Job Discussion Forums

[chris.m]

I understand that this is a broad topic, but anyway.

I'm looking towards Indonesia for my first teaching position, and am unsure whether i'd be better looking for a job myself or letting the TEFL course providers find me a paid placement.

The basics of what they offer me are as follows;

Salary: Up to IDR7,850,000, approximately �440 per month based on a 23 hour week (except for teachers in Bogor who will earn up to 20% less than this).
Accommodation: If you choose to live in the accommodation subsidised by the school this will be your own air-conditioned room in a shared house. Houses have telephones, televisions, hot water and a maid and are within walking distance or a short journey by public transport to the school. The exception is for teachers in Bogor who will find their own accommodation (first 30 days will be provided for you).
Arrival: You will be picked up at Sukarno-Hatta airport (Cengkareng) in Jakarta by a member of your school's management team. You will be taken to your house where you can rest until the following day when you will go to the school for your orientation.
Locations: Schools are located in the city or outskirts of Jakarta, or in the suburb of Bogor.
Contract lengths: 1 year

1. What age and level of students will I be teaching?

You will be teaching a mix of 5-9 year olds, 9-14 year olds and 14 years up. Levels can be from beginner to post-advanced.

2. How many students will there be in each class?

Minimum 5, maximum 14.

3. How long are the classes?

80 minutes with some 120 minute or 4 hour classes (with a break) for adults.

4. Are there any teaching resources?

Yes, there are extensive resources.

5. Will I be teaching alone or team teaching?

You will be teaching alone, although in the first few days you may spend some time team teaching, observing fellow teachers and receiving mentoring from more experienced teachers, to help with your training.

6. What kind of school will I be teaching in?

You will be teaching in private language schools.

Frequently asked questions about employment in Indonesia
1. How much will I be paid?

Up to �440 per month based on a 23 hour week.

If you live in subsidized accommodation this will cost approximately $85 per month (including bills, except for the telephone) while normal rent could be twice as much as this. Other basic living expenses, including food, could be expected to cost around $300 per month.

2. Do I receive a bonus or flight re-imbursement?

A return ticket (up to a limit and subject to guidelines) will be reimbursed on completion of your 12 month contract. For those working in Bogor half of your flight cost will be reimbursed after 1 month, the remainder on completion of the year.

Cost of living in Indonesia is approximately �145 per month.

3. How many holiday days will I receive per year?

You will receive 22 paid holidays, 10 to 13 of which must be taken over Christmas or for Muslim holidays.

4. What are my working hours?

Typically teaching hours will be 23 hours per week in the afternoon and evening, with occasional morning classes. You will work 6 days a week with 18 Saturdays off per year.

5. Can I renew my contract?

Your contract may be extendable; you would need to discuss this with your school.

6. What happens if I need to break my contract?

The total cost of your visa to the school is approximately $1000 - if you break your contract you will need to return a proportion of this money e.g. if you leave after 6 months you will pay approximately $500. Also, your flight costs will not be reimbursed if you do not complete your contract.


Is this typical of the average teaching positions on offer in Indonesia or would you recommend looking independantly for something better?

Any advice and i'd be eternally grateful

[rayman]

[chris.m]

I take it that's an inaccuracy then. What would you suggest to be the average monthly cost of living? (minus accommodation)

How does the offered pay sound to you?
IDR-7,850,000

Are 23 hour weeks about average?

[rayman]

Sorry for the lack of elaboration. They are saying you can live off Rp2.5 million (1 pound = Rp17300) a month. I don't know any westerner that lives off that amount. Perhaps some do, but they wouldn't be able to step outside their door, let alone travel somewhere.

Refer to this post for salary ranges and living costs; http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=64476

It sounds as though the job they're offering is with EF. There's lots of posts on here that will give you a solid indication of their repuation and what will be in store.

[Nabby Adams]

Can it really be that you'd get only 6 million in Bogor?

[wannaBguru]

yeah sounds exactly like the ef contract and we all know which group has schools on the outskirts of jakarta and in bogor......... the dreaded swara group.

chris m. ef schools generally are the lowest paying schools in indonesia with the exception of a couple of schools like pondok indah. u dont even need a tefl cert to get a job at most ef schools.

who are u getting your tefl cert. with? cant be very reputable if the only schools they are dealing with are ef type schools. if u had your CETFL you could get on with a more reputable school such as TBI which pays over 15 million for the school located in the city center and over 12 million for kelapa gading, with no experience. rayman's post is a good one. i would say that the average may be a little lower than he quotes, but there are definately schools that pay salaries in ranges he gives.

[chris.m]

wannaBguru and Rayman,

Thanks for your replys.

[malu]

Eek! Take it from me as a Bogorian that 6M absolutely stinks. Costs in Bogor are broadly similar to Jkt, the only thing that is cheaper is housing and you don't pay that with EF.

I remember EF paying salaries like that 4 years ago - and there has been a lot of inflation since.

[TEAM_PAPUA]

[chris.m]

I'll leave that offer alone then I think.

I actually had a job lined up in China to start in November, but after asking the DOS if there could be problems gaining a residents permit and FE certificate due to not having a degree, I didn't hear anything back.
That's the reason I was looking towards Indonesia. About 4 days ago, I had a call explaining that as it was the Chinese national holiday, all the staff had been away and apologising for the lack of contact.

So it's still on and I should be collecting my visa shortly.

Many thanks for the replies and warnings all the same.
And if I ever end up in the future on my way to Indonesia, I'll give EF Swara a miss.

[Nabby Adams]

What do others think about this situation?

The OP got some good avice re the Swara group and decided to take a job offer from China. We don't know the details, but we can assume that a school that is recruiting overseas and offering contracts to teachers without a degree isn't likely to be one of the better schools.

But here's the thing; how many of the posters who gave their advice would, given the choice, choose China over Indonesia, even at such a disreputable place as EF?

Out of the two I'd probably go with EF in Indo. How about you?

[wannaBguru]

i would choose a more reputable EF. not all ef as as terrible as swara group.

IMHO, the i-to-i cert as it isnt worth the paper it is printed on. better to download one off the internet.

but a better idea might be to put the money that he would have spent on i-to-i, add a little more, and get a CETLA and get a job at a good school like TBI. it would open a lot more doors in a lot more countries than some unrecongnize cert that is mostly done on-line

[chris.m]

The school in China is also an EF. (Shenyang).

I think the comment about the certificate is slightly daft to be honest.
I didn't pay money for a certificate alone, It was more for the actual course and to help me gain some knowlege of teaching.
I'm aware that it's about as basic a course as is available, but at least it's given me some sort of insight into things such lesson planning and teaching activities. It also gave me the chance to get up and deliver a lesson. Without these, i'd be walking into a classroom for the first time with no more advice than what i've read in books, so for that reason alone I consider it to be worth the time and money.
Also, for nearly every job that i've seen advertised, there are at least one of three requirements. These are degree, TEFL/TESOL and experience.
At least I can apply for these positions on the certificate I have.

[malu]

As someone who tried it, I'd sooner drown in my own vomit than live in China again. It would be a close run thing to choose between Swara and China - but as others have said there are FAR better EFs than Swara in Indo, and FAR better options than any EF if you are remotely qualified.

[chris.m]

China is a big place.
It's unfortunate that you didn't think much to it but it's not going to be the same for everyone.

I've been corresponding with people that've been living and teaching there for years and they love it.