Job Discussion Forums

[Brooks]

hello,

I would like to know if there is a minimum wage at private high schools, and if there is a difference with public schools.
I was under the impression that it would be no lower than 250,000 a month. If so, is the 250,000 a month gross or net pay?

Also, what determines our pay? As far as I know it is our teaching experience, our educational background, and whether we are married and/or have children. But I wonder if there are other things. I think I remember being told that one factor in my pay was when I got my MA (in 1996).
I also get a housing allownce.

comments please.

thank you,

Brooks

[Glenski]

I'm sure there is SOME kind of minimum wage, and if you are offered 250,000 or less, you are being ripped off. Teaching high school is a far cry from eikaiwa, whose standard minimum pay is 250,000 to 280,000 yen/month. Expect high schools to pay about 100,000 more, plus additional benefits such as housing, transportation, and a research allowance. Schools will vary. Read my previous thread on public vs. private high schools.

What determines your pay is age and experience and how many members are in your family and (to a lesser extent) how far you live from school. In some cases it is also dependent on your qualifications (usually only with BA vs. MA degree). Another factor is whether you are full-time tenured or non-tenured.

[buffy]

Brooks,
i really think it depends on the school, especially if it is a private one. I know h.s. teachers at various schools around and it seems like everyone is on a different wage/contract. Some are on full scale the same as the Japanese teachers, some on a basic wage with no benefits for housing or family, others on a wage with housing and family allowances. Of course educational background is treated differently in different places as well. Regarding the place I work in and educational backgrounds, MA's and Phd's from non-Japanese universities are not recognized. In my department 8 of the 12 full-time Eng. teachers have an MA, only 2 of them from Japanese universities. However an MA's from Columbia, SIT, Ohio State, Indiana State and others are not recognized, yet those with an MA from a Japanese uni. are paid quite a bit more....funny, huh.
I am not sure if I really answered your questions or not, but there doesn't seem to be a standard as far as private high schools are concerned.

[Iwantmyrightsnow]

A bit busy to look up labor standards law at the moment but pretty sure the only minimum wage is one set across most industries at about 700yen per hour (changes depending on the prefecture).

If it is only 250,000 or less per month you are probably being ripped off. But maybe you haven't figured in the bonus. A lot (most) private high schools pay a bonus twice yearly.

[Brooks]

Actually I am not asking for myself.
Sometimes we have turnover at my school, and a teacher from Oz started in March. He said he gets 240,000 a month.
I have not heard of a teacher here getting that kind of pay a month. He is married and is 34. His wife will give birth next month. He was in JET for three years then worked in a public school in Ibaraki for two years.
He says the pay is too low and he is thinking of bailing.

Brooks

[Iwantmyrightsnow]

Are there any bonuses? It might bring the salary up to a decent level. How much are the hours enforced? Is he full-time or part-time. I know some part-timers earning the same (teaching around 15 hours per week over 4 or 5 days) but they also get a bonus that takes the salary up to 3.6 million per year. They also aren't required to be there on non-teaching days. Full-timers earn much more but are required to be there on sports days, all exam days etc.

Before he bails he should check on the bonus. And he should consider talking to the school and explaining his financial position. They may be planning to increase it significantly in the second year. Some schools do that.

[guest of Japan]

Brooks, if he is hired directly by the school and he gets no bonus then that is embarassingly low. I make considerably more than that working through a company. My coworker is on a part-time contract directly from the school. He makes a bit more than me, but has to be at work less hours. Unfortunately for him, he hasn't had a raise in 7 years.

My previous postition paid 250,000 with a free house, no bonus.

To my knowledge there is no established minimum wage, but the salary is usually superior to working in public schools.

I should hope that he is also paid for vacation times at full pay.

[lajzar]

At my private HS, the pay is on a scale from 3.3 to 4.4 million yen per year. Heavily subsidised apartments are available, and a subsidy is offerred if you live outside school accomodation. No particular bonuses beyond that I am aware of beyond that.

[Brooks]

we get bonuses twice a year. The thing is the first bonus is always small.
Anyway I don`t want to hear his complaining.
He decided to come. If he quits during the term, I am rewarded with more work.

[Brooks]

we get vacation pay too.
We are both full-time. We have to be at school M-F from　8:20-4:30 and Saturday from 8:30-12:00
We can use our sick days to get days off.