Job Discussion Forums

[Marcoregano]

[Horizontal Hero]

[hkteach]

You may call it whatever you like HH, especially if you take my comments out of context as seems to be the case.

1. My comment about disadvantage was in reference to pay point on MPS with diploma VS with degree - and how one would disadvantage me in comparison to the other, NOT to me being disadvantaged per se.
This same "disadvantage"would apply to any other NET who gained degree some years after initial teaching qualification and some experience.

2. I'm a PNET, not SNET. Top of scale for PNET even with maximum Retention Incentive, is still several thousand short of 60,000 and to get to that point, a PNET would need a lot of post-degree experience.

3. Why compare a NET job with a slave labour job in Beijing for heaven's sake? What's that got to do with it?

If you chose to accept a 12 hour a day job on that salary, it's certainly nobody's business to question that decision - I'm sure you must've thought there was some good reason for doing so.
But to imply that I'm not entitled to suggest that my current salary has lost value shows an amazing lack of awareness of the present reality, not only for NETs, but for most of the workers from western countries who are now in Hong Kong.

[Horizontal Hero]

Chill out, dude(ess?). It's the holidays.

[southerngirl]

First of all thanks to all who addressed my age concerns regarding NET's in Hong Kong. Though this thread has gone in some different directions, I've found this additional information to be quite informative,as well.

Like several posters on this thread, I also know friends back in the States (Texas,Virginia and California) who have moved from the "front of the class" to dept. heads, assistant principals and principals - yet those jobs are "not so plentiful".They also require lots of pandering to administration and in light of the (all too often sad) state of public schools in the USA, ones efforts are oft "for naught"

As someone who has discovered a love of teaching young learners in "PHASE 2" of my professional life, I can say I have NO INTEREST IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE GULAG of education after having "fought that for 15 years in "CORPORATE AMERICA"

For someone who genuinely loves teaching, I feel HK and other Asian destinations might prove more satisfying when one consders the following:

1, No weapons brought to school

2. A high value placed on education

3. Students are (in most cases) more respectful and well behaved

4. Parents are more involved and care (in most cases)

5. Discipline still exists in schools ( sometimes too much so)

Not to say that Asian school systems are perfect or that US/UK/CAN/AUS and other like systems are totally broken, but the items listed above are not reflective of the "norm" in the USA anymore.

I would hardly call myself a "pushover", but I will admit to being afraid of the idea of teaching in middle or high school in the USA anymore.

I'm currently visiting friends in Walnut Creek, California -nearby San Jose and an hour from San Francisco. My friends brother in law is a recently retired middle school principal who related some stories of having to take knives away from students 3 or 4 times annually during his last 5 years on the job.................. This is one of the most affluent communities in the ENTIRE USA............

When considering cost of living, safety, students enthusiasm and generous housing allowances, Asia wins out on many key issues IMHO.

Those reading, forgive my rant and thanks for the additional information

PS Why do PNETS make less than SNETS? Is it hours worked?

thanks again
Leigh

[southerngirl]

I posted this earlier,but put it at the bottom of page 2 -sorry if this is "repetitive"

Leigh

First of all thanks to all who addressed my age concerns regarding NET's in Hong Kong. Though this thread has gone in some different directions, I've found this additional information to be quite informative,as well.

Like several posters on this thread, I also know friends back in the States (Texas,Virginia and California) who have moved from the "front of the class" to dept. heads, assistant principals and principals - yet those jobs are "not so plentiful".They also require lots of pandering to administration and in light of the (all too often sad) state of public schools in the USA, ones efforts are oft "for naught"

As someone who has discovered a love of teaching young learners in "PHASE 2" of my professional life, I can say I have NO INTEREST IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE GULAG of education after having "fought that for 15 years in "CORPORATE AMERICA"

For someone who genuinely loves teaching, I feel HK and other Asian destinations might prove more satisfying when one consders the following:

1, No weapons brought to school

2. A high value placed on education

3. Students are (in most cases) more respectful and well behaved

4. Parents are more involved and care (in most cases)

5. Discipline still exists in schools ( sometimes too much so)

Not to say that Asian school systems are perfect or that US/UK/CAN/AUS and other like systems are totally broken, but the items listed above are not reflective of the "norm" in the USA anymore.

I would hardly call myself a "pushover", but I will admit to being afraid of the idea of teaching in middle or high school in the USA anymore.

I'm currently visiting friends in Walnut Creek, California -nearby San Jose and an hour from San Francisco. My friends brother in law is a recently retired middle school principal who related some stories of having to take knives away from students 3 or 4 times annually during his last 5 years on the job.................. This is one of the most affluent communities in the ENTIRE USA............

When considering cost of living, safety, students enthusiasm and generous housing allowances, Asia wins out on many key issues IMHO.

Those reading, forgive my rant and thanks for the additional information

PS Why do PNETS make less than SNETS? Is it hours worked?

thanks again
Leigh

[hkteach]

Hi Leigh,
You make some interesting points about teaching in SE Asia as opposed to teaching in our home countries.
I agree with your comments about cost of living and community safety (I've always felt totally safe when moving around in Hong Kong) but some of your comments about Asian students in general are a bit off the mark.

Granted, the kids are generally respectful and polite and discipline is very strict (I don't recall seeing too many 13 and 14 year olds actually crying when a teacher disciplined them, yet it's a common sight here) but they don't ALL want to learn and not ALL parents are caring and involved.

The system here is very harsh and (too) many kids have their motivation sucked out of them at a very early age and by the time they reach middle primary, many have thrown in the towel so to speak.
In our culture the school (or class teacher) would provide learning support to address the underlying issues. Some of these kids still become discipline problems in primary school and many become totally disenengaged by high school but here, many just plod along and go through the motions until they end up at one of the lower level high schools where they just aren't interested in learning and become "problem kids".

The parents aren't always available for their kids either, often handing over responsibility to others (if they have enough $$ this carer would be their domestic helper, if no $$ it would be the grandparents who do the parenting while the parents work long hours or maybe two jobs). Such is the financial pressure here that many lower income families don't have time for parenting - sad, but true all too often.

Many of the upper primary students I've taught go home to an empty flat and have to take care of themselves till their parents arrive home around midnight (!)
The upshot of all this is that many kids often no behavioural limits and nobody to help them with their day to day problems.
This has certainly been the situation in some of the schools where I've worked but I've found that, apart from a few obnoxious ones, the kids respond really well to someone who shows genuine interest and support and takes the time to show them how to do something rather than just punishing them for situations not of their own making.

The reason why SNETs are paid more than PNETs isn't to do with hours or workload, but NETscheme is part of the Hong Kong systemwhich pays local secondary teachers more than local primary teachers - just another anomaly.