Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

University Vacation Weeks?
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> China (Job-related Posts Only)
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
ETA



Joined: 14 Jun 2010
Posts: 60

PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 4:28 pm    Post subject: University Vacation Weeks? Reply with quote

What is the normal range of vacation weeks to expect from Chinese universities?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Javelin of Radiance



Joined: 01 Jul 2009
Posts: 1187
Location: The West

PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A few foreign teachers at our school started vacation this week, a couple of others next week. Depends on when you finish your exam. Winter vacation goes till end of February this year, so that's eight weeks and a bit. Summer vacation is another eight or nine weeks. Other schools may be slightly longer or shorter. Then there's all the national holidays interspersed throughout the year. All in all they're pretty generous no matter how you slice it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I suggest as a start point for planning your year in China , you print off the 2012/2013 Chinese calendars from here:
http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?country=41
Your university holidays will be based around the official holidays.
As you get close to 'red letter' days ask the FAO for clarification of both days off and importantly class make up* days.
Likely as not, the FAO will not be able to tell you. They know, but will not want to be seen to be preempting the announcement by the college president.
In these situations also ask your students as they will have the information and be cheerfully booking their bus tickets home.
* Make up days seem to annoy FTS who believe the Chinese education system should be organised around them.
A make up day or days could mean for example working Saturday and Sunday and then having 7 straight days off.
Example: There are public holidays on Monday and Tuesday. In order to give students a chance to go home, say Thursday and Friday classes will be held on the Saturday and Sunday preceding. The Wednesday classes will just be 'dropped'.
It makes lesson planning difficult, as in this example the classes you normally see on Thursday, you will see again on Saturday.
Your Wednesday people will miss a week and if you have planned the semester down to the wire you will find things getting cramped.
In summary, the whole deal is designed to create usable (7 days) of time off for students, which wouldn't happen if the thing was taken as a Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues 'long weekend'.
Student travel is typically bus or train not air so two or 3 days of the 7 may be given over to the journeys home and return.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Shroob



Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339

PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 11:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Finished classes yesterday, don't start again until February 26th. It's going to be a good holiday!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 11:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Point of interest Shroob.
Assuming it's paid holiday - are you normally paid in cash?
If so, how how does the school pay you if you re off-campus traveling somewhere?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Javelin of Radiance



Joined: 01 Jul 2009
Posts: 1187
Location: The West

PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 12:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

People still get paid in cash? You don't have direct deposit?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 1:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep - people still get paid in cash.
The background to my post was at my last school they paid in cash.
When the Spring holiday rolled around the FTs asked if at least one of the pays could be banked - or paid up front before the break. The upfront idea wasn't taken seriously.
All FTs were traveling and being able to access their pay from ATMs around China was a plus.
FTs were given impression that it would be arranged but it wasn't.
Result was hasty reorganisation of trips when the money didn't turn up.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Shroob



Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339

PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 2:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Non Sequitur wrote:
Point of interest Shroob.
Assuming it's paid holiday - are you normally paid in cash?
If so, how how does the school pay you if you re off-campus traveling somewhere?


Yes, it's a paid holiday. No, my money goes straight into the bank, so travelling's not a problem (I plan to travel through Guangxi and Yunnan for the majority of my holiday. I can just use any ATM to withdraw money). Though my airfare reimbursement/travel bonus are always paid in cash, but I've already received them.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ETA



Joined: 14 Jun 2010
Posts: 60

PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 6:05 am    Post subject: Cash Reply with quote

Thanks for the reply!

Do the univs pay in cash to avoid having to pay taxes or some other reason? Also, if not paid in cash. Are English teachers exempt from paying income tax for the first 2 years like in Korea?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Shroob



Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339

PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 6:28 am    Post subject: Re: Cash Reply with quote

ETA wrote:
Thanks for the reply!

Do the univs pay in cash to avoid having to pay taxes or some other reason? Also, if not paid in cash. Are English teachers exempt from paying income tax for the first 2 years like in Korea?


It's probably something to do with avoiding tax (just like anywhere else in the world). Though, another reason could be the issue of legality. I'm not sure though.

English teachers are not exempt from income tax.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
lemak



Joined: 19 Nov 2011
Posts: 368

PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:30 am    Post subject: Re: Cash Reply with quote

ETA wrote:
Thanks for the reply!

Do the univs pay in cash to avoid having to pay taxes or some other reason? Also, if not paid in cash. Are English teachers exempt from paying income tax for the first 2 years like in Korea?


If you're asking about uni jobs, the average tax on those gigs is only like a buck or two a month anyhow. I wouldn't worry about it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 7:08 pm    Post subject: Re: Cash Reply with quote

ETA wrote:
Thanks for the reply!

Do the univs pay in cash to avoid having to pay taxes or some other reason? Also, if not paid in cash. Are English teachers exempt from paying income tax for the first 2 years like in Korea?


Over the three outfits who've paid me in cash I would say it is a combination of lack of sophisticated office systems, the need to keep everyone employed and also a status reinforcer. The payout guy quite likes to be seen (and it's done in the open office, even outside on the quad in one instance) as firmly in the box seat as far as the laowai are concerned.
Where applicable, I still paid tax on cash payments.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Miajiayou



Joined: 30 Apr 2011
Posts: 283
Location: Nanjing

PostPosted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 9:35 am    Post subject: Re: Cash Reply with quote

Non Sequitur wrote:


Over the three outfits who've paid me in cash I would say it is a combination of lack of sophisticated office systems, the need to keep everyone employed and also a status reinforcer. The payout guy quite likes to be seen (and it's done in the open office, even outside on the quad in one instance) as firmly in the box seat as far as the laowai are concerned.
Where applicable, I still paid tax on cash payments.


Yep. My previous two jobs used direct deposit, this one pays cash. The school is a mess, administratively, and the payout guy is such a pompous jerk. As long as the pay is on time and in full, which it is, I don't really care. I do worry about getting my bag snatched on payday though.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am still not comfortable toting wads of cash around.
The nearest BOC is 30 mins away and I can't get there soon enough.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
chinatimes



Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478

PostPosted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 8:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I am still not comfortable toting wads of cash around.


You just take it to a bank, put in ATM machine, done.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> China (Job-related Posts Only) All times are GMT
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

Teaching Jobs in China
Teaching Jobs in China