Job Discussion Forums

[johnchina]

Having followed this thread, I have to ask how many of these regulations are actually new and how many are just re-hashes of pre-existing ones. I mean, the rules saying that you can be prevented from taking employment because you are anti-Chinese or have 'loose morals' are not new. Nor are the ones regarding non-completion of contracts.

I reckon this is mostly a bunch of bureaucrats saying "Yes, something must be done and we need to justify our lavish expense accounts, so let's rewrite some rules and change 'release' to 'recommendation' and then go to that fancy new KTV/massage place across the street."

As for the more general tightening up that seems to be going on around East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Thailand), I think this probably has more to do with these countries experiencing influxes of foreigners in general rather than with ESL teachers in particular. The problem for these countries is that if they say "We'll happily take foreigners from Western countries but not other ones", they look racist (or, at the very least, undiplomatic). Therefore, they have to lump everyone together. It's also easier than making laws specifying particular fields of employment.

Bear in mind that it's a bit easier to check up on a school employing FTs than it is to check up on a brothel being run by the local mafia. Which is the bigger problem in Thailand - FTs or Burmese girls being trafficked? Which is the bigger problem in Japan - FTs or North Koreans being trafficked by the yakuza? But which is easier for a cop or official to visit without a SWAT team?

SnoopBot makes a good point, noting that once one country tightens up, or appears to tighten up, there's the chance of the less desirable people moving to another country, therefore other countries tighten up, or appear to tighten up, too.

As has been pointed out - make sure you're legal and don't anger someone big-time. Then no-one really cares what you do.

[vikuk]

[johnchina]

Vikuk, you should become a spin doctor! Paradise for Western workers ... Classic!!!

[Shan-Shan]

[evaforsure]

Many of us have waited for the day when they will begin to really require a licence to teach. Then a whole lot of foreigner talent will be taking a hike.

[fitzgud]

Evathenotsosure, I bought my Chinese driving license for a couple of hundred, do you wish to find more ways for them to exploit us?

[SnoopBot]

[therock]

[SnoopBot]

[johnchina]

Good points, SnoopBot and therock.

Re the (proposed) teacher training in Thailand. At least they'll be teaching Western or Western-ish methodology. Can you imagine what it'd be like here in China?

Methodology - Lecure, lecture, lecture. Teach them how to plagiarise. For exam results, just give a number between 80 and 100 out of 100, based on how much you like the student and how much they bribe you. What a mess!

To be honest, if the Thai system allows teachers to work part-time whilst training, I think at lot of people would go for it - enough to keep enough teachers in Thailand at least. Just my opinion.

Here in China, I reckon you'd basically just be left with some highly-qualified teachers at international schools and some poor, Chinese-trained ones elsewhere, with few in the middle.

[OGFT]

[Shan-Shan]

[Neilhrd]

Thanks to English Gibson for getting a translation of the document that sparked off all this discussion.

I agree with the general consensus that job hopping is going to get much more difficult from now on. But I also think a lot of schools are going to find recruiting qualified, experienced, motivated professionals far more difficult as well. In some cities it may be possible to replace us with Filipino or Chinese teachers but I don't think that would work in Nanning. Parents here are getting harder to fool and the students where I work are demanding all foreign teachers for Maths, Science and IT as well as English.

I have warned my outfit that very few experienced foreigners in Nanning have not had a run in with one of the many scam schools in this city. The intention was to give them a coded message not to try and enforce the rules too strictly or else it might rebound on them. I got no response.

Here is one other interesting bit of information from the administrator who sent me the original e mail that sparked all this off. She told me that the FAOs of all the licensed schools in Nanning were summoned to a meeting with the PSB, and other unspecified departments of government, where the new rules were spelled out fairly forcefully. This happened about 3 weeks ago and lasted half a day. So there does seem to be some element of co-ordination involved and at least some attempt at enforcement. However I have not heard of any action being taken yet against the many unlicensed schools. That will be the acid test.

If I find out anything more I will keep you all posted.

[SnoopBot]

[Sonnibarger]