Job Discussion Forums

[arioch36]

Just talked to an FAO today who said that earlier this year the SAFEA had a meeting where they reminded /stressed? school FAO's that that a laowai could only teach five years consectutively, then had to retrun to the home country for two years

[Eyrick3]

I know a number of guys who have been in China for longer than 5 years and have either: a) never gone home, b) only gone home for a few weeks before returning to China.

I'm quite sure this is just a rumor, so no reason to worry.

[MGreen]

There is the 5 year rule, but I have never heard of teachers having to go home for 2 years. Where I teach, after 5 years you have to leave (they don't care where you go) but you can come back to the job after 1 year.

[mike w]

Never seen or heard of any such "rule".
The longest period I have been out of China was 11 weeks, and that was in 1999. I think if such a "rule" really existed I would have heard about it during my 14 years here.
Maybe it is one the "grey-rules" - you know the ones - they take it out of the cupboard to use it when it suits them. I suppose it could be useful as an excuse for not offering a new contract because they really just don't want someone anymore.

[patsy]

At one of the major universities in Qinghai, a foreign teacher was let go after 3 years, stating there was a "3 year rule". I have also heard of a "2 year rule" out here. So the rule can change based on when they would like you to move on.

[kev7161]

I guess I'm on the six year rule as I'll be returning in the fall for my 6th year (4th at this school). I only go home for a few weeks in the summer. Also, my school has talked about me taking up a teaching/administrative position after next year. Hmmmm, maybe a seven year rule?

[Moon Over Parma]

[11:59]

Actually, in the days of the proper Foreign Expert system there was indeed a 10 year rule which stated that no one could spend longer than a total of 10 years in China, even if they married a Chinese. I would be very surprised if this was still enforced however, or even enforceable. Having said that though, I'm also surprised by people trying to enter a lift before those inside it have alighted so nothing in China would really shock me all too much. I guess the 5 year rule, if it exists, can be conveniently sidestepped if it suits the powers that be, and enforced as if it is the most normal thing in the world if and when it suits them.

[Surfdude18]

As 11:59 hints at,all these 'laws' exist in China. There is probably a book hidden away somewhere which lists a 2 year rule, a 5 year rule, an eight year rule, a 2.4151515 year rule, and so on, all to be used by the appropriate person as and when it suits them, rather than with any consistency.

Even if someone did get told to leave under a '5 year rule', I'm 99% certain that they could come back into China straight away with a new job in a different province. Personally I think this rule is only ever invoked when a school wants to get rid of a certain teacher for whatever reason.

[11:59]

Quite. (There is most likely a 'zero year law' written down somewhere, too!) Technically speaking, that is, according to the letter of the law (or is it to the character of the law?), co-habitation between a Chinese female and a non-Chinese male (but not the other way around) is still highly illegal, and the female can be charged with both prostitution and 'undermining Chinese society' (my translation), which is a crime against the state, no less. But this law is rarely enforced now, unless of course somebody annoys and/or angers someone high-up somewhere who wants to extract revenge and have the guy deported and the girl carted off for 're-education'. Similarly, according to the law, foreigners can only reside in 'police-approved' accommodation. Again, this is rarely enforced now.

[killian]

teach on.

in taiwan, part of china, it is illegal for foreigners to teach kindergarten. yet, such remains a multi-milloion dollar industry.

all part of the game.

[Leon Purvis]

Hey, I know a guy whose school invoked a two-year rule.

[Yu]

Perhaps they dont want you back. But they want to save face, so they tell you there is a 5 year rule. Last year a 4 year rule was put on a FT here. But for me there were not problems. It is a way for the school to get rid of you easily. If you want to stay, make a lot of noise and it probably wont be a problem.

[7969]

[mike w]