Job Discussion Forums

[MESL]

Sent this to Zhao Xinying, China Daily reporter in response to his article about foreign teacher salaries.


I just read your article in China Daily about foreign teacher salaries. The problem is not the income, the problem is the cost of living. When I first arrived in China in 2002, an express bus from Nanyang to Zhengzhou was 75 yuan. A few years ago, it was 100. I'm sure it's much higher now. When I was in Beijing during the Olympics, a carton of my favorite brand of yogurt was 8 yuan. I have stopped eating this brand because it's now almost 16. When I visited my hometown 3 years ago, a roundtrip plane ticket was 8000 yuan. Today, I bought a roundtrip ticket from Zhengzhou to Los Angeles and the price was 12,000. Are you getting the picture? Now, here are 2 things about the financial situation of foreign teachers you probably don't know. First, when they visit their hometown, they are spending a Chinese income in the American economy. The exchange rate is about 6 to 1 and the cost of living in America is much higher. So they burn through their savings pretty quick. By contrast, when a Chinese person visits their hometown, their financial formula doesn't alter. Second, foreign teachers pay for a lot of visa expenses and are not reimbursed by their school. This often requires a trip to Hong Kong, one of the most expensive cities in the world. Also, Chinese visas for American passport holders are very steep. Again, a Chinese citizen does not incur all these expenses to be employed in China. Meanwhile, the administrators of the schools frequently cause visa problems though neglect or incompetence. Usually, the foreign teacher must solve the visa problem by spending a lot of money. Here's another factor. When a foreigner travels internationally to work in China, they must ship their bags at international postage rates or pay airline overweight fees. By contrast, a Chinese person takes all their bags on the train or pays domestic shipping rates. Westerners are often a third taller than the typical Chinese person, so they have to travel to Beijing or Shanghai to shop in special markets to find clothes and shoes their size and pay higher prices. They also have to travel to big cities to be treated by English speaking doctors trained in western medicine, and again, the price of that medical treatment is much higher. So there are a lot of hidden costs to being a foreigner employed in China. So the problem is not how much they are paid, but how much they spend.

[nomad soul]

In reading your response, I began to wonder why you bother to work in China if it's such an expensive hassle?

[Jmbf]

I disagree with several points in your post.

Over time prices will go up everywhere - it's called inflation. True, some places have higher rates of inflation than others but still, it's not unexpected. And of course it's also understandable that foreigners would have higher costs of living in a foreign country as they don't have the network of contacts and knowledge that locals have. Also, let's not forget that they have CHOSEN to move and work there. If you want to move somewhere to take advantage of the opportunities available to enhance your career or earn some money, you should also be aware of the costs involved.

I'm of the opinion that you should always focus more on ways to improve your income as you only have a limited time to maximise your earning potential. Focusing too much on the costs means your attention is not on the ways that you can improve your situation. China still seems to be a good place to earn decent money if you work hard and work smart.

[rioux]

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

"... Second, foreign teachers pay for a lot of visa expenses and are not reimbursed by their school. This often requires a trip to Hong Kong, one of the most expensive cities in the world..."

I've never had to go to HK to get my Z visa. This is an expense for which prospective FTs choose to pay when they arrive in China on speculation.

Where were you born?

[Jmbf]

[bograt]

[Jmbf]

[bograt]

[Jmbf]

[bograt]

[Jmbf]

[asiannationmc]

[bograt]

[Jmbf]