Job Discussion Forums

[phil82]

Is this just the latest bout of scare-mongering or is the job situation in Taipei really bad?

I know those who have been here for a long time will have heard all this before, but I've heard this from a lot of different people so would like to get some more opinions.

I've heard that because of the governments crackdown on illegal teachers and an influx of new teachers there are not many jobs going around in Taipei. In particular there are not a lot of morning jobs about.

I have met people recently (all qualified) who have been here for months and are still only able to find part-time work. Other people have told me there are far more people applying for jobs and less short-term teachers leaving and freeing up jobs.

I am quite happily settled in my job in Taoyuan but my brother and his girlfriend are coming to work in Taipei after Chinese New Year. But after hearing this I wonder if they'd be better off finding work out here.

I'd appreciate any thoughts anyone has on this subject.

[Aristotle]

The Taiwan Ministry of Racial Purity (a.k.a. MOE) have begun to ban English teaching and charge unreasonable registration fees for private schools or bushi bans. This a way for them to recoup some of their lost bribe money and face after being stripped of their authority to authorize foreign teachers' work permits and ARC's. The current Taiwan goverment's racist localization agenda is the most recent excuse given for these actions.
Teaching in a school that does not have the same address as the one listed on the front or back of your ARC means you are working illegally and the school is paying bribes to keep from getting fined and harassed. In areas of Central and Southern Taiwan where organized crime is much more involved in the big chain schools it seems to be more of a push and pull situation. The Ministry of Racial Purity (a.k.a. MOE) officials are trying ever so tactfully, to extort bribes from certain chain schools with strong organized crime connections. These schools that do not have the correct political connections may be pushed out of the market in the near future.
What that means for me and you is that there are less schools offering teaching positions but more students looking for private tutors. The students are still here, the schools are being cut out. That may be good for foreign teachers as we get a pay raise and don't have to worry about our local employers ripping us off.
As an added bonus, NO TAXES!
Try taking an ad out in one of the local bilingual ESL sites or newspapers offering private classes.
Here is a bilingual tutoring agreement you can give prospective clients to ensure you get paid.
http://www.voy.com/113223/249.html
Good luck,
A.