Job Discussion Forums

[ironopolis]

[Noelle]

Do only certain schools participate in this NET scheme?

Are these jobs considered the better jobs in Hong Kong?

[Smoog]

[Noelle]

What does ESF stand for??

[Noelle]

just found the answer in another post! Sorry..

Thanks for the advice. I'm still really looking to work in a school for talented and gifted children.

I'm also kind of curious about the type of discipline that takes place in Hong Kong schools. I'm sure it varies from school to school.

We had a native Hong Kong teacher come here to teach elementary music in the public school and she was borderline abusive. The kids were scared of her. She said this was common in Hong Kong. True?

[once again]

Could you expand a bit more on what you consider to "border line abusive"? What did this woman do? I have worked a long time in HK schools and can make a comment if you give me a reference point...

[Noelle]

She shouted at them for crossing their legs and not sitting up straight and attempted to hit them on the tops of their heads but that is not allowed in most public schools.

She expected them to sit quietly and attentively for 45 minutes in a music class and they were only 5 and 6 years old. I don't know that this constitutes "abuse" but when I worked in China, kids were out of control and didn't seem to ever have been subjected to this kind of classroom management.

Mind you, this was a private school where parents paid a fortune to put their kids into a room with a native speaker to babysit and entertain them for 2 hours.

This Hong Kong music teacher said that this kind of strict discipline is normal in her school.

[once again]

Teachers are not allowed to use corporal punishment in Hong kong. It is not unusual for teachers to shout at the kids here, and that includes western teachers. Often it is the only way a teacher can be heard over the noise of big loud classes! Hong Kong is quite strict about what physical kinds of punishment can be given. Standing up etc. is limited to very brief periods. Personally, I have seen teachers here who I thought went way to far in their discipline of the kids. But most of the time, in my experience, the kids are given a lot of respect by the teachers. Principals and administration showing a lot of respect to the teachers is a different matter all together however

[root555]

I've only been in HK for a little over a month- but I'd say it's definitely worth it. It's hit and miss in terms of the $ you get from work here, but compared to Korea (where it is true that the $$$ is good,) I'd say it's 100% better. Despite the earning potential in Korea, there is honestly nothing to see, Koreans are very rude and xenophobic (more so than in HK- imagine not being let on buses, having ple spit at you, or not being allowed into certain internet cafes because you're not Korean,) and you will experience TONS of heart ache from your employer. This is regardless of them being a public school or hogwan. It's VERY common in Korea for ple to not get health insurance, not get paid on time, if at all, not getting vacation time despite it being written in the contract, among other things. I know that these things can happen in HK as well, but compared to Korea, I'd say 70% of the teachers I knew there dealt with this and worse (passport being taken away, threats, ect.) Steer clear of Korea, whatever you do. That's my advice.

[foster]

Worth it? Everyone is different but from my POV, it sure is.

I have a great school. I have been in HK for 5 years. I enjoy my kids and my job most days. The salary is good and I feel that I get through to my students more often than not. I am in a Band 3 CMI school, so it is not the cream of the crop, but they are great kids. My panel is good and the English staff is friendly. I like it.

I have also met some of my best mates in HK while being here, so that makes it worth it for me as well.

I also went through 2 not-so-good school before I found this one.

[Serious_Fun]

[foster]

My first one was like that. VERY much so. I avoided her.

My last panel was too nice and not very effective,if you ask me.

[Noelle]

Thank you to whomever got this thread going again. I started it awhile ago..

Anyhow, I am still considering making a move to Hong Kong. I have a Masters in TESOL and will have had more than 3 years of experience when I am finished with my current contract.

I do not want to work with children. Can I avoid them in Hong Kong?

Also, what kind of jobs could I pursue with an M.A. in the field?

[Serious_Fun]

[11:59]

How did you get a Masters in TESOL if you still do not even have so much as 3 years of experience in the relevant field? In other words, what sort of MA in TESOL is that? How could a novice in an area get an advanced degree in that area? What sort of institution would allow that? These are the sort of questions you will have to answer in the parallel universe/Twilight Zone otherwise known as Hong Kong.

It is quite challenging to avoid teaching kids in HK now; even universities accept them. Somewhat shamefully in my opinion, the Baptist University of Hong Kong recently accepted a nine-year-old lad as a first year undergraduate student, thereby further destroying any semblance of a normal childhood the boy might have otherwise had:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6961865.stm

Okay, so the boy is somewhat advanced in Maths, but even so, why could he not have simply had extra Maths tuition? After all, he is hardly a Turing in the making; he is not that advanced. What about all other (equally important) academic disciplines? What about his overall cognitive development? What about the necessity for and/or desirability of peers of a similar age?