Job Discussion Forums

toiyeuthitmeo · Joined: 21 May 2010 Posts: 213

So I've got mates working at a few big name schools and have gained a kind of concerning picture about pay. If anyone on the inside at these places has info to the contrary, by all means, chime in. The big picture I'm getting from this is that these schools are surely looking at what each other are getting away with in terms of cost cutting in salary, and copying each other. I don't know what the work force can do to influence these trends--probably nothing-- but thought you guys might like to hear about it.

RMIT- Will soon require the Educator (the second tier, higher paid teacher role) to have an MA. Current Educators who lack an MA will take a pay cut. Teachers without an MA or DELTA will move to a new "lower pay scale." A DELTA will get you on a higher pay scale.

ILA- Eliminated pay incentive for DELTA holders

ACET- Has removed pay incentive for DELTA holders

WALL STREET- Has been headhunting DOSs and AMs from established schools who are making in excess of 70 million per month, and having the balls to offer them 40 million guaranteed with "10-30 million monthly performance incentive possible)

mushroom_season · Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 42

Things are flat real flat. There is collusion with the big name schools to keep wages down. No doubt about it. Best to make your earnings like a sponge cream cake. What keeps you alive is the sponge. What makes it worthwhile is the cream. So mix privates in with the official income to make life work for you.

skarper · Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 477

Disturbing but hardly a new trend.

Teachers are underpaid already - this leads to a lack of high calibre applicants for jobs and a wastage of the better, experienced teachers who cannot remain in the industry long term.

Basic wage for a CELTA qualified teacher should be about 3000USD a month for a 20 hour work week. DELTA/Dip qualified should get about 4000. Low level management/senior teachers should be on 5000 and should all have Dips.

This is for basic language school work. If you want people to teach IELTS or some special field within EFL then it ought to cost 500-1000 a month more.

Senior management should be on about 6000 a month.

The money IS there but is siphoned off by the school owners. Such is capitalism.

With the global economic situation - FAR FAR worse than anything you will see on the news - there is always a supply of desperate new blood willing to work for peanuts. In many industries people start out as interns and are not paid at all!

If only we could set up teacher owned cooperatives and cut these parasites out of the loop. Students would benefit and teachers would at last have the freedom and security to innovate and develop.

I know you'd have some really bad scam schools set up, but we do already.

What we don't have is anywhere we can honestly recommend to a Vietnamese student as high quality and value for money.

1st Sgt Welsh · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 12:45 pm Post subject: Re: Concerning pay trends

I'm With Stupid · Joined: 03 Sep 2010 Posts: 432

mark_in_saigon · Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Posts: 837

Agreed, the higher end is not moving up, in fact, generally, it is falling back.

I think this is really a pull from the glut of people trying to teach. Some are decent enough, most are just cannon fodder, but a lot of those young ones sure would look good if they dressed up. As so many of these “schools” rate appearance first, this means the low end is well served. Plus, we have some fairly professional nominal speakers of English as well, adding to the supply. Some of those may be better than our western backpackers and may be willing to work for 10 or less. I have no idea what the bottom is now, maybe it is free, we have some kids who pay to get the opportunity to volunteer, right?

At the low end and the middle, schools often do not know or care who is good. They can hire based on appearance, youth, and willingness to put up with difficult conditions (and low pay). Of course, we should all consider how most VN organizations hire for most jobs. So, naturally many of the employers we deal with share that cultural mindset.

From day one, I never expected this place to pay for my life here. I just took things that worked well, and moved on when they quit working. I have never taken a single dong from VN back to the west, and never intend to (well, maybe a few as souvenirs). Even though I am doing nicely here financially and have a low cost structure, I have no problem running through all my VN income. I could be a bit more careful, but I am not going crazy by any means.

I would not at all suggest this place for the teaching experience or for the income. You may survive, more likely your income will not cover any kind of credible lifestyle here for a year or two, and maybe never. Still, this can be a great place to live. But it is best to approach this like the VN themselves often do. Unless you have some great money making machine here (and teaching is not it), then make your fortune in the west and come back here to enjoy it. Your bucks sure go farther here IF you can get over the hump, say having 1,500 a month or so coming in rain or shine. Not from here, from there, wherever there is for you. Then, whatever you get from here, live it up, you are golden. Leave the Mickey Mouse schools for those gullible enough to work them. Get out there and have some fun, this deal is not going to last forever.