Job Discussion Forums

Caffee Family · Joined: 12 May 2014 Posts: 5 Location: USA - for now

Hello all,

I am a first time poster, longtime lurker on these boards. My wife and I have gotten a number of offers from schools in China, and I wanted to ask about one of them. The school is in Yantai, and its called the Peiying school. I understand it is a fairly new school.

If anyone has taught in this school or lived in Yantai? I would appreciate any information you can give me. They have offered me free tuition for my kids and a number of other great benefits.

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

Been there a couple times briefly so I can tell you it is not a bad city, popular in the summer. Sort of out on the peninsula so not the greatest rail and bus links. Fairly sure it has ferry connections to South Korea, Dalian and Tianjin though. Qingdao is a great city which is not too far.

Lots of Koreans and Japanese and not a lot of schools, so good side work abounds.

I like Shandong food "lu cai" and most Westerners like the style too. Think where you will be it is called Jiaodong. Lots of fresh seafood and a lighter taste.

You may want to get the name of the Chinese owner and search on that. Some of the shiftier owners will reopen under new names once they have exploited the students and staff to the point of no return. Make sure, especially if they are a new school, that they get you full visas before you go.

Good luck and enjoy.

Caffee Family · Joined: 12 May 2014 Posts: 5 Location: USA - for now

Thanks for the city info. Yeah, I have run into the problem of people wanting you to work on an illegal visa, both in China and Korea. Will search the owner like you suggested. It is an international school, so I hope that means it has a higher standard...

toteach · Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 273

We were courted by them, too. Seems that the school split up a year or so ago, and each owner took part of the school with them, each creating a new school.

From my understanding, there are no western students in this "international" school. The students are Korean, and the curriculum will shortly be American. Common core? Doubtful. They don't even know where to get their materials, but the parents are demanding the American curriculum, so the owner is desperately trying to comply.

toteach · Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 273

Oh, and in China (and perhaps elsewhere) ANY school can put "International" in their name and it means nothing.

Are they IB accredited? This alone should tell you something.