Job Discussion Forums

[ruak12]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently working in Hong Kong as a teaching assistant in a well-known school and have been here since Aug 2007. I recently had a NET Scheme interview (with the EDB) and I have been rejected. However, there is another girl like me who is 'brown' and she has also been rejected. Is this due to racism?? i.e. schools will not want to employ brown english speakers or is there someone who is non-caucasian who has been accepted with the NET. My caucasian colleagues have all been accepted (even though they don't plan to teach in Hong Kong).

Thank you

Sat

[anninhk]

I have been to PD sessions with NETs of all nationalities so can't say for definite that Hong Kong has a racism policy, but there is definitely a preference for blond, white females with a British accent!

[ruak12]

Hello there,
So where there any Black/Asian teachers at the PD meetings??

[Marcoregano]

It wouldn't surprise me if there is 'some' racism, though I have known quite a few 'non-white' teachers on the NET prog since I arrived in HK in 99. I would imagine this kind of problem is more prevalent at lower band schools with backward teachers/department heads. Just noticed that the OP says s/he had the interview with EDB. I'd hope that EDB interviewers wouldn't be racially biased, and actually would find it hard to believe.

[anninhk]

Yes, there are a number of black and Asian NETs.

[starfall]

[Marcoregano]

Starfall, point taken. It's difficult to generalise - there are probably radical, forward looking schools in the NT and Band 1 schools run by fascists, but certainly some of the top schools have an international mix of staff. My wife is a NET in one of HK's top schools, and one of her colleagues, who also teaches English, is Indian, and wears traditional dress. No problem there, you might say. However, my wife is close friends with her and she says she has always felt 'excluded' from other staff, who eat lunch together and sometimes organise events without including her. Is that racist behaviour? Maybe, but my wife, who is Caucasian, is similarly excluded. Is it racism, or just a natural tendency for cultures to fraternise among themselves? Sorry if this is getting a little bit away from the OP but it can be difficult to know where to draw the line.

[Horizontal Hero]

[Miss Helen]

i was born and raised in Hong Kong until 7th grade when my family and I moved to the US. To tell you the truth, i really didn't think i'd pass the interview cos in my mind racism does exist in hong kong (in fact racism exists in every country i believe) and the fact that i wasn't an ABC (American born Chinese) would make me less of a professional. The only reasons I can think of why I would possibly pass the interview (from an unbias/non-racist perspective) is that first of all,

- I can speak fluent cantonese and will be able to communicate quite well with my partner teacher as well as the students.

- I won't need a visa to stay in HK.

- I've been teaching Beijing children english for the past 2 and ahalf years.

- I am very familiar with the Chinese learning style since i sorta grew up with it.


ok that's about it. i mean who knows? may be no school will even want to hire me cos i'm a Hong kongnese afterall. Like many of you said, each school is different and we can only pray for the best. My school in BJ is hella racist when it comes to advertising the English program...Even though i'm hired as an English foreign teacher from America, i never get invited to be part of the poster or advertisement picture taking, nor will you ever see my face in any of those posters. Yet every now and then, the leaders from the school would approach me and tell me that I'm a very good teacher and the students love me very much and that they want me to remain in the school for as long as I can.

This is my third year teaching in China and i feel like i've already overcome/accepted the fact that racism exists everywhere...it really doesn't matter where you go. But the more important question is how do we deal with it as a professional teacher? Afterall, appearances can only bring you so far...it's the quality of your teaching that truly matter at the end.

[puiwaihin]

I'm not in the NET program yet, but I can almost certify that racism exists in it. And it will be two-fold:

1. Non-whites (favored look) will be passed over more than whites with equal (or even worse) qualifications.
2. NETs will be outsiders to the schools they are working in 9 times out of 10 if not 10 times out of 10.

HK is outwardly an international cosmopolitan, but that does not extend to social inclusion of outsiders. Business inclusion? Sure. Accept outside ideas? As long as it can be repackaged as a HK idea. Let you come as an honored guest? Absolutely, reflects well on them. Let you be part of the community? Not unless you're joining the billionaire's club.

So, yeah, if you're planning to go, expect it.

[boling8]

This to Miss Helen from Beijing,
I am an ABC and I will be leaving the NET scheme later this year for personal reasons. You state that speaking fluent Cantonese will be helpful in your new school. Well, I hate to break your fairytale, cause I myself do speak fluent Cantonese, however I must hide the fact!! The school would prefer that you don't, cause it will make you no different than the local English Teachers (LET). Once the students find out you speak Cantonese, you can forget trying to get them to speak to you in English, cause they won't do that with their LET, that is what you are there for. Also, parents want a NET (preferably white), but if that won't do then they sure don't want one can function just like the LET. Even though, you like like them, at least you are totally AMERICAN, thats what they like. I know this for a fact cause I am very close to my English curriculum leader and she knows that i can speak Cantonese, but she then told me not to let the other staff know. Another thing is if you choose to speak in Cantonese, then you are gonna work your butt off just like the locals. They won't give you any leniency. Ask any other NET that is foreign, they will tell you like I am that I do not need to go to Cantonese meetings that have nothing to do with the NET program nor organize any other extracurriculur activities that are not related to the NET program as well. I know other Chinese-American NETS here and they also do not let the schools know that they speak Cantonese, cause its gonna be a death sentence. You'll just like a LET and have the same workload as all the LETS. However, if yo ask any of the NETS that work in HK now, they will tell you their role is very different and more carefree. Well thats my advice to you.

[Miss Helen]

Hi Boling8,

Thanks for your advice. But like I said before, I was only stating my opinion from an un-bias/non-racist, idealistic point of view. Of course i know it's not necessarily a good thing to be able to speak Chinese as a foreign teacher (Don't forget I teach in Beijing and the pain-in-the-@ss of parents that I have to deal with).... However, I personally would find it more disturbing to lie about who I really am. I tried to hide the fact that I could speak Chinese during my first year in Beijing and it was tragic. I felt like a liar during the entire semester......anyways, during my second year of teaching (i went to a new school), I told the students upfront that I could speak Chinese. But i also made it very clear that they must speak English in class and that's just the way it is. At first i was worried that the kids would start speaking to me in Chinese but amazingly this hasn't happened (Even outside of class). Watching the other foreign teachers' classes (who don't speak a word of Chinese), I find that my relationship with my students seem to be a lot more intimate simply because I could actually communicate with them when necessary. I've also seen students who tried to communicate with the other foreign teachers in English and got so frustrated that they simply stopped trying after awhile. As for my case, my students know that i always expect them to first try in English and if there's really no other way than to use Chinese, I allow them to do so. And by understanding what they're saying in Chinese, I translate it back to English for them. The students didn't get frustrated and even learned a new word/phrase , the teacher did not get frustrated either.

Anyways, my point is, I understand what the school/parents expect but i also see the needs of my students as well as their academic learning as my first priority. Last but not least, being an educator to children, I see the importance of being a role model of intergrity. Lying to the students simply deos not promote honesty. I understand your point of view, but part of being a teacher is more than just academic teaching, it is character building as well. Being a bilingual is a delicate balance to walk. Is it easy in racist countries like China and HK? No. But I found from experience that it is worth it in a long run. =)

[hkteach]

I wish you good luck in your quest to be a NET, Miss Helen.
One thing you can do to improve your chances is to eliminate that unfortunate word "Anyways" from your vocabulary.
In Hong Kong, British English is preferred over U.S. standard and "Anyways" does not exist in British English.
Not only does it grate on non U.S people, but is simply not acceptable in places outside the U.S.
Hong Kong schools will not want their students speaking like this.
Take this advice and do your best to drop it before you interview at a school.

[hkteach]

While I'm at it, I should also request that those Brits, Aussies and Kiwis stop using those other unfortunate and totally incorrect usages "bored of" instead of "bored WITH", "should of" "could of" " would of", instead of "should HAVE" "could HAVE" and "would HAVE" .

[boling8]

Well, I do want to clarify that I am not asking you to lie about your language abilities, however just based on my experiences as well as other CBC and ABC NET experiences, it wasn't about hiding their identity but not being treated the same as the LET. Two of my principals also made it clear that is was best to not let the Sts know I speak Cantonese, to make the learning as authentic as possible. The LET is there to do the translating and in the NET primary scheme, you will always be
co-teaching. I think I rather have similar responsiblities as all of the other NETS in the scheme, that is why I don't want to be taken advantage of by being totally fluent in Cantonese and having to work 12 hrs or more a day and on Saturdays as well. But then again, I guess you wouldn't want to be isolated at work, so you can say tell the truth, however it is common that when you tell the interviewer of the school that you are truly bilingual, then it might work against you, so maybe you should tell them you only know a little bit and when you do get the job you can say whatever.