Job Discussion Forums

[Aristotle]

[wix]

I find the Taipei Times article lacking in analysis of why the MOE has failed to recruit so many teachers. Aristotle, what evidence do you have to suggest that the reason the MOE didn't recruit enough teachers is because of Taiwan's labour laws? It could be due to a multitude of reasons such as not promoting the positions enough through its overseas offices, schools not being ready to accept the foreign teachers, opposition from local teachers or officials, etc.

[Ki]

I couldn't be bothered to do the article nor do the math. I do know that their is a lot of things that could account for costs other than the foreign teachers' salary. Advertising and recruitement should be a big factor here. It seems that they have spent way too much for too little benefit. Perhaps puting less faith in their chosen recruiter would have been better. Other factors like teacher orientation should account for some.

22 really is such a low figure but considering it being such a new venture we could assume figures to be a bit lower in the first year or two.

I really can't say one way or another about Taiwan's labor laws here. Volumes and volumes of complaints from foreign teachers about working here sure but how many from this particular program? If they only have 22 teachers then they could only get a possible 22 complaints maximum this year. Do you mean complaints about this program specifically or just generally working here. I could certainly voice a complaint or two but none, from my experiences, about the government program, except for the recruiter who issues it.

[clark.w.griswald]

In addition to the concerns mentioned by the two above posters, I think that there is abother concern.

My understanding is that in order to be accepted into the program, applicants must be qualified teachers back home, preferrably with experience teachin. Now, I can't see why a qualified teacher, with a job back home, would give that all up to come and work in Taiwan for a year.

There is one thing that I agree with Aristotle on, and that is that the positions should have been made available to teachers already here. This would have proved cheaper for the government, no doubt would have produced better results recruitment wise, and would have ensured a steady supply of teachers experienced in teaching in Taiwan.

I thought the comment by Ki about the chosen recruiter was a good point. I believe that IACC is involved with recruiting for the program, and considering the word that is out about that particular company, I am not surprised that few teachers made themselves available for the program.

[wangtesol]

Taiwan suffers from outrageous pollution problems. Most cities are ugly and just plain stink. However, for a country that is coerced into spending abuot half of it s budget on the military, that its cities function as well as they do might be some sort of testament to the Taiwanese.

However, I used to teach in high schools in Taiwan illegally, and I will not go back to Taiwan to teach illegally again. There is no recourse for teachers who are contracted out to schools if they have a labor problem, so you are at the mercy of your employer.

Further, Japan has pretty much screwed things up for Taiwan with its illegal public school outsourcing system. No doubt that Taiwanese officials are just copying the same outsourcing system in Japan, flouting the law and all.

There is a good discussion of this system in the Japan forum under "Korakuen". Really there ought to be a permanent message regarding illegal outsourcing in k-12 schools in Japan and now Taiwan.

[Miyazaki]

Taiwan is an extemely unattractive place for trained, licensed professional school teachers.

Taiwanese cities are chaotic, grey, drab, ugly and very polluted.

If I were a licensed teacher back in Canada, there's no way I'd come over here to teach under these conditions.

So I wasn't surprised when I saw the write up in the paper.

[killian]

they want "real" certified teachers. why would someone with a pensioned, guaranteed gov't job such as teaching in an elementary school stateside sidetrack their careers and retard their pension by going to work in taiwan?

surprisingly, there seems to be an over abundance of "real" teachers here in the US midwest. many young education grads can't find fulltime slots and serve as subs.

if taiwan wants to give me a "head hunter" fee i am sure i can help em out.

[jamesallan]

Perhaps the real problem is that IACC claim to be the official recruiters for public schools - therefore they paid the biggest bribe.

Incompetant & completely clueless

[Aristotle]

IACC is just the tip of the ice berg. MOE corruption is so wide spread it threatens to undermine education as a whole on Taiwan.