Job Discussion Forums

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

Is their anyone that would like to share experience with TMC of Beijing as they have offered a friend of mine a position and I have found that the location is not in Beijing but rather in Chong Ping. The pay offered is good but from reading on the Job Informaitonal Journal may be a "bait and switch" routine...any info would be useful and as they have schools located else where..any info will do...

stavrogin2001 · Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 92 Location: Liaoning

I have a friend that recently worked at TMC. Not in Beijing, but another of its many schools. At first he, and me through talking to him, were under the impression that the Singaporean schools in China were trying to bring education, structure, and organization to the ESL that is overwrought with anarchy and mistrust in China.

In the end under Singaporean <wanna-be Chinese> management, it came down to the same bottom line that it always seems to in China. They wanted to make a lot of money and didn't care how.

On the same note I worked for the Boustead operation in Tianjin. Although the foreigners that are given some power to manage the teachers and school are great, it is really just another Chinese school that has seemed to be franchised out, because it is totally run by Chinese in a Chinese way. In fact if you ever want to see how intune Boustead is with education, do a google search about Boustead. You will find the company knows almost nothing about education, but it is rather a Singaporean company in China trying to cash in on the English wave,

Beware of the "oh they are foreign" schools in China. Like beauty, it is only skin deep, 6 months into a contract you will really see how western a lot of them are.

Lastly, a lot of them offer good money, but in China nothing comes without a price, you will work for it. Usually 5 eight hour days and maybe a half-day weekend.

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

Thanks for the reply..I read another post in te Job Information Journal about this outfit and lately there has been some wafering on pay...it seems good at first but wondering how long the "honeymoon" last...true, many of the "partner" schools are a long way from the cities they are advertised to be in but the pay seems to make up for this...do you or anyone you know actually work for this outfit as I would like to get it stright from the horses mouth...

stavrogin2001 · Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 92 Location: Liaoning

As afore said I do not know anyone at the Beijing school, but only at the other locations.

Sorry I cannot be more helpful in this area. I would say ask the school for a reference. They ahve to give you a telephone number or email address of someone there.

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

Actually, TMC is not very forth comiing with information and my friend doesnt want to appear asking questions before he is sure about wheather to accept the job or not...he is not an English teacher and is from Singapore so he is intimidated by Chinese Singapore staff. I had a couple of PMs and have learned that TMC has "partner" schools in several cities to include an office in Shenyang (spellin). Most of their staff are new and don't know much in the way of Admin skills. That is about it..thanks for your input

stavrogin2001 · Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 92 Location: Liaoning

I think the Shenyang staff is all new because they lost all the staff they had before the Singaporeans came in and totally revamped everything. I am familliar with the Qingdao one as well. It seems a little better managed, but the worst I have dealt with was the Beijing main office. It seems the Singaporean supervisors and their Chinese counterparts do not communicate very well. I do not know about in Singapore, but here where the Singaporeans come over it is the same old Chinese bag of tricks, information is power and the leaders are hording it.

Your friends attitude about the situation is a good example. The Singaporean managers expect all others to quake before their presence. So if you have any real ideas or opinions like TMC says they are interested in hearing, they will be just like the Chinese in most administrative environments, very closed minded. It is very top down.

To be honest this whole thing has made me sad. I have been in China for 4 years now and have seen few programs I feel are really putting education first. The Canadians, Americans, Chinese, Singaporeans, and the Australians seem to be more concerned with making money then creating a solid base for education.