Job Discussion Forums

[Rosaria]

I've just found out that Pearson Group has bought English schools in China, and I've applied in the Shangai one. I was looking for advices, in case someone is working there now. I've been working for Pearson (the publishing house) as a production editor for years, but this would be my first experience as a teacher. And apparently these are Primary schools! Anyone can help?
Thanks

[clearcoated]

Pearson buys English teaching business in China

Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:18am BST

* Buys Wall Street English for $145 million in cash

* Says acquisition makes it leader in Chinese ELT market

* Sees Wall Street English enhancing adjusted EPS in 2010

(Adds details, background, shares)

LONDON, April 15 (Reuters) - British publishing group Pearson (PSON.L: Quote, Profile, Research) is buying Wall Street English, one of China's top English language-training (ELT) companies, for $145 million in cash to cement its position in a critical growth market.

Pearson, the world's biggest educational publisher, will combine Wall Street English's training centres for adults in seven Chinese cities with its Longman Schools business, which it said would give it a leading position in China's ELT market.

"China is absolutely central to our plans to build on Pearson's position as the world's leading provider of English language teaching services," John Fallon, chief executive of Pearson's international education business, said on Wednesday.

"There will soon be 2 billion people speaking English around the world," he said in a statement.

Pearson, which also owns the Financial Times and Penguin Books, said it expected the acquisition to enhance its adjusted earnings per share in 2010 and generate a return above Pearson's cost of capital from 2011.

It said it would retain the Wall Street English brand, and would invest in additional training centres across China.

Wall Street English has 35,000 professional and university students in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Its parent company is Wall Street Institute, which is majority-owned by the Carlyle Group.

Wall Street English expects to make about $70 million in sales this year, Pearson said, and had compound annual revenue growth of more than 40 percent between 2006 and 2008.

Pearson entered the ELT market in China in 2008 through two acquisitions that focus on school and college students as well as adults, and owns 27 training centres in Beijing and Shanghai.

[eddy-cool]

I tell my students that 'advice' is an uncountable noun, and there is a city called 'Shanghai'.

[Rosaria]

Thanks for the corrections, eddy-cool!

[daveups]

It seems their plans for expansion are a bit ambitious. Is there really that much room for growth in Shanghai? I'd think the market there would be saturated with English schools by now...

[Songbird]

I just enquired about work here and basically, what they offer is downright insulting!

36hrs/ wk (16 teaching, 20 admin) for 9-11,000/mth
NO housing and NO allowance.
5000 contract completion bonus (vague as)
1000 once off settling in allowance
NO airfare mentioned

Next please

[KalanStar]

Their main aquisition isn't Wall Street, but Lerning Inc. Learning schools have now been renamed Longman Schools. They aren't "primary" schools, but schools focussed on Children 3 - 10, with some schools having classes for older kids and teens. They have opened 3 new campuses in the last month and will open 4 new ones early next year. There are about 20 locations at present in Shanghai. Their goal is to put EF out of business.

As far as ESL schools go, they don't expect you to teach 40+ hours a week, only 20. The 5000RMB completion bonus is your airdfare reimbursment. They tupically pay 9000 to 11000 RMB, which is the going rate for ESL schools.

Their Wallstreet schools pay 16000RMB, but 6 days and evenings a week with cupon (IE Nova Japan's old marketing stratedgy of the late 90's) based classes where students show up as they please.