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[The CFT Watchers]

The school itself is not actually in Putian but in an out-lying foothills area. Putian can be reached by bus but service is limited to 730am to 630pm. There is no airport in Putian the closest being in Xiamen or Fuzhou. There is train service and bus service. Reports from two teachers (one male, one female) are as follows:

A) School provides apartment on campus. The apartment is on the first floor of the boys dormitory. There is no lighting of the walkway to the door at night and the teacher is exposed to a huge school population. One apartment is equipped with a western toilet, hot water tank, washing machine, hot plate, table and chairs, hard straw bed, wardrobe cabinet. Apartment has A/C but heat is refused by the school in the apartments and classrooms. The other apartments are Chinese equipped and spartan. Windows are not screened and there is a mosquito and vermin problem in the building with mice and roaches. Reported to the teacher on campus to keep the windows open because the paint in the apartment might be toxic. Water is not potable even from the supposed drinking water faucet. Water must be purchased off campus. No plate under the door to the apartment and two inch gap. Environment is very windy and can be brutally cold in the winter time. Teachers walk way is not kept clean and has trash, filth, bird droppings, etc. Food is available for purchase either at the school or in the surrounding neighborhood. School has a giant loudspeaker atop one of the buildings that begins blasting distorted music, reveille, and short speeches beginning at 6am around every 45 minutes and not stopping until 10pm. The music plays for about forty minutes at lunch and dinner.

B) Teacher is responsible for 800+ students. Assistant is not provided and prospective assistants have all refused positions at the school. The students are broken down into 17 classes. Materials are not provided with the exception of one special class. Teachers are also required to maintain an "English Corner" class in addition to their workload. The teaching schedule can change day-to-day and teaching schedule changes have occured as late as 10pm at night for the next day. Teachers are under contract from an agency in Xiamen called Kidstar Education and a man named "Jack Ji" (refer to google). Both teachers have reported that their salary was cut for at least three months and that "Jack Ji" does not honor the contract in force.

C) Teachers have reported grave personal safety concerns. Students screaming anti-American rhetoric as late as 1030pm on several occasions. This is not restricted to the school property. Incidents have occurred outside of the school around and at the bus stop area near the school.

D) Students behavior in the school towards the foreign teacher is neither monitored or controlled. Students are indifferent to the classroom curriculum and are combative toward even basic discipline or control. The students English usage level is either negligible or non-existent. The students have "piggish" behaviors and often leave trash in the desks, old food, bottles, etc.. There is no school sanitation crew and the Chinese teachers do not clean up after the students.

[zacharybilton]

Obviously you are new to China and did no research before going to such a place, China. No red-carpet treatment and so you complain online.

[mysterytrain]

[zacharybilton]

Wow, the OP (name doesn't deserve to be repeated) seem to be on a rant against all schools and individuals. Another self appointed "union" maybe?

[mysterytrain]

I dunno, but I am rather dubious about the veracity of the claim that "they" are actually Chinese (or ex-Chinese) former teachers or staff of the company named. If true, my apologies for being a doubting Thomas, but ... it does not seem likely that Chinese employees would bother registering on an EFL site forum to complain about the way they and foreign teachers have been treated, so it does make me a bit suspicious ...

As to the username, it makes me think of something along the lines of "the Boxcar Children meets the X Files", but that's okay. I have fond though vague memories of reading the adventures of the former, back in the day, and less fond memories of watching the latter.

Then again, "zachary bilton" might just be Jack the Knave himself, who knows?

I doubt (there I go again) that many FTs are in danger of being ensnared by Jack and sent to the abysmal dungeon of "Putian No. 3 Middle School" anyway, but maybe this cautionary tale will scare off the few who might be tempted to "go there". Is "Jack" getting a fair or a bad rap / rep here? The Shadow knows ...

[buravirgil]

[mysterytrain]