Job Discussion Forums

[chufeng]

I agree - the attitude isn't going to make for a pleasant experience. Not to mention the fact that you don't seem to be a native English speaker....

[Babala]

I'm sure it probably depends on the individual city or province but I went for a medical with 2 teachers who had the medical done in their country, translated into Chinese, all the needed official stamps and they still had to re-do the medical here. Plus keep in mind, for every medical the Inspection and Quarantine office makes money.

[tw]

[DELETED]

[abusalam4]

[patsy]

The only thing is , there's no guarantee of not having accidents while in china, then you will have to get their medical care anyway. i agree that it's scary, but what can you do? I almost chopped off my pinkie by accident while chopping vegetables, i had to go the main hospital in changsha, i was lucky that they were so nice to me and pretty clean even. I do know of some other friends who've had mishaps and didn't have a good experience but they lived.

[abusalam4]

I just read another thread on this forum concerning the experiences another poster has had with someone he had helped to get a job (sorry,I cannot find the thread again to quote it as a reference here). If all is true, then this is quite a frightening story of how a foreigner makes up fake stories (and documents) to get hired and does not make good and responsible use of the trust invested in him by the Chinese partners concerned.

I experienced both things in China - those Chinese tricking in foreigners and foreigners tricking in Chinese..what a shame!

The question then is how to bring safety concerns both parties involved my have together in terms of a workable solution. Again, IMHO, the problem are less the individuals who may do or not do such things; they can safely be assumed to be around all the time and anywhere/everywhere.
The real problem seems to be a more structural one in the way bureaucracy acts in China: They do not really seem to act in cases where Chinese schools, recruiters etc. get foreign teachers into serious trouble; on the other hand, they have to way to protect themselves against such people.
They should really check anybody before he/she comes to China and that includes a the requirement of submitting to a health check and an according health certificate. What is the use of making a foreigner come to China only to find out later that he/she does not qualify for a residence permit according to the legitimate rules? And why don`t they follow a standard procedure nationwide and allow each province or even local place to follow their own more or less arbitraily? Health safety is of primary concern and should include rules that are in use nationwide without any exception. After all, China�s historical tradition like that of France, for example, has always been and still is to have a centralized system of rule and administration (unlike the USA or some other countries elsewhere).
Seems there are quite some disturbing contradictions in the system.
As under present circumstances, there is no other way than deciding for oneself whether you go or do not......

[abusalam4]

www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=44175 ...

This is the thread I should have quoted in my statement above.

BTW, if they insist on repeating the medical check procedure in China for reasons of making money as another poster in this thread suggests, then
it is to some extent a reason that can be rationally "understood". But it is quite obvious that such a cannot a legitimate concern for me. In my country, I can get a thorough health check and health certificate done without having to pay a dime; it is covered by my state-provided health insurance.

[abusalam4]

[quote="chufeng" Not to mention the fact that you don't seem to be a native English speaker....[/quote]

What made you ask this question in the context of this thread? I should perhaps not reply to your posting in this thread but you challenged me.
OK, here is my answer: Yes, I grew up bilingually in two languages, one of them being English. And I am not 100 % native in either of them.

But there are some other points:
- What abourt so-called native speakers from the US for example without any legitimate degree and teaching the Chinese kids sub-standard English such as " I gonna go?", etc. They are not even able to explain and illustrate crucial points of grammar where Chinese learners of English
commonly have problems.
- For my job, the question of being a native speaker of English or not is not that important. For my teaching at Graduate School level, I need to a certain amount of proven scholarly expertise and an ability to teach adapted to a special cultural environenmt as China. For this, you need many years of teaching experience abroad at institutions of Higher Education.
- You need to be disciplined and absolutely honest and correct with your emplyoing party, your students and your colleagues when working in such an environment. This does NOT include that you have to fully cooperate in all things they may want from you - e.g., falsifying exam results or whatever. There must be limits where you say clearly NO. If you do your job properly and honestly, expect your partner to do likewise. If he does not, warn him in advance. If it comes to the worst with things like expecting you to violate Chinese Law and regulations, report it to the authorities (meaning also to be ready to face the consequences when the authority in question has got some special "guanxi" with the employer violating any rules. I have had all that.
- I do not want to make other posters' educational level an issue here as it would not be fair. But as you seem to doubt my qualifications in some way let me tell you this: Most foreign teachers, irrespective of their relative educational level, even do not know Chinese well enough. I can claim I do, and I am quite proficient in reading and writing Chinese. This is helpful when having to read contracts in Chinese, etc. I do not need translators who may not translate accurately when dealing with officials of the school or the government. Still, then it is no guarantee that they then act in reasonable cases as they should.
(I have published many books - in English and other languages....
and I am a serious and genuine person...so this is the only reason why I am mentioning this here. I have no need to "market" myself in this board as I can get enough good job and job offers from many diffrerent places all over the world if I want). There is no reason for me to "humble" myself more than necessary as you may suggest with your reference to the native speaker question. This is not all that counts.
Hope I have not offended you in some way by these remarks but I thought I should make it clear.

[cj750]

[cj750]

[tw]

I can see the MOD team locking this thread in the very near future...

[brsmith15]

One of the major reasons requiring you to have your checkup here is...........MONEY! Scam the lao wei for a few RMB. My last one cost me 600 RMB but they found gallstones which my US facility failed to discover.

All in all, I've had good luck with Chinese docs and hospitals. My (Chinese) brother-in-law is a surgeon at a respected joint. He studied in France and said that his hospital is every bit as good as the EU ones.

Of course, in the rural areas, they might just attach leeches to your neck and head, and wave dead things at you whilst moaning some dirge.

[abusalam4]

[upchuckles]

Love Quzhou.. You may be lucky enough to bring your med forms signed by your Dr. in the USA and NOT have to undergoe the supplemental exam in Zhejiang. Im in Zhejiang and all the res. perm. formalities start with the local PSB and then you do your medical in the provincial capital, (hangzhou) we had our docs from the USA, all they made us do was sign some forms and we were good .. No medical required..

good luck

[A'Moo]