Job Discussion Forums

beg13 · Joined: 13 Nov 2010 Posts: 17 Location: japan

Hi Folks,
This is the kind of thing that gets asked over and over again but I'd really like people's opinions.
I'm not sure I have the gumption to change my situation but I'm interested in what people think of other situations in Asia.
I'm a university teacher in Japan. I have an M.A. in peace studies. I have no ESL qualifications but I have years of experience teaching various English courses and Topic courses in English.
I'm fairly pessimistic about my qualification being useful anywhere else.
But still...I want to ask...
How is HK? As a place to live and teach?

I ask this question for the following reasons:
Japan has myriad problems and honestly it seems to be moving backwards.
The university system here is quite a joke. Nothing is done, everyone passes, students take many classes and do little in them, critical thinking is non-existent, creativity is absent, Japanese students don't study abroad and students from abroad don't study here, behavior is getting worse, the maturity level is very low, etc.
Japan is getting smaller, not inviting enough immigration, young people are insular, gender inequality is rampant, etc. etc.
I still walk into the classroom with a positive attitude of trying to reach students and challenge them to open up to the world and reach for their dreams. But I can imagine getting jaded and burnt out from the stress of it. At the same time, life is good here, i.e. university teachers are well -payed and well-rested.

In short, I'm worried about the future and I'm wondering what's going on in HK...how people feel about working and living there...the attitude, the economy, job availability, etc.

I'm just looking around to see what's happening over there. Opinions?????? Please give us your opinion.

Thanks so much ahead of time for those of you willing to share your feelings. Thanks!

Honky Nick · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 113 Location: Hong Kong

Hi there. I lived in Japan a while ago and have been in HK for 4.5 years so I can hopefully provide some insight.

Honkers is a fantastic place to live. It's a very exciting city, with great food, interesting sights and good weather. There are also lots of great places to go hiking and some nice beaches if you know where to look. There are a lot of jobs out there but you need to be proactive and it helps if you are already in the country.

On the negative side, the pollution is bad, the people aren't polite like in Japan, and you face the same beauracratic red tape and endless paperwork that you are probably already used to.

Unfortunately, I don't know about university teaching jobs here (I am a primary teacher) and teaching jobs vary in pay greatly, from around 12k per month at a language centre to 50-60k per month (including housing) at a top-of-the-scale NET scheme job or. Well-paid international school. you said you don't have ESL, but do you have a teaching qualification?

Good luck with it all. I, for one, have loved living here. Went back home to Australia and missed it too much so I moved back.

Honky Nick · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 113 Location: Hong Kong

Exuse typing errors. Sent from iPod.

beg13 · Joined: 13 Nov 2010 Posts: 17 Location: japan

Thanks Nick. Interesting. I'm not sure if I really will make a move. It takes a lot at my age - I'm in my 40s - to make such a big change. In Japan I'm well paid and have very long vacations. But is it worth it if I can't make a difference? That's what exercises me.
Sometimes I think I'd be willing to work at a lower level if I could do something more meaningful. I don't have an education qualification. I have my M.A. and I have 5 years of teaching experience. Perhaps a private international high school would hire me?
Sometimes it seems like I can do some good here. But often it feels like Japan is heading towards a dark future. Is HK much better?
Japan has its proverbial head in the sand. And it feels like it's moving backwards. My students seem like they're becoming more and more risk adverse.
I met some HK students last year who seemed like they had a whole different attitude.

beg13 · Joined: 13 Nov 2010 Posts: 17 Location: japan

I don't think I'm even qualified for NET!

Honky Nick · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 113 Location: Hong Kong

Things may have changed, but it used to be that you can interview for the NET scheme with a university degree (in anything) plus TEFL certificate. You would just be 2 points lower on the payscale than a qualified teacher. I started teaching in the NET scheme as an unqualified teacher and did my qualification part-time while teaching.

As I said, things may have changed, but it's worth looking into. Also, if you approach schools directly, you may stand a better chance of getting hired because the EDB recruitment section is rubbish and seems unable to match schools looking for teachers with teachers looking for schools.

This is the best website for info: www.hkpnets.org.

Good luck,

Nick

Serious_Fun · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 1171 Location: terra incognita

Honky Nick · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 113 Location: Hong Kong

Hi Serious. I stand by the weather comment. I love the weather here. Beats Melbourne, where I'm from, anyway. It's just the pollution that throws a spanner in the works.

I don't know. I think the quality of life is excellent in Hong Kong, but I suppose it depends on what you're after.

If you can get yourself a good gig and you're ready for a change, why not come over?

Perilla · Joined: 09 Jul 2010 Posts: 792 Location: Hong Kong

beg13 · Joined: 13 Nov 2010 Posts: 17 Location: japan

"Would you give up a well-paid uni. gig for a language centre gig (6 days per week with crap salary, few vacation days beyond national festivals) in a polluted city that is ranked as one of the most expensive in the world?"

No I wouldn't. If that's all my M.A. and teaching experience would get me in Hong Kong I certainly wouldn't be interested. As I said, I pessimistic about it. When I wrote the post, I didn't imagine I had the necessary background to make a move.
I'm probably not going anywhere. I'm aware that my situation is not ideal.
However, I do worry that half the private unis will close over the next 10 years here as the population shrinks. And young people are poorly positioned for economic success - possibly making things worse. At least there is feeling of optimism in HK? or not?

I guess if you have teaching qualifications, at least you have a back up plan.

beg13 · Joined: 13 Nov 2010 Posts: 17 Location: japan

[quote="Perilla"][quote="beg13"]Hi Folks,
The university system here is quite a joke. Nothing is done, everyone passes, students take many classes and do little in them, critical thinking is non-existent, creativity is absent, Japanese students don't study abroad and students from abroad don't study here, behavior is getting worse, the maturity level is very low, etc.
[/quote]

This could be a description of HK unis, except in lack of creativity I find it hard to believe that Japan could be worse.

Really? I don't know. This is the point I'm interested to hear more about. Here in Japan, many students are really insular, asleep, bored and boring. Very few japanese study abroad and no one studies here except for Chinese students who make better use of their time working part-time jobs.

As one of my Chinese graduate students said, "In China, everywhere students are studying; in Japan, everywhere students are playing."

There is little learning. Rather, they have been taught to view school as a place in which one learns how to fulfill many obligations.

I met a student from HK Univ. There she said students take a normal load of classes (4-5). Here students take about 15 classes in a semester so there is little time for any deep work in any particular class. And that is the point of the system.

So learning has little value here generally.

Is the situation really the same in HK?

beg13 · Joined: 13 Nov 2010 Posts: 17 Location: japan

[quote="Perilla"][quote="beg13"]Hi Folks,
The university system here is quite a joke. Nothing is done, everyone passes, students take many classes and do little in them, critical thinking is non-existent, creativity is absent, Japanese students don't study abroad and students from abroad don't study here, behavior is getting worse, the maturity level is very low, etc.
[/quote]

This could be a description of HK unis, except in lack of creativity I find it hard to believe that Japan could be worse.

Anyway, with your quals you are highly unlikely to get a decent uni job here - PhDs are required for the only uni jobs worth having in HK.

IMO, the weather in HK is horrible most of the year and the pollution makes things worse. Most of us are victims of the golden handcuffs. Stay in Japan is my advice.[/quote]

Sorry my post doesn't make it clear I'm quoting. And after this point you have my thoughts. Sorry about my ineptitude with posting.

Serious_Fun · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 1171 Location: terra incognita

Honky Nick · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 113 Location: Hong Kong

Hi Serious. No worries at all. I wasn't insulted - I just really love the weather here. It seems I'm in the minority, though!

beg13 · Joined: 13 Nov 2010 Posts: 17 Location: japan

I'm a bit disappointed that few people want to give their impressions of Hong Kong in terms of higher education and society. As one Japanese businessman said in The Economist's recent special edition on Japan, Japan is "like a frog being boiled alive." Now the water is warm so young people think everything is fine.
So that's it? No one wants to comment on Hong Kong? I see a few people seem to think that education is just as bad over there as it is in Japan. However, I did meet students from HK University who gave a pretty nice picture of that institution. Sounds like the British system is working well.
Here there is no change. Japanese universities are still "liesure land."
Being interested in what's going on in Asia, I was hoping for a few more earnest observations about education and life in HK.