Job Discussion Forums

[JRJohn]

I am teaching in a middle school in Beijing. I seem to have settled into the school now and I feel that I am actually getting on with the Chinese teachers quite well. My hours and salary have gone up, and school seems okay.

HOWEVER, there are issues.[b] People need to be aware of them before they start the job, otherwise they might be in for a shock, especially if they planned to spend X amount of money settling in, when in fact, they must spend Y amount of money instead, on rent, etc. This is something I did not know about before my arrival in Beijing. The employer did not fill me in on any such details before I came. (In my previous job in China, the apartment was rent-free).

As regards the school day, the first class starts before 8 a.m. It'soften convenient to arrive before 7:30 so you can have breakfast, so sometimes I leave the house at 6:30. Classes are 40 minutes, or 45 minutes long. This could mean leaving the house at 6:30 5 days a week. Unlike in Chinese universities, there are no double periods, which helps with lesson plans.

In my school, I have a Chinese teacher who listens to classes , but does not teach. That's fine, so far I quite like it. But there are also schools in this district, in which you will be co-teaching. That means you plan the lessons together, and have to work together quite intensely. It can be awkward if there's a misunderstanding. I would find this method of teaching a lot harder to deal with, because you have to be very careful about who teaches what. Some people are okay with it.

HOUSING is perhaps the real problem. Some middle schools in China provide rent-free accommodation either at school or nearby. Some private universities do this too. Language mills vary. I know E.F. provided free accommodation, shared with western people. My school DOES NOT. There was an old ad that said they offered a 2000 yuan housing stipend, but that was not the case, by the time I got hired, but at least I wastold.

The salary was 13,000 yuan, more than enough to live on in Beijing. I thought I could afford my own place. Right? Wrong. This post is for people who don't know the Chinese rental system. It's almost like the key money system in Japan. The agency I work for did not mention this. They are very helpful, in many ways, but some quite important stuff got lost in translation.

When I moved in I had to pay 4 month's rent. Two months later, Ihad to pay another 3 months, and 3 months later, another 3 months rent. THAT can be an issue, if you don't have quite large savings and you don't want to share with strangers. A colleague found a single apartment for 3700 yuan. It's not central Beijing. I could not afford this if I had to pay 4 months up front. So reluctantly, I ended up having to share. It was just before a major holiday, and I was told the hotel room would have to be vacated very quickly. I was told I'd have to share with Chinese people. I ended up sharing with Chinese people some of whom don't speak any English. I nearly ended up in fight with a young guy who liked to cook and play loud music at midnight (not everyone starts work when I do). He was really difficult. It was even harder for me to argue in Chinese.

He moved out. Now suddenly my room mate tells me his parents have moved in. This could be difficult. They like to use the kitchen, and there may be trouble with that. My knowledge of Chinese does not stretch this far.

It would be helpful for the future if people come to Beijing with this in mind. You will need to plan for larger outlays of cash than expected.

One more thing. Some people got public school jobs in Beijing, and were told it was still possible to get a tourist visa and have it changed in Hong Kong. As I understand it, this has been possible till very recently. Now you must go home and get a Z-visa. There are no loop holes. So people were stuck. However the agency offered them a free flight home, and return to China. I don't blame the agency for this. But policy can change. It's always advisable to get the corrrect Z-visa.

[Non Sequitur]

Can't believe you didn't tie down the housing thing - especially as you had an apartment-supplied gig in the past.