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asiannationmc
Joined: 13 Aug 2014
Posts: 1342
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 Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 2:24 am Post subject: Foreign English Teacher's Commission has impact |
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Becoming native: Foreign English Teacher's Commission has impact
2016-06-03 PandaGuidesOfficial
Press "PandaGuidesOfficial" above to follow us.
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By Tony
News about the changes coming to English teaching in China continues to trickle out. Last Sunday, Panda Guides was privy to attend a meeting by the newly formed Foreign English Teacher Professional Commission, the first of its kind, which was hosted by Beijing Global Talent Exchange Association, and supported by the Foreign Expert Bureau (FEB).
Members of the new commission include schools who currently employ foreign English teachers, those that will employ foreign English teachers in the future, as well as agencies and job platforms such as Panda Guides. This commission was established to improve the lives of the 250,000 qualified and registered foreign English teachers and to increase that number through attractive incentives.
As previously reported by us the Chinese government is currently reviewing and revising the list of countries that will be considered as native English countries. The previous report stated that even though most of the 30-odd countries on the list submitted by Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) to the FEB are commonwealth nations this is not a golden ticket. Our source singled out the Philippines as an example. However, at the meeting it was revealed that several countries, including the Philippines and some European countries, are in talks with the Chinese government to get on this list. This is an ongoing process and changes to the list will occur before the government makes the official announcement in the near future.
Other changes included in the policy change talks are revised requirements for work experience. Foreigners with bachelor degrees (*previously reported as masters or above*) in English literature, English language, education, or related fields can have the two year work requirement waived. The aim of this change is to draw in fresh graduates.
This is a smart move by the government because if a teacher works for 2 years in their home country then they will have less initiative to come to China. This is especially true in job markets like the US where jobs are just now beginning to recover from the recession. Plus, in Europe, several countries’ job markets and economy are still in turmoil. Thus, if a fresh graduate is able to land a good job at home they will want to hold onto that opportunity instead of building their resume in China.
Changes to the work permit and Z visa were also discussed. The situation in Hebei Province was cited as an example. There, foreign English teachers can obtain a work permit and Z visa with a major company as well as work with up to 3 other employers part time with no threat of punishment. The Foreign English Teacher Professional Commission will be looking into the effects of implementing this policy nationwide. Again, the aim of doing this is to increase the opportunities for Chinese citizens to get a proper English language education from qualified teachers.
The government will also be looking into viability of combining the work permit and Z visa into one document that will then act as a Chinese identification card - opening up a wide range of services and opportunities to expats.
China may also begin sweetening the pot for foreigners in China by way of access to welfare. They understand that after working for several years in China many teachers will not have access to social benefits. This may be a determining factor when deciding about going back to their home country. China wants to change this to allow employees working here for longer than 5 years to gain access to social benefits as an added advantage of staying here in China.
The amount of schools allowed to legally employ foreign English teachers will also be widened immensely. Presently, there are about 8,000 schools across China that are recognized as being eligible to employ foreign English teachers. This number may rise to as many as 3 million with the new changes.
Of course, along with loosening restrictions China must also put in place new controls to make sure these changes have the maximum positive effect. One such regulation will require the certification of degrees by a third party. For this, China is taking a page out of several other countries’ books that require a Chinese citizen to certify his/her degree in China before obtaining work abroad. So in the future, foreign English teachers will be required to certify their degree in their home country at a Chinese embassy or consulate, by public notary, or by a certification center recognized by the Chinese Education Ministry. Those who are simply renewing or transferring their Z visa will be exempt from this requirement.
For senior professionals who may have misplaced their original degree over the years and want to obtain a work permit for a university they may get a recommendation letter from the school here in China that vouches for their credentials in lieu of a degree.
TEFL certifications was the last topic discussed. Currently, there are 400 TEFL institutes recognized by the Chinese government. Attendees are awarded a TEFL certificate after completing a 120 hour course. The main recommendation provided by the commission was that the institute should have a website that enables a government official to check the veracity of the certificate.
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getbehindthemule
Joined: 15 Oct 2015
Posts: 712
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 2:45 am Post subject: |
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Interesting. The below would be a giant step for laowaikind...
The amount of schools allowed to legally employ foreign English teachers will also be widened immensely. Presently, there are about 8,000 schools across China that are recognized as being eligible to employ foreign English teachers. This number may rise to as many as 3 million with the new changes. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 3:46 am Post subject: |
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Maybe a warning shot across the bows of these new employers:
'Foreign Teachers warned not to accept jobs not meeting basic criteria'.
Then list the (say) 10 top issues that are widely identified on Dave's. |
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auchtermuchty
Joined: 05 Dec 2009
Posts: 344
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 8:45 am Post subject: |
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| getbehindthemule wrote: |
Interesting. The below would be a giant step for laowaikind...
The amount of schools allowed to legally employ foreign English teachers will also be widened immensely. Presently, there are about 8,000 schools across China that are recognized as being eligible to employ foreign English teachers. This number may rise to as many as 3 million with the new changes. |
Three million schools in China?  |
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