Job Discussion Forums

Deats · Joined: 02 Jan 2015 Posts: 503

Just out of interest why aren't all teachers just given year contracts. The school can say summer is unpaid if they are too stingy to pay this. Then you would never have these problems?

And regardless of how you dress it, it is a problem for some people, if not all.

What does the uni gain by only giving a RP for 10.5 months for the first year? It just doesn't make logical sense. Clearly they don't care enough about the FT's if they force them into staying in China for 20 days of their vacation.

Obviously there are extenuating circumstances in this case and if ghost had asked about the process before booking his ticket, then clearly he wouldn't be in such a pickle. Some of this is clearly his own making.

Nevertheless, the actual process stinks. Why should you have to have flexibility when you aren't even (presumably) being paid for the summer if it is a 10.5 month contract (at the very least the year you leave you will lose this summer payment (if they pay summer for re-signing?).

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

Deats · Joined: 02 Jan 2015 Posts: 503

I understand what you are saying 7969 and agree with you on quite a bit of it. Give and take is the basis of a happy working relationship. It sounds like in your individual case you make things work and they help you wherever they can.

You do say though that the RP is a year long, so I don't get how the RP runs out on July 15th? Presumably they didn't apply for your RP on this day? Which means they got an RP which was 10.5 months long. That doesn't make sense.

I think your school is lucky that their foreign teachers are so understanding.

In my case my wife and I come from different countries and have a small child. To go and visit friends and family we will need the 2 month holiday in summer, which is standard for all unis. We would never fly to Russia, then back to China to renew our RP then to UK then back to China again. Think of the cost! And the flight time (4 days not including jet lag, crying baby etc)

Even to fly (return) anywhere for only 2 weeks from late June to mid-July then have to come back and sit in China for 3 weeks then pay for another flight to go somewhere else for 3 weeks once you get your RP back... It doesn't seem right. Especially waiting 3 weeks in the heat and humidity of Guangdong's summer. If you want to travel in China in the 3 weeks your RP is being done, then that is another return flight to where you want to go in China (so 6 flights in total - on a uni budget!)

Anyway, each to their own. Everyone has things they are willing to be flexible with and things they aren't. My holiday is something I treasure as I love travelling and is one of the main reasons I work in a uni. Now I have a child/family to consider, I would never be able to do this. But each person is different and I respect that.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

jimpellow wrote:
"This is why I suggested you should keep on them and have a willingness to walk. If you have any value to them, and every indication of your background and demeanor strikes me that you do, then they will not be willing to lose you over this."

"On this forum it's often been said that a white face that can inhale oxygen is all that's needed to get a job in this country. Assuming that's true (I don't always believe it myself) then telling the school you're going to walk if they don't meet your demands is probably going to end badly for the teacher. We're all replaceable."

Well. I must admit that saying you would have a willingness to walk in a case where it is truly the fault of not the school as you write, but the local government, is not going to have any positive effect.

I would still stick to the general premise that Mainland Chinese are not considerate people, showing value to them and then having a willingness to walk if a poor situation arises and cannot be worked out is a much more effective model in surviving and succeeding in China.

The poster did seven years in Saudi so he is going to have value. There are plenty of jobs for well qualified half sane ESL teachers. I am not sure why he is accepting it and staying as it sounds like this issue will keep repeating itself. I would get out of that locality to a more standard one so he can enjoy his vacation and his life.