Job Discussion Forums

[chopstix]

I have done a bit of ersearch and see EFS is an International School set up and NET SCHEME is ESL . What about wages? holidays? and actual working day comparison? I am hoping to have a chance at both opportunities but am unsure which would be better. Does NET count for teaching years back home?

[hkchalky]

I don't know a lot about EFS, but I do see NETs switching over from the Net scheme to EFS or other International Schools and loving it. People usually don't do it the other way around.

[Smoog]

ESF generally pays better than NET.
The salary range for NETs is 29k - 53k (includes the allowance, less for primary NETs)
ESF is 35k to 56k
In ESF you get lots of other benefits, inlcuding extra pay for doing extra work. This ranges from 1.5K p/month way up to 25k p/mnth. Also, very importantly, if you have a family ESF gives you a discount for enrolling your kids into their schools. That's worth a fair bit. As a foreigner you can't enrol your kids into the local schools, and international school fees are very high. So you need to take that into consideration when applying as a NET.
Of course if you don't have kids, it doesn't matter.
ESF gives a 20% bonus annually, whereas NETs is 15% at the end of the 2 yr contract.

However, last year, they cut ESF pay quite substantially. This led to a lot of stress and bitterness among the teachers. They're still getting a lot more than NETs, but I would wonder as to the stress levels and work environment there at present.

ESF is what we'd consider normal 'proper' teaching, in that you're teaching a specialist subject to a class, in english. Unlike NET where it's co-teaching specific english structure to a class.

Generally I'd say because of the cost of enrolling into an ESF school, the students are coming from fairly well-off families, which means that overall their english is going to be pretty good. NETs, you might find yourself in a poor area in a school where there's very little english spoken outside the classroom or in home.

You're also likely to find yourself to be the only non-Chinese person at your school, under the NET scheme. Having no-one to talk to or understand what it's like to be in such a different environment can get some down. Personally I don't mind, but it can be annoying and a bit stressful at times.

Not sure about whether NET teaching counts toward teaching years back home. Best take that up with your home country Ed dept.

NETs is still a very well-paid job, but ESF does seem better. ESF jobs are much sort-after though. They had 120 vacancies for next school year and 1600 applicants. NET scheme is still (constantly) advertising. That may give you some idea as to what the general feeling between the two is.

[chopstix]

thanks for the clear picture smoog- I only have a PNET interview so far and can see why- hopefully it it will still be a god opportunity and I might still have a chance with a NET Secondary interview.

[once again]

Just to correct something smoog said...the school I work at is a local school and has lot of non chinese students. It is perfectly possible for foreigners to enrol in a local school therefore. We have British, German, French, Filipina, Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Korean, Japanese, and of course, Chinese.

[well-travelled]

A couple of points.

Although in theory it is possible for an expatriate to put his kids in a local school, it isn't as easy as once again intimates. Most of the best EMI schools are over-subscribed. Also, for many of us the local education system leaves a lot to be desired. My son attends an ESF school and there's no way he would fit into the local secondary system here.

Smoog mentions co-teaching if you're a NET. In truth, the situation varies from school to school. I teach three straight classes by myself and have always done so. That's the way my particular school deploys me. There is also another NET in the school, although this is far more the exception than the rule. As Smoog says, in most schools you are by yourself so you do have to be pretty self-sufficient.

As for ESFdom or NETdom, the figures speak for themselves. Most NETs would prefer ESF although there are few ESL positions and competition for them is intense.

well-travelled

[once again]

I was merley pointing out that foriegners CAN enrol in local schools. I didn't intend to intimate anything.

[poof]

ESF requires professional teaching qualifications, whereas with NET, it's possible to get in - at least to PNET - with just a degree in any subject.

ESF is Western run, so some of the 'oddities' found in dealing with some of the NET hierarchy are not so apparent.