your arrival to Sri Lanka, you may be exempt from tax for the first two
years in Sri Lanka. However EPF contributions (8% of your salary) must be made.
National Insurance
UK Class 1 National Insurance payments may be compulsory for the first 52 weeks of this agreement. If so the Council
will pay the employer's share and will deduct the employee's share from your salary at source

Fares & Travel

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Economy class airfares for the member of staff and accompanying family members to Sri Lanka at the beginning of their
employment with the British Council.

Economy class airfares for the member of staff and accompanying family members on successful completion of their
employment with the British Council in Sri Lanka either directly to the country of their next posting with the British Council
or back to the UK.

The British Council will cover the cost of the visas, work permits and vaccinations required for you to take up your
employment in Sri Lanka.

Baggage Allowance

For staff recruited outside Sri Lanka:

Unaccompanied members of staff are entitled to an accountable baggage allowance of up to 1,200 on arrival in Sri
Lanka (unless they are already here) and on successful completion of their time with the British Council in Sri Lanka.

Members of staff who are accompanied by a spouse/partner/children are entitled to an accountable baggage allowance of
2,000 on arrival in Sri Lanka and on successful completion of their time with the British Council in Sri Lanka.

Note 1: Any claim for repayment under the terms of this clause must be made within 6 months of the members of staffs
arrival in post.

Note 2: Where a member of staff transfers to another British Council Teaching Centre on completion of their contract this
allowance is payable by the receiving centre.

Annual Leave Allowance

35 days paid + public holidays, approximately 10 days (to be decided )

Fixed periods of leave fall between terms.

Medical Allowance

For staff recruited outside Sri Lanka:

The post holder is covered by the British Councils Group Medical Insurance.

Expatriate staff who are recruited from outside Sri Lanka are entitled to BUPA medical cover for the two years of the initial
contract and maximum of four years (assuming contract extensions). The scheme covers medical, personal liability and
other items. Costs are reimbursed through BUPA or settled directly with BUPA approved hospitals. Additionally, the
scheme covers medical and hospital treatment, outpatient and family doctor treatment, repatriation costs, personal liability
and other items. Optical treatment is NOT included in the policy. Dental treatment is NOT included except in the case of
emergency treatment. Your accompanying dependents will be covered by the same plan. There is an annual 100
deductible, meaning every member who makes one or more claims will need to meet the first 100 of the costs
themselves each year.

For staff recruited in Sri Lanka, there is a local provision scheme.

Settling-In Allowance

For staff recruited outside Sri Lanka:

Unaccompanied members of staff will receive a settling-in allowance equivalent to 2 weeks salary to help then meet their
initial expenses on first arrival in Sri Lanka.
Members of staff who are accompanied by a spouse/partner/children will receive a settling-in allowance equivalent to 3
weeks salary.
You may also receive up to two weeks hotel accommodation and up to two weeks subsistence while looking for suitable
accommodation where this is not provided on arrival.

Accommodation Allowance

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Not applicable

Any Other Allowances

Not applicable

Additional Information

Recognition of previous service

Service in one British Council centre will be recognised as of equivalent value to service in the teacher's new centre.

First arrival
A meet and greet service will be provided on first arrival in Sri Lanka.

Country, City and teacher information

We are happy to send information or put you in contact with male or female staff if you would like to speak to somebody
about life in Sri Lanka. Please e-mail Kandy Branch Manager lucas.bak@britishcouncil.org who will try to answer your
questions or put you in contact with somebody who can.

Same-sex partners
Please contact us for information on the current situation in Sri Lanka.

Whilst the above information was accurate at time of writing, specific details and entitlements are subject to change.

The British Council is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and is keen to reflect diversity of UK society at every
level within the organisation. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. We guarantee an interview to
disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria.

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Section E

Information about the place

Country Overview

Selected by Lonely Planet as the Best Place to Visit 2013, Sri Lanka has a lot to offer. Escape from the major towns and
cities, many of which are dusty, noisy and crowded, and Sri Lanka deserves its reputation as a tropical island paradise.
Lush green paddies, palm-fringed beaches, tropical rain forest and rolling tea plantations are all packed into an island half
the size of England.
In the north, the Jaffna peninsula which was off limits for twenty years is now open to local and international tourism. The
dry zone in the centre and east includes the countrys traditional cultural heartland with its temples and ancient ruined
cities while the hill country offers spectacular mountain scenery and cooler air. To the west and south, the climate is wetter
and the lansdcape greener. As the land falls away towards the coast, densley-forested valleys give way to rice paddies,
palm groves and eventually to the beaches that have made Sri Lankas reputation as one of the worlds great holiday
destinations.
Sri Lanka had its share of problems in recent years. The 2004 tsunami brought massive destruction to coastal areas and
much of the island was directly or indirectly affected by a bitter and drawn out civil war. Today, the outloook is much
brighter. The physical scars left by the tsunami have healed and peace has brought a new mood of optimism along with
strong economic growth and opportunities for development in the north and east.
In spite of the increase in GDP and peoples wealth, Sri Lanka is still a developing country and anyone coming here
should bear that in mind, but standards of health and literacy are relatively high and local infrastructure is often basic but
improving.
The two local languages are Sinhala and Tamil and although knowledge of one or the other is desirable, you can get by
without either as English is widely spoken.
Sri Lankans are friendly and welcoming and Sri Lanka is generally a safe, quiet and pleasant place to live. Expatriates
generally enjoy a comfortable and stress-free lifestyle, with a good standard of living. While Sri Lanka is generally a safe
place, foreigners stand out and may receive unwanted attention, in particular women often experience sexual
harassment. If this concerns you we can put you in touch with a female member of staff in the centre to discuss this
further.
Please check the FCO travel advice for the latest advice:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/sri-lanka

City Overview

Although Kandy is the second largest town on the island (it has a population of around 150,000), it is very much a small
town, and very different from Colombo (in many ways much more Sri Lankan). It is very important in terms of religion as
the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth is located here, and it is a UN Cultural Heritage city which attracts large numbers of
pilgrims and local and foreign tourists all year round. It is not, however, a town of great social or cultural activity, and little
happens after dark.

Set amongst scenic hills around an artificial lake, its central location makes Kandy an ideal launching pad for visiting other
parts of the country. A car makes Kandy an excellent base for getting to know Sri Lanka and this post suits people who
are interested in exploring all that Sri Lanka has to offer.

The British Council has been in operation in in Kandy since 1960. The Teaching Centre is centrally located on the third
floor of a modern building. Although it is much smaller than the centre in Colombo, it has a large library with around 5000
members, a flourishing examinations department, and hosts occasional cultural events. The Study Room / Learning Zone
is an example of inter-departmental co-operation and is popular with local teachers, students and the general public.

Climate

The climate is tropical, although as Kandy is in the hill country the climate is more temperate than on the coast and it is
often quite cool at night. The average temperature is 26 degrees. It can rain a lot in the monsoon season between
October and December.

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Accommodation

A major attraction of living in Kandy is that it affords the possibility of a semi-rural lifestyle, while remaining close to the
facilities of Kandy town centre.

There is a reasonable range of accommodation available from small flats to large houses and rents vary according to the
size and location of the property. Most teachers pay between Rs 40,000 to Rs 70,000 per month for a 2 or 3 bedroom
house (often with a small garden) and most live a maximum of 15-25 minutes by trishaw from the Council. Patience is
advised on arrival as there are no letting agents or particularly effective websites to help with house hunting, but
colleagues are on hand to support and the right place always turns up within 2-3 weeks of arrival.

Most teachers hire domestic helpers for cleaning, laundry, childcare, gardening etc. Furnished accommodation generally
comes with ceiling fans, a fridge, cooker, beds and telephone as a minimum, and often much more.

General living costs & conditions

Salaries are very high by local standards and its possible for a single person or couple to live well, although this is clearly
dependent on your personal lifestyle and situation.

The cost of living is generally low, although imported products are sometimes much more expensive than they would be in
the UK. It is possible to employ a full-time maid at a cost of Rs 13,000 - 20,000 per month or to employ someone on a
once/twice-a-week basis (Rs.1000 per day depending on number of hours).

There are various factors that can affect cost of living significantly: IDD calls are expensive (although IP telephony means
that this isnt normally an issue) and eating and drinking imported food and wine (c. GBP 7-10/bottle) is much more
expensive than eating a rice and curry to go with a local beer (c. GBP 2 - 3 /bottle).

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Transport & Communication

Travel in Kandy
Driving in and around Kandy is typically chaotic, but with a calm approach is generally manageable. Some teachers have
used motorised trishaws to travel within and around the city limits and fares are reasonable, especially if you negotiate a
weekly rate with a regular driver. Many rickshaw drivers have mobile phones so you can easily contact them. Taxis/cars
with drivers can be booked over the phone.

Most teachers have cars or small motor bikes. A new scooter costs about GBP 600 and a second-hand car will set you
back upwards of GBP 5,000 (high import duties on vehicles mean cars are very expensive but hold their value well). It is
possible to get a vehicle loan from the British Council, and resale prices (even after a couple of years) are often as high
as purchase costs. The poor condition of the roads means driving can be costly in terms of repairs and serious care
needs to be taken at all times when driving to avoid sometimes dangerous situations. The great advantage of a car is that
it facilitates exploring the island, and makes day to day life in Kandy much easier. A couple of teachers recently rent new
Maruti Suzuki Alto cars for around 30,000 35,000 rupees per month on long-term deals.

City buses are cheap, but hot and often dangerously overloaded. There is a comfortable intercity train to Colombo and
back every day which at 2 hours is the fastest (and most picturesque) way to get there. Other places accessible by train
include Anuradhapura, Batticaloa and Trincomalee.

Communications
All teachers have mobile phones, either pre-paid or with a contract. Some houses have telephones and most have
international direct dialling. There are public telephones for international calls and numerous types of telephone cards.

All teachers have access to the Internet and email at home, and this is generally reliable and of reasonable speed
(depending on the package you buy, reflected in the cost). The monthly bill for an ADSL connection will range from Rs.
1,500-2,500 per month.

Many teachers invest in a satellite television system to get BBC, CNN, Star, ESPN etc (approx. Rs.2,500 per month for all
non-HD channels). Pirate copies (DVD) of the latest films and TV series are readily available.

General Health, Medical & Dental Care

The British Council will reimburse against receipts for those vaccinations currently advised by the FCO for people
intending to live in Sri Lanka. Contact E&E London for the current list.
Mosquitoes are a fact of life and although malaria is now judged to be absent from Sri Lanka by WHO, other mosquito-
borne diseases (notably dengue and chikingunya) are more common, especially during the rainy season, so prevention of
mosquito bites is important. There are locally available chemical and organic products for this but strong DEET-based
repellent is hard to come by. Stray dogs, cats and monkeys should be avoided as potential carriers of rabies.
In general, Sri Lankan doctors are good and many are UK trained.Visits to both doctors and dentists in the private sector
are very cheap by UK standards but its probably better to seek dental treatment before you get here.
Please check these websites for up-to-date informantion on health:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/sri-lanka
http://www.traveldoctor.com.au/files/editor_upload/File/fact-sheets/9115%20TD%20Health%20Fact%20Sheet%20Sri
%20Lanka.pdf

Job Opportunities for Partners

It is difficult for a non-Sri Lankan to obtain permission to take up paid employment except for posts where it can be shown
that there is no suitably qualified Sri Lankan citizen available to fill the vacancy. Spouses must realise that only in very
exceptional circumstances will an employer be willing to negotiate with the Controller of Immigration for permission to
employ an expatriate spouse. The fields where some chance of employment may exist for those who are qualified are
school teaching and English teaching.

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Schooling & Childcare

An advantage for all teachers, but especially those with young children, is that domestic help in the form of maids/nannies
is affordable (see cost of living above). In addition, private schooling is relatively cheap.

For families with older children, the cost of an 'international school' (really an English-medium school, where most of the
pupils will be Sri Lankan) is presently around 50-90,000 rupees per term depending on the childs age. There are 3 terms
in a year and the fees increase each year as the child gets older. All the international schools are co-educational, teach
through the medium of English and offer educational facilities from kindergarten to university entrance. The main school
attended by children of British Council Kandy teachers is Colombo International School Kandy, which offers UK Edexcel
GCSE and A-Level curricula for the fees stated above.

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Any Other Information (Shopping facilities, entertainment, leisure.)

Shopping
Kandy is a provincial town in a developing country and this can mean that the range and quality of goods can seem
limited. Shopping varies from the Kandy City Centre shopping centre (relatively recently opened and very popular) to Sri
Lankan style markets. Most items are in fact available in shops/supermarkets although imported items like cheese and
wine are limited in choice and expensive. Availability varies, and it is often advisable to seek advice about where to buy
things.

There are many shops selling attractive local handicrafts and fabrics with which you can decorate a flat. Due to the
thriving garment industry, there are also a number of outlets selling top UK/USA clothing labels at very cheap prices. In
general the cost of living is considerably cheaper in Kandy than Colombo, although the flip side is that the range of shops,
and goods in those shops is considerably smaller.

Leisure
Kandy is not known for its nightlife and quiet descends on the town in the early evening. However, there are one or two
restaurants and pubs within the town itself and some of the hotels also offer good Western and Asian-influenced meals.
There are a couple of fast food outlets (Pizza Hut and KFC) in the town centre. Many teachers are members of hotel
gyms/swimming pools (currently family membership of a five star hotel in Kandy comes to around 70GBP annually) and
some are members of the golf club, which is an hours drive from Kandy.

The relative lack of places to socialise, such as bars and restuarants, means that accompanied staff tend to enjoy Kandy
more, although there are a number of teachers who are here on their own. Kandys size means that incomers quickly
meet and get to know other members of the expat community, and this can afford a useful support network, and helps
with settling in.

Information on eating out in Sri Lanka: www.yamu.lk

Visa requirements

The Sri Lankan government has recently changed visa requirements.

1. Successful applicants will apply for an Entry visa in their current country before departing for Sri Lanka. We will provide
guidance and assistance through this process. It will take 1 month to acquire this visa and only after this point can you
travel. The Entry visa is valid for 1 month and once in country we will start the application process to convert the Entry
visa to a Residence visa Note: A Tourist visa cannot be converted to a Residence visa. Currently the Residence visa
application process can take between 2 weeks and several months. During this time, your passport will be with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Immigration so you should not plan any international travel during this period. At the
moment, the Residence visa is currently valid for 12 months after which your passport will have to go back to the
authorities for an extension visa. Again this will usually take 2 -4 weeks but in some cases has taken 3 months.

2. Successful applicants must have a passport that is valid for the full length of the contract from the contract start date
due to the fact that the visa validity is short and processing long. This also applies to an accompanying spouse or family
members.

3. Successful applicants must have at least 6 blank pages in their passport. This also applies to an accompanying spouse
or family members.

4. British Council can only obtain visas for single or legally married* teachers or teaching couples.
*The MFA will ask for original marriage certificates and notarised English translations (if relevant) to process the spouse
visa.

Whilst the above information was accurate at time of writing, specific details and entitlements are subject to change.

The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
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