Job Discussion Forums

Mdog · Joined: 17 Dec 2009 Posts: 23

The most recent news has been released to all those currently employed with the Shenzhen Public School system. Depending on what salary the current foreign teachers are on, the Shenzhen Public school foreign teachers will see a reduced salary for this fall's contract. This falls in line with what the competing companies who are also recruiting are offering in their contracts and closer to what the Bao'an Education Disctrict's salaries are for their new foreign teachers this Autumn too.

If others have any more relevant news, please post.

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

Sources?

Warm regards,
fat_chris

Zang_Lajiao · Joined: 19 Aug 2012 Posts: 17

It's definitely time to get out of teaching in China. I could go into all the possible reasons for such trends but I'm worried that I might cross a line somewhere, so I'm just going to let you guys work it out.

wangdaning · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154

There is lots of money to be made in China. Dirty chilli, are you really trying to scare people away?

I don't live, nor want to live, in Shenzhen, so this has little impact on me.

Personally, I am with Chris here, where are the sources. We are to take an anonymous poster's word that the manufactured city of Shenzhen is cutting salaries? Where is the foreign teachers union to back them up?

thebroformerlyknownaschou · Joined: 09 May 2014 Posts: 96

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

This would certainly not be logical as the recruitment of ESL teachers is becoming more and more difficult. If it is true, I doubt the stated reason for so. A more accurate statement would be, "The pianzi's at the top have decided to stick it even more to the foreigners. They will be reducing salaries to help fund additional xiao lao po's for themselves. The foreigners should remain grateful as it is a privilege to live and work in the PRC."

Trufranco · Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 5

Are you sure you don't mean increase? I'm starting up this year and we were told our salaries were going up 1500 kuai

xinlaoshi · Joined: 05 Jun 2014 Posts: 1

As someone who worked for the board of education through a company called CIPTC (China International Personnel Training Center -- a company that hires and handles foreign teachers for the Education Bureau in the Futian district of Shenzhen) and quit because of this salary decrease, I can assure you this information is true, but there's more to the story.

Returning teachers were promised at least the same salary next year (14,700 RMB per month), but most likely a raise and were given contracts to sign that stated as much. We were informed around that time that we would no longer be paid our full salary during the summer months. I know this is not standard for public schools in China, but we were told previously that we would be getting the full salary.

Nevertheless, many of us signed up for another year. About a week later, we were informed that the Education Bureau would not be signing our contracts (after previously approving them and having us sign them) and would be issuing new ones dropping our salaries to 12,000 per month.

I know they did nothing illegal, since they never signed the contract and only made verbal promises, but it is certainly unethical, especially given the timing. They waited until the last possible moment to inform the teachers, meaning anyone who had already booked flights after the end of the semester needed to begin the visa processing immediately and would not have enough time to hunt for another position.

I guess the moral is: if you work in Shenzhen, beware the Education Bureau. Not only do they clearly have no compassion for their teachers, but they will happily screw over the companies they use to hire and manage those teachers (like CIPTC) as well. These companies' reputations will take a big hit.

In fact, you can verify this story by looking for recent job ads from CIPTC online. Most of them still state a salary of 13,600 (the original salary for new hires beginning next September), but if you contact them, they will inform you that you would, in fact, only be making 12,000.

KnockoutNed · Joined: 03 Dec 2009 Posts: 87

I was working for CIPTC and can vouch for this. But it's actually a 20% decrease, not 15%. 15,000*.2 = 3,000. New salary is 12,000.

wangdaning · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154

I am ignorant as to how they do things in Shenzhen, but something here sounds sketchy, I agree.

One question, how do you know it is the Ed Bureau and not the company doing this?

The OP does not mention this company, but the last two posts state the company is doing this. Have teachers contacted the education bureau to confirm, or are they just listening to what the company says?