Job Discussion Forums

[Susie]

From my experience of working at private-owned language centres, the owner (capitalist) puts pressure on you, like performance-related pay, etc. and the pay is a bit higher. In education bureau schools teaching work is more relaxed and the pay is less.

What say you?

[Roger]

Not exactly the same way.

Private training centres do put special pressure on us, yes: we are supposed to be pleasing the learners. The learners often are dreamers with unrealistic ideas of themselves and their needs; they lack self-confidence the most, and English competence is not normally very high either. If you do not entertain them in such a way as to make them want to continue at this training centre, you have trouble.

In public schools, it is not necessarily more relaxed. There, the pressure increases on you as the semester end is coming closer. Then the truants begin to work their charm on you. They may despise English, you, the school - the school wants their parents to pay, and if the kids fail in the exam, you are to blame, not the culprit.

In both types of schools, I find the learners have too much power and clout over you! They won't have to do what's in their own interest - you have to pander to their whims!