Job Discussion Forums

mnguy29 · Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 155 Location: USA

I just wanted to inform anyone looking for a teaching job in this great city to beware of this school. There have been lies, deception, gossip, mistrust and attempts at sabotaging teachers reputations.

I have taught at this WECL for fall semester and I will NOT be going back and I would not suggest it to anyone. Your contract will say up to 20 classes in various subjects. I was told I would never have 20 classes and its just in the contract as a backup. I had 20 classes. I was also told I would not work on the weekends, I worked on Sundays. I was given seven different class subjects to teach and to do preparation for at four different levels of English. This is too much. Especially considering the low salary of 5000. You will spend much of your free time preparing. The books they gave us were trash, boring and not enough to last the semester. You will not only work during the day 8:30-4:30, but you will have to come back and teach at night at least two times a week. You will also have much less time off for holidays than most of the teachers at other schools in the city.

The majority of the students at the school are high school drop outs who really lack motivation and by the end of the semester will simply stop showing up for class or leave before they have to take the exam. Most of this is not told to you before you arrive.

Most of the foreign teachers who work there are not happy but they are afraid to say anything because the don't want to make waves or have bad relations. I am on my way out so I don't care anymore. I am going to tell it like it really is so some sucker doesn't get roped into the same lousy situation. I am not the only one leaving.

Also, they give you an apartment nearby. However, you are required to pay the 100rmb per month for unreliable internet, plus a share of the utilities too. Most schools pay this for you. WECL subtracts it from your pay.

There is also a MOD EDIT lead teacher who is supposed to be there to help with problems and concerns between teachers and the Chinese management. He basically does nothing for foreign teachers and bends to every wish of the Chinese management. He will say he is there to help you, but whenever there was a problem or concern nothing changed. He sided with management. If you get on the wrong side with him from the beginning, he will make your time there very miserable. I did not like him and he did not like me. He also forgets many things that you discuss with him. After he found out I was leaving, he purposely tried to sabotage my attempts at finding a better teaching job in the city. It did not work because it was all lies and sour grapes. I now have a much better teaching job.

WECL gave me my recommendation letter and we parted ways, thank God. My contract was ending anyway. If you think you would be happy with this type of situation, then I wish you all the luck in the world. You will need it! Maybe its OK for someone who wants to teach in China and have no LIFE outside of the job. This does not describe me or the majority of people who come to China to live and teach. We want to meet new people, travel, go shopping, have dinners, pubs, visit the attractions, enjoy China, etc. By the way, there was another WECL in this city that closed recently due to all of these same issues so what does that tell you?

Gamecock · Joined: 18 Nov 2003 Posts: 102 Location: Zhuhai, China

Good Lord- PARAGRAPHS! Shocked

Mister Al · Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 840 Location: In there

mnguy29 · Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 155 Location: USA

Ooops! I guess I got carried away!

living&learning · Joined: 26 Feb 2008 Posts: 245

Which campus - Qianpu or Lianhua? I worked at Lianhua and it was the pits.

mnguy29 · Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 155 Location: USA

Qianpu. The other one closed last year due to some very similar problems.

seamallowance · Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 5:21 am Post subject:

There are still of few of us who might be interested in what you wrote, but find your post too hard to parse.
Please go back and edit it it into smaller chunks that might be easier to swallow.

living&learning · Joined: 26 Feb 2008 Posts: 245

mnguy29 - I might know you, if you're the recently arrived middle aged American.

Unfortunately there aren't many other choices in Xiamen for work, just lotsa crappy English labs and a handful of so-so uni's..

wiganer · Joined: 22 Sep 2010 Posts: 189

Mr. Kalgukshi · Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 5:00 am Post subject:

Regarding some deletions and edits above, members desiring to continue their tenure on this board are reminded to keep 4 things in mind :

1. Don't attack, insult, belittle or similarly abuse other members.

2. Don't post ageist, sexist or racist comments.

3. Only advertise here via the link provided for this purpose on this board.

4. Do not post any comments regarding Mod actions. If you don't like the way things are done here, you are free to go elsewhere. Better you make the decision before it is made for you.

xjgirl · Joined: 02 Feb 2010 Posts: 242

since it was really slave pay
i would say this school got their moneys worth out of the OP

Despite what Black Crowe says, i'd still avoid this school

as Black Crowe has an economic incentive to lie or distort the truth, just like any other so-called DOS

incentives, examine the incentives whenever you are trying to decide on a school