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Plan B
Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 266
Location: Shenzhen
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 Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 4:21 pm Post subject: Set a Standard for Private English Schools in China |
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On this forum and others, we often hear various horror stories about this school and that. Some complaints are minor, others are more legitimate concerns.
What constitutes a bad private school in China? What sets a good school apart?
I believe the minimum requirement is as such :
- At least 5000 RMB / month (Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai excluded)
- Accomodation or housing subsidy for a reasonably nice place
- No more than 20 hours of teaching (this includes demos and English corners)
- 2 days off per week, except for exceptional circumstances
- Appprox. 25 days' paid vacation per year
- Paid on time, and correctly
- Financial support if they choose to dispence with your services for any other reason than real, true misconduct.
I completely understand that a lot of teachers are in situations that surpass these criteria, however, I am sure that there are plenty of "second chancers" who have been screwed around in China. I include myself amonst these numbers |
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englishgibson
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 4345
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:52 am Post subject: Set a Standard for Private English Schools in China |
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| Quote: |
What constitutes a bad private school in China? What sets a good school apart?
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Hey mate, I think that the answer might be in your thread's heading there.
Cheers and beers |
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Roger
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:55 am Post subject: |
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I have two observations to add:
- One in favour of our employers: the minimum pay has been set
at RMB 2500 a month; this minimum has been in existence for
perhaps ten years now! (Say if you like it should have been
raised though I for one can't see any logical reason for such a
claim since the minimum wages for most Chinese haven't been
adjusted upwardly either).
- And in your enumeration of what constitutes a good package you
forgot airfare and legal employment (i.e. residence permit).
The rest seems to be acceptable. |
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vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:58 am Post subject: |
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how many hours you gotta do for that huge wallop of cash - 2.5 sounds like min if you do 7 hours a week  |
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englishgibson
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 4345
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:32 pm Post subject: Set a Standard for Private English Schools in China |
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"Minimum wage in China?"
Interesting observation, I must say. I didn't know there was a minimum wage in China. But if there is one and that has not been "adjusted" for a long time, that is a slap given the Chinese recent fast paced development.
| Quote: |
| airfare and legal employment |
Those above are two biggies, aren't they? How could the OP have forgotten that? Well, he's got two days off there, hasn't he/she (sorry)?
"A good school is a school that follows its set standards as it is in the thread's heading and a good school follows that set standards from the first day till the last day of employees' contracts."
Now, there are two sets of standards; one is what the employer wants from you and the other one what you want from your employer. And those two are a SET OF STANDARDS FOR A GOOD SCHOOL. They vary from school to school. Sometimes, we have to adjust to employers, but often they do not have to adjust to us.
Flight reimbursements, legal employment status, reasonable salary and working hours, accomodation or subsidy for it, reasonable vacation/holidays, academic support (in form of material, resources or advice), health insurance, clear job duties as well as teaching methodology and comprehensive performance feedback are to be looked at first of all.
By the way, a reasonable salary comes with resonable working hours as well as expected teaching techniques, in my opinion. Another words, if you are to teach 20 hours weekly of Business English, then your salary shall be adequately compatible with the area's market. Some areas in that case might offer 10,000 RMB monthly and some 6,000. It all depends. If you are to teach 12 hours weekly at a public school ("oral English), then your salary shall be adequately compatible as well. However, do not expect 10,000 unless you are in a major city or at a fine University then.
And there above are my two cents.
Cheers and beers |
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Roger
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:12 am Post subject: |
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| vikdk wrote: |
| how many hours you gotta do for that huge wallop of cash - 2.5 sounds like min if you do 7 hours a week |
What would you do with 91 unworked hours a week, vikdk? A waste, a total waste of time filled with endless supplies of beer and the requsiitie number of hours of sleep, right?
The minimum of working hours is set too at 14. Official, by the government.
Believe it or not, vikdk, there are westerners that work for a pittance in China, and they don't complain ten percent as much as you do. Not that I ask you to emulate them, nor do I.
In hindsight I have to say my post was a little off target since this thread is asking about remunerations and working conditions at PRIVATE places; the OP forgot to specify "Training Centres". Schools are usually public businesses, i.e. run by a government-owned branch.
I know private training centres overbid public employers. But it is misleading to think they are under any market force that dictates to them the salary or other bonuses.
I declined job offers in ZHUHAI, for example, for a number of years because the local payscale didn't follow the trends elsewhere in the province. On the other hand, some of the potential employers there made a very good impression on me when I visited their premises!
Since my application some 4 years have elapsed and the monthly pay has risen by only 20%; in toher locales pay has remained frozen and in still others it has actually returned to lower levels.
Still, nowhere have I personally ever been offered only mandatory minimum pay; however, many Chinese have seen their salaries stagnate at the same height, and some have not even been paid every month. |
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vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:34 am Post subject: |
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Don't worry I'm not complaining about my wage - and I really respect folk who go out to rural districts and help in poorer areas (got a feeling some of then earn even less than that min wage) - but those working in the big cities, who earn a pittance and line the pockets of their bosses at the same time - well I reckon that mandatory stuff could be used to an FT's disadvantage - unless of course there are FT's out there who enjoy making rich bosses even richer
finaly - Roger I must commend you on your princples regarding work ethic - you set a fine example to us all |
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Plan B
Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 266
Location: Shenzhen
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:50 am Post subject: Re: Set a Standard for Private English Schools in China |
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| englishgibson wrote: |
"Minimum wage in China?"
| Quote: |
| airfare and legal employment |
Those above are two biggies, aren't they? How could the OP have forgotten that? Well, he's got two days off there, hasn't he/she (sorry)?
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I did indeed forget airfare - a perfectly reasonable alternative is an end of contract bonus.
Legal employment, i.e. a Z Visa, I take as a given - providing you are working full time.
I suppose my point is not to distinguish between the legal and illegal schools - although the tightrope of legality is an extremely thin line - but rather schools who operate more or less within the law.
Another point - How many unpaid marketing events and paperwork would you consider to be reasonable on top of the contracted teaching hours? |
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vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:21 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| a perfectly reasonable alternative is an end of contract bonus. |
not too reasonable, since that bonus - in the Chinese workplace - is so often under threat - remember the chinese boss can also look at it as a bonus if he decides to cheat you out of it!!! Since rules protecting us arn't worth a Sh...., it only makes sense to get your money evenly over 12 months. |
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englishgibson
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 4345
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 10:16 am Post subject: Set a Standard for Private English Schools in China |
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I like that idea of getting your flight/travel expenses devided and included in your monthly salaries over twelve months. I guess few employers would agree on that, wouldn't they?
Bonuses can be treacherous with your employer having a hell of a number of excuses, and I agree that they are a bad idea.
Bonuses were once included in EF English First contracts (sorry to bring that unfortunate franchise up again), but from my experience never had been paid to EF staff members. My former employers argued that (as a Director of Studies) I had no justification for giving it to my staff. Well, I did, but in their opinion it was "insufficient" to them then.
Cheers and beers |
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