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englishgibson
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 4345
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 Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:42 am Post subject: |
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It's really great to see you all participating on this one. For the GAC centers, this is the only way of communication on public forums. Apparently, some've tried to convince the powers of this company to create some kinda communication channel for all GAC teachers, although I don't see that happening any soon.
Arioch, I sure agree that finishing in a timely fashion all the GAC programs would be mucyh better for all students, but there's a pressure from parents as well as there's this business site of it. Employers wanna get it over with the kids applications and get new kids in classrooms. It means higher turnover of students which allows them to maximize their profits.
Now, I'd like to pay attention to a couple of quotes from two different users on. Here they're one by one
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| ...a number of our students have withdrawn before completion of GAC after receiving offers from US unis. We encourage the students to stay on - one girl got enough credits from her GAC score to go straight into second year in her US college. Another got a $25000 scholarship. |
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| This mess has to be sorted out. It is time for all the international testing bodies, IELTS, ETS (TOEFL), GAC, ACT, IB etc etc to stop fighting each other and work together to persuade/force the Chinese government to open up education once and for all. Let the students and parents decide which are the most useful, valid and reliable tests. then we can all get on with teaching them instead of putting sticking plasters over the disaffection caused by idiotic mind games. |
Some parents are the ones who put the preassure on, since they want their kids to go ASAP not knowing how good their kids really are.
Agreeable with the above, my view also is that if we all want this the right way and get these young students take it all more seriously, these international bodies such as mentioned above will have to bring in some stricter regulations. They should play a more important role in the students visa application process. Say for example the age, high school grad paper work, and the GAC completion of the courses should be looked at much better than it really is when the application to a college/uni has been approved and student's visa issued in the passport.
Robin, many of the problems you/we've mentioned on are out of control to many. That's why people get ticked off. I mean, parents, students, teachers, employers... The GAC program's fine and I'd say much better than any other programs in China, although it's poorly set up by the ACT Education Solutions Limited as it looks. It's really all in the Head Office vs owners of the centers contractual agreements. There's little uniformity or requirements for standards, and then there's virtually non-existant organizational chart. It all starts with the top offices of this organization. I'd love to see a better support from above. All I've got is the course books with virtually no suplementary material or library and a Chinese "coordinator" who puts the student scores in the computer/students' accounts (and i haven't even got my own computer in the office). How could the Head Office have signed a contractual agreement with my employer and given a license??? Aren't there certain requirements to begin a center??? Needless to mention how bad the English knowledge of my superiors is. However, they've been nice to me...rather than understanding at work 
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I'm not sure why some have said the ACT exam cannot be conducted on the mainland.
I have taught GAC in China for 4 years. During Level 3 we timetable ACT Preparation as a subject. We discuss stategies and run mock exams. At the end of Level 3 the RAD comes from Shanghai to supervise the ACT exams.
My university advertises GAC as a program leading to US College entry because we have another program, Tertiary Orientation Program overseen by Macquarie Uni, which promotes entry to Oz unis. |
That's so interesting. The ACT Education Solution Limited (as company on the books and license) provides a program for students to go abroad to any English speaking country...and they have a large list of Unis they advertise. It's not ONLY the American unis! The ACT exams however are ONLY for (some) American unis. So, the ACT Education Solution Limited company (from Australia) wishes a broader range of opportunities for students. And, their materials do not exactly lead the GAC students onto these ACT entry exams to the US colleges. Again, I like the GAC program and its materials, since it's got a general focus on higher education in western countries and students are given opportunities to go to any English speaking country after their graduation. I wish it stays that way, although I really hope for some improvements in the area of support from just about everywhere around me. I also hope the company improves in the area of providing opportunities for us, but hell that's a way too much to ask, isn't it? 
On why these ACT exams might not be allowed on mainland, there's been a bit in Chinese media about it. There've been warnings for students not to join such classes, since it isn't allowed. Even the CCTV (in Chinese) has aired a program on that as I recall about a year ago. In any case, the ACT Education Solution Limited (in Australia) and the actual ACT company are not the same entity as far as I know and as far as our license signed by some J Allen says. Enlighten me on that if they are the same, please.
Cheers and beers to GAC programs for students going abroad and not only to the US of great A |
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englishgibson
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 4345
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| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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| A friend who is an EF Dos told me recently that EF has quietly been buying back the majority of its franchises in China due to deviation from the way the franchise-holders agreed to run them in their franchise agreement with EF international. This is a sensible business move on the part of the parent company to keep its service internationally creditable. From the way a lot of the GAC teachers report here how GAC teaching is managed in China, I would not be surprised if the parent company begins to buy back some of the franchises it has issued in China. In one GAC school I have heard of, the teachers have to teach all of the GAC modules from level 1 to level 3 in one year, and "pass" any students who fail. A student with such a certificate might well be expelled by one of the UK universities currently expelling Chinese students who have certificates, and IELTS scores which say something very different from their actual academic ability. The sad thing is that the GAC modules are excellent preparation, and the parents of the students believe they are paying for good quality education. |
EF began this movement in Shanghai a long time ago. They wanted to set a good example to other centers around. How naive!
Regarding the GAC and its parent company buying the Chinese GAC centers, I don't think so. Some of its cetners are owned by some really powerful people, not that EFs aren't, but with GAC centers you've got license holders at public schools' campuses. You can't just have someone else walk in and negotiate with the uni principals. These contracts are more complicated in nature and lots of "friendship" in between the GAC center owners and the uni principals may not allow any changes in.
With respect to the GAC modules from level 1-3, they're set for one or so year, and they're set by Chinese. I don't believe it is an international program as a little bird tells me the books are MADE IN CHINA. They're just pasted, copied, adjusted, some re-written to Chinese needs and re-edited in Shanghai. However the academic program is compromised, corrupt, deluded, it still is one of the best acadmic programs for 18 year-olds to western higher education on mainland. And so, I agree with the poster above the GAC is excellent in a way. They've got a goal for their students as well as facilitators to follow. They've got their assessments layout and marking criteria (quite unclear though) as well as the assessments' moderating system.
Yes, the GAC program's great for the Chinese high school grads and that especially because of the mainland's difficult access to its unis. Only "some chosen" high school grads get in. And, many talented Chinese are left behind. Then, what are those Chinese uni entry exams about  I don't believe those exams can really find the talent China needs. Yes, may/some of our students don't come back from abroad, but if they do. The living conditions will gradually improve in this country and so it'll also be more attractive from Chinese western educated to come back. And, with the current situation and jobs abroad...
The biggest problem the GAC program seems to be facing is not the uniformity of standards but the ACT as I pointed out above in my previous post. If those two work it all out better than they have so far and the GAC centers' owners agreements with the head office improve, we'll see some fine talent coming off mainland to the western unis. Then, our jobs of those lovely facilitators will also improve and maybe, we'll have that career opportunities lined up as well.
Cheers and beers to the GAC that provides me with a better motivation than the EF academic program has provided me with |
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GoPies
Joined: 19 Sep 2004
Posts: 589
Location: Melbourne
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| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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EG, I have no idea what your issues are, because your arguments are all over the place.
I teach at a GAC centre in Beijing which is above reproach.
Maybe I'm lucky. My previous GAC employer was shonky and I left in sympathy with my DOS, but not because I had any personal grievance.
Do you want to know why I love my job?
During the Olympics we had 12 weeks holiday. Now at the end of Level 1 while the kids do TOEFL, I have 8 weeks holiday! I teach about 10 hours a week on a full-time salary.
I think GAC in China is wonderful! |
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englishgibson
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 4345
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| Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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i feel so sorry you have no idea. but i see that your schedule and salary must've got you happier than me. i'm just trying to get us share our experiences not issues on the topic.
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| Now at the end of Level 1 while the kids do TOEFL, I have 8 weeks holiday! I teach about 10 hours a week on a full-time salary. |
there goes one issue. you've got such long holidays, but i don't. you work 10 hours a week, but i work 18 (real) hours weekly. how different could be an offer from one GAC center to the offer from another? 
i guess i am on here to see how similar or different our facilitating positions are with the GAC company. i am also on to see how many of us are around and what their opinions of their gigs are.
GoPies, it's great to see you on, ok. what subjects do you teach there?
cheers and beers |
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GoPies
Joined: 19 Sep 2004
Posts: 589
Location: Melbourne
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| Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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EG sorry for the gloating, I was pumped about my holidays and in my cups as they say in the UK. 
I teach Maths and Computers. I did also teach Science, but we dropped it. We had no lab equipment and it became a vocab exercise, where the kids had to learn heaps of scientific jargon which first language speakers would have found difficult (not to say irrelevant).
I also teach 2.5 hours of pre-Masters Maths, so I was not being strictly correct about my workload.
On the subject of communication, I was at a weekend in-service for DOSs a couple of years ago. Mine was quitting so I went in his place. The GAC admin agreed to the idea of an internet forum (which everyone was very much in favour of, as they all felt isolated) and swore they would organise it. We all duly gave our email addresses.
Like a lot of other things, it didn't come to pass. |
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englishgibson
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 4345
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| Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 10:03 am Post subject: |
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This internet or suggested intranet for GAC discussion is just being a topic on another thread..and there's an interesting proposal on
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=66747&start=45
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| I did also teach Science, but we dropped it. We had no lab equipment and it became a vocab exercise, where the kids had to learn heaps of scientific jargon which first language speakers would have found difficult (not to say irrelevant). |
Isn't Science required for the students' applications to western unis? I understand your point on scientific jargon, but isn't this just the basics we're talking about? By the way, many GAC centers lack facilities or equipment necessary to carry out the program and I believe that that's one of the reasons the Shanghai's GAC head office has/wil oppose our internet/intranet discussions. They sign agreements with business people and give them GAC licenses so easily (as long as the money's there). That's what really sucks here. I mean the requirements for opening a GAC center. And, would they ever ask the employer/management to have some knowledge, experience or education in the field. 
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| I teach Maths and Computers. |
Two essential subjects for western unis. I hope you find the approach in your books satisfactory, because I do not find my Social Sciences book good enough and its assessments are not nearly as pro as they should be. Then, I only have one level of it, although I know there're level two and three books of Social Sciences (somewhere). Well, maybe not in China. Does anyone on forums teach this subject???
Cheers and beers to GAC facilitators and their DoSs |
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