Job Discussion Forums

[Teatime of Soul]

Mydnight:

[mrwslee003]

Well, in the late 1800s and the Chinese labourers were given half the wages the local whites earned for doing similar jobs, as in rail road building in Canada. Some of the jobs the Chinese were doing were more dangerous, like dynamiting mountains. Many died as the result.

The Fts now earn just as much or at least twice the locals earn. So when
you bitch, are you showing some ignorance or are you playing the superiority card?

[killian]

nobody sez you must remain in china and accept substandard(in comparison to other ESL hotspots) wages. korea, japan, taiwan, vietnam, etc are as exciting as china and pay much better.

there will never be a shortage a naive white folks willing to work for peanuts. the secret is being where they AREN"T.

[cormac]

There seem to be two different pay scales when it comes to teaching in China. The pay that newcomers receive and the pay that established teachers (regardless of qualifications) receive. The main difference comes down to an awareness of China, the requirements for teaching, and the ability to shape their circumstances.

The point is that the newcomers taking the jobs for 5k are not lowering the salaries for the established teachers. Simply put, you're in a different league, and you're always going to be so. The newcomers will either accept the low salary for a long time, go home, or wise up and join the ranks of those demanding 15k+ for their time.

This talk of newcomers lowering pay for others is retarded. Unless you believe that your university or school, will give up your skills/experience for someone that can barely explain any basic points of English Grammar? Hardly.

The schools that pay well now.. are the schools that recognize the need for real talent, real qualifications, and real commitment to the job. As with every type of business out there, those with the desired skills will be awarded beyond that of the common person. And if anything, with more Chinese getting into foreign countries, the requirements will rise, therefore increasing your bargaining power.

[mrwslee003]

Good point: Many people who are working while travelling, perhaps they
don't have a teaching degree, so they accept whatever is on the table.

Of course some schools will accept these "teachers" so they can save
some money for themselves, likely but I have no proof of that.

There are the trained teachers who would have the skills to backup
their demand for higher wages. They make the local connections and
befriend the school personnel. And when the school feels they need
your skills to attract more students, it would be to their advantage to meet
your demands in salary and working conditions. Thus, a happy scenario.

Then there are the offshore schools - schools that follow a foreign curriculum and must adhere to certain standards, like employing only
foreign qualified teachers. These schools have no choice but to pay, near
the going rate, for quality teachers. Here too is another satisfied group
of Fts.

[mat chen]

For the time I have been in China I have mostly taught business classes and the interesting thing about it is the idea of what determines price. Supply and demand do not determine price in China. Read the books they use. Price is determined by Beijing. Your salary is determined and set by the government.

[Teatime of Soul]

[mrwslee003]

I feel China is going more and more towards the market economy: Allowing the market to determine the wages of the workers.

All the foreign firms cannot lock step with Beijing's say on wages.
In fact even if Beijing tries to set wages, how can it enforce much of
what is happening in the field.

It is just a nightmare if Beijing tries to exercise control over wages, not
practical and not possible! The policy is to establish a free market economy while adhering to socialist principles, its socialism with Chinese
characteristics. That is what I read somewhere anyway.