Job Discussion Forums

saigo · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Japan

Hi all,

I'm presently on the JET program in Japan and I teach at the elementary and Jr. High School level. I am applying for a p-net position for next year and was wondering what elementary school is like in HK... Is it serious? Or is it more about playing games and having fun?

Over here, we often have classes in the gym... And play a lot of "english games", although there is not much english content in these games! Is classroom discipline a problem in HK schools?

Thanks

Honky Nick · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 113 Location: Hong Kong

Hi Saigo,

I guess it depends on the school. I work at a Primary School and around the school, most of the classes seem quite serious. However, I'm lucky enough to be involved with a reading programme, which focuses a lot on involving the kids through songs, chants, games and working in small groups. This means that all the classes that I teach are not so 'serious', in the "sit down, shut up and do your work" sense of the word.

If you become a NET you should have some freedom to make the classes how you want them. Again, it will depend on your Principal and curriculum, but I think NETs are generally encouraged to make their classes 'fun'.

Discipline is a problem at some schools and not at others. Again, I think this will be a combination of 'luck of the draw' as well as your own classroom management skills. All of my classes are with co-teachers, which is a big help when you have 35 kids to control.

Nick

japanman · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Posts: 281 Location: England

Hello, I'm thinking about the same thing too. I'm in japan as an ALT, thinking of moving on. I've been here for seven years and don't want to becaome an old man here. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has lived in Hong and Japan. How do they compare?

Honky Nick · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 113 Location: Hong Kong

Hey Japanman,

I was actually in Chiba, Japan for a year while I took some time off Uni, and now I live in HK. Hong Kong and Japan are far more different than I would've thought beforehand. I've met a lot of people who've made the same trip you're contemplating and they've all commented on how different it is here.

For starters, teaching is more of a profession here. Japan is full of language schools but in Hong Kong there are more jobs at kindergartens, Primary Schools and Secondary Schools, both government and private. A degree and a TEFL qualifies you for most English teaching jobs, but the private schools require a Bachelor of Education or equivelant.

I found Japan to have a much bigger pub culture, although you can certainly find it in Honkers. People are much friendlier in Japan; Hong Kong has great mountains and decent beaches. You can have a better lifestyle in Hong Kong for the same wage. It's cheap to travel from Hong Kong and the holidays are better (depending on your job, I guess). I've found the red tape thicker in HK than Japan.

I'm not sure what else to tell you. Both places have their pros and cons, but if you're looking for a change, I'd recommend getting over here.

Nick

saigo · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Japan

Honky Nick, thanks for the replies...

I was also wondering what the P-NET workload was like. On JET, I "teach" about 2 or 3 hours a day, five days a week. It's pretty relaxed and I have time to study Japanese during the workday, no one really minds.

What's it like for most P-NET's?

Honky Nick · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 113 Location: Hong Kong

As with everything it depends on the school, but most P-NETs I have talked to, myself included, (yes that does mean I talk to myself) have about the same 'teaching time' as you have in Japan. I think there is some regulation that says you can only teach up to 26 35 minute classes a week. I could be wrong and I stand to be corrected because I've heard people complain of working much more than that.

There are also extra-curricular activities, but that's usually only one session per week. Hopefully you can get a school which isn't too full on. All the PNETs I know seem to work have pretty reasonable workloads.

japanman · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Posts: 281 Location: England

Thnks for the info mate. Sounds like quite a good deal over in Hong Kong. The culture there is more interesting to me than Japan. Been here a while now and i'm not bored of the place but.....

poof · Joined: 23 May 2005 Posts: 161

NET is quite different from JET. JET is more about being a cultural ambassador. With NET, the EMB hiring board has preference to real teachers who have all the teaching qualifications. I think NET is much harder as there are higher standards and a more rigorous teaching curriculum, but can be better in that many HK students will have grown up with a domestic helper from overseas, hence many kids will already know some English going into elementary school. The overall English level and discipline is on average higher in HK. But this is not applicable to all schools. Some schools could have very disruptive children, and even children with learning disabilities in them. Just like an above respondent said, though, it's a real lottery at which school you are placed in - but that's also true of the JET scheme.