Job Discussion Forums

[Izzy215]

Hello,

So, my husband and I have both been offered a job through Sunny's English Club for the Mianyang Foreign Langauges School in Sichuan province. We know that Mianyang was hit rather hard by the earthquake back in May so we're looking to find out about the school and the city itself as it is now. Has anyone heard about this school? About the city? Or about Sunny's English Club? Any insight would be great.

Thanks.

P.S - I tried to the search engine but it didn't work for some reason on my computer so if there are other topics on this I wasn't able to access them.

[North China Laowei]

Dear Izzy,

First the city-in-question was at the epicenter of the earthquake last spring -- the very epicenter and destruction was very widespread. I cannot imagine, even in China with all the resources and people that the federal government is throwing into the rebuilding project, that the city has been rebuilt in such a short time. Additionally after the earthquake it suffered serious flooding as an after-effect.

It was, in the old days, a rather grimy high tech area. It is also one of the main centers of the Chinese defense industries and as such if you work in this city you need to exercise more discretion than in other places in terms of what you say and what you do. If you were to wander into certain manufacturing areas of the city, you might be surprised to know that they are closed to non-authorized persons, particularly foreigners. The Chinese Academy of Science has a major output there for research into nuclear energy and fusion.

Unless you have an extremely strong stomach for human suffering (remember that a good amount of the children that perished in the earthquake under improperly-built schools perished in this very city) and for a citizenry that is just eeking by, why oh why would you choose this city?

[vikuk]

Not just ordinary defense industry - but also work related to nuclear defense. Mao moved much of the countries defense infrastructure into the mountains of Sichuan in preparation for WWIII - some other "defense" areas notably the fantastic Dadu Gorge at Jinkou - are closed to foreigners. When the quake struck there was a lot of panic about possible nuclear contamination - but of course we have no real answers with regard to whether that panic was well-founded or not!!!!!

[Izzy215]

Hello North China Laowei,

Thanks for the input. I wrote a paper on the Sichuan earthquake so I have an idea as to what we might be facing. The other information about discretion I was already aware of as well as the areas that might be closed to non-authorized people - why should we expect otherwise? It's not as if non-authorized people can wander around high security areas in the West!

As to a reason why we would consider choosing this school, if we did, would be to help those who have been affected, especially the children who have survived.

I should point out we have NOT made our decision yet and even when we have we will not be moving to China until the summer of 2009. I want to get some insight now so as to help me, and my husband, decide if we want to move to Mianyang or to accept another school's offer.

Anyone else have any thoughts? Thanks.

[North China Laowei]

[Izzy215]

Hello again NCL,

Thank you again for your input. You have brought up some very important points about the education infrastructure and the difficulty of parents being able to provide the funds to pay for their children to go to school, especially a private school, along with how the housing infrastructure has been affected.

I was sent a little blip about the school and how many students it has, though I do not know how recent that information is. I have seen pictures of the school and the school looks very nice, but I can not say whether or not these are recent pictures or not.

I have also been given information about the housing that would be provided for my husband and myself. It is basic, but has everything we would need.

I could always ask for pictures of the housing and whether or not there are teachers at the school I could talk with - would this be advisable though?

[brsmith15]

I'm not certain of this, but you mght be inundated with beggars. Many women wrap fake-blood towels arounds their kids' heads and beseech you unmercifully. The other bothersome bunch are little old ladies who hang onto your clothes and just won't let go or leave you alone. You give to one and a hoard of these furies descend on you.

Like I say, I'm not sure, but given the aftermath, I can't expect you'd be free from panhandlers.

I certainly admire your purpose. The world needs more like you!

[Izzy215]

Thank you the compliment, brsmith15! We are merely trying to do what we feel is the right thing to do while being cautious at the same time.

I would expect beggars, especially those who go to the extreme. I should mention, if I haven't already, I have lived in China before. I lived in Guangzhou, Nanning and Shanghai. I have run into beggars before and while it is difficult it is something that has to be dealt with. My concern is more for my husband who hasn't been to China ever. Hasn't even been out of the country yet. And yet, he is more then willing to accept this job offer if we are not offered any other ones.

[vikuk]

Izzy - I live in Sichuan - we can see earthquake damage on the mountains from the windows of our home. You can see my posts about the earthquake in the sticky on the China non-job forum.

If you think you're going to city like Mianyang - teaching in one of the elite schools for the cities wealthier population � to help poor children overcome the quake - then I�m afraid you could be rather disappointed.
It was the poor who suffered enormously during the quake - corrupt officials allowing corrupt construction firms to offer bribes in order to build schools for the poor that collapsed like sand during the quake. And what do these corrupt folk do with their money - well of course - one thing is to send their kids to the best schools - the type that didn't fall down, and can afford to hire a foreign teacher

And those poor kids who really did suffer � they still can�t get into any elite schools.

If you really do want to help Chinese children - you don't do through recruiters like Sunny's English Club!!!! Try looking up NGO's that have on-going projects in the quake area.

[North China Laowei]

[vikuk]

The destruction in Mianyang city - was slight compaired to that in nearby rural areas - just like Dujiangyan, Deyang and other large quake hit towns on the edge of the shock area - it's now up and running, I suspect almost as normal. Where the wealthy live - things always seem to get mended quicker!!!!
By the way that motorway connection - no probs - tourists are now using it to get to Jiuzhaigou and Songpan - the old route that went via Dujiangyan - still totally down.

[lionheartuk]

I worked at the school you have been offered a job at. I bought out of the contract after one semester. My advice is to refuse. Sunny's is not in my opinion, a reliable agency and they took over the contract for the school from another agency in Chengdu.

Not many foreign teachers stay there for a full year because of the attitude of the school's leaders. One teacher did a full year but only to get his bonuses. I was made to feel that I was a bad teacher because the feedback was negative and always a month late.

The Chinese teachers were only available when it suited them so I could not discuss any lesson planning with them. then they had the nerve to say I didn't try to speak to them. That meant I could be doing a lesson that was too difficult for the students but I would not be informed until the next monthly meeting.

Resources consisted of a blackboard and photocopied work. Class sizes averaged 40 students.

My apartment was off campus 10 minutes walk away. Noisy, cold in winter, concrete floor and roaches. I had to pay all utilitity bills including internet and television all from less than 4000 a month.

The shopping centre is a 20 minute bus ride away then a 15 minute walk from the bus stop at journey end.

I had always wanted to teach in Mianyang but the experience disappointed me. I have since worked in two schools. The first one want me to go back next year and my current school want me to stay another year.

[arioch36]

Vikuk

[Izzy215]

Thank you to everyone for replying. I will take what has been said into consideration. I am going to answer a few questions placed before me.

First, I have not lived in a real natural disaster zone do I know if I could handle living in a real natural disaster zone. I would like to think I could. Nnot because I am coldhearted or what not but because I think I would bee more compelled to try to help then shy away, but who knows for sure unless they have experienced it? Furthermore, I would want to bring my husband to the country I considered my second home by exposing him to an area for badly hit.

Secondly, thank you lionheartuk. Your information is very useful to me in helping me - and my husband - decide our course of action.

Thirdly, as much as I would love to volunteer my time and services to an NGO or other such organization. Nor could my husband. Not all of our time least ways. The reason being we are not able to move to China without earning a salary. We are moving to China to live, work and eventually to study (for myself). One day, once we have saved enough money and are settled enough, perhaps we will volunteer all our time. For now, we are looking for jobs.

Thank you very much again, if any of you have any suggestions as to where a young couple might be able to find work please feel free to contact me.

Izzy

[cfocpamba]

I worked at this school. I was not paid any salary or reimbursed any travel expense.