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kimo50
Joined: 24 Aug 2011
Posts: 119
Location: Guam
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 Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 2:48 pm Post subject: Ningpo |
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Hi
Was offered 10,000 a month plus apartment / utilities / two meals a day to teach at a public high school in Ningpo City.
Any comments or experience in this city? |
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dean_a_jones
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 1151
Location: Wuhan, China
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 2:54 pm Post subject: |
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It's a good start.
I would have a look at this list, in terms of other factors to consider if the contract on the whole is a good one or not:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=91394
Without more details (teaching hours, office hours, other perks, flight allowance, winter/summer breaks paid etc.) it is not really easy to say much more than I already have.
Don't know the city, sure others do. |
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kimo50
Joined: 24 Aug 2011
Posts: 119
Location: Guam
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 2:56 pm Post subject: other benes |
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| 30 days paid leave, reimburse 1 way airfare, 20 classroom hours/week, medical, Z visa paid |
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dean_a_jones
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 1151
Location: Wuhan, China
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 3:12 pm Post subject: Re: other benes |
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| kimo50 wrote: |
| 30 days paid leave, reimburse 1 way airfare, 20 classroom hours/week, medical, Z visa paid |
Alright. The one way airfare is a bit unusual (and I would get some kind of amount agreed), most places will pay for a return flight (or your flight home and back for the summer if you stick around for more than a year) but up to a certain amount. Classroom hours are alright, and I assume you mean residency permit paid, rather than z visa (which you will obtain yourself before you leave, and get converted into an RP when you arrive). Same with the medical, which most people have to do both at home (you pay) and after you arrive (they pay).
The 30 days holiday is nice, but if the school breaks for more than this during the summer (and during the Spring festival) do you get paid during these months (summer only if you sign on for a second year). Worth asking about.
From what you have said so far, it sounds a decent package for a public school. Might want to find out what courses you will be teaching and what support they will be giving you. This is more important if you are new to teaching and need to plan all your own stuff.
As always, it is worth getting in touch with a current teacher or two to see what they have to say about the reality on the ground. |
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kimo50
Joined: 24 Aug 2011
Posts: 119
Location: Guam
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 4:49 am Post subject: compensation |
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Thanks for your responses. Yes the salary is 10,000 RMB per month net of taxes. A small monthly bonus is mentioned but no details. Some other details
you have your own room and bathroom but a public kitchen which is not used by the other foreign teachers, as two of them live outside the school. the school provides free breakfast and lunch.
A teaching position usually allows a flexible working schedule, but may also require working at noon, evening and weekend. The total working hours per week usually does not exceed 40 hours (generally 8 hours per day). If it does, then overtime pay shall apply according to the Chinese labor law. The details are as follows:
1) Teach English, math, Math, science for the international classes of 10th or 11th or 12th grades. 20 class hours per week ( 1 class hour=45 minutes)
2) If the 20 classes have been completed, extra tutorship to advanced students and students is required within the working hour.
3) Attending the group activities arranged by the school�s international department, and completing other tasks assigned by the international department.
Utilities included.
1) According to the school arrangement, the employee will enjoy the following Chinese holidays: New Year�s Day, The Spring Festival, Labor Day, National Day.
2) The employee can take 2 days off at Christmas.
3) The employee will enjoy 30 days of paid leave during the winter & summer vacation (totally) every year. If the employee is required to work during the vacations, allowance will be paid based on the evaluation of the international department. |
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7969
Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 5:26 am Post subject: |
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| I'm not usually one to harp on salaries too much, people should accept or refuse a salary based on their needs/qualifications etc etc... but 10,000 per month for a 40 hour work week (less than $10/hr) that possibly involves being called in morning, noon, night and weekend is not good. That's a flexible working schedule all right. |
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dean_a_jones
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 1151
Location: Wuhan, China
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 5:43 am Post subject: Re: compensation |
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| kimo50 wrote: |
| A small monthly bonus is mentioned but no details. |
Get the details, and get them in writing. Otherwise, your bonus might be a pat on the back, or nothing at all.
| Quote: |
| you have your own room and bathroom but a public kitchen which is not used by the other foreign teachers, as two of them live outside the school. the school provides free breakfast and lunch. |
Does this mean shared accommodation? This can be a downer, even with your own room, depending on the habits of your new flatmate. Two live outside is fine if they only have three and you get the place to yourself, but I would check up on this. A big question is why do they live outside if offered free accommodation? Do they get an allowance instead?
| Quote: |
A teaching position usually allows a flexible working schedule, but may also require working at noon, evening and weekend. The total working hours per week usually does not exceed 40 hours (generally 8 hours per day). If it does, then overtime pay shall apply according to the Chinese labor law. The details are as follows:
1) Teach English, math, Math, science for the international classes of 10th or 11th or 12th grades. 20 class hours per week ( 1 class hour=45 minutes)
2) If the 20 classes have been completed, extra tutorship to advanced students and students is required within the working hour.
3) Attending the group activities arranged by the school�s international department, and completing other tasks assigned by the international department. |
Alright, this makes a bit more sense in terms of the salary offered. I don't know how much of this language is yours, and how much is theirs, but there are some red flags here. It sounds like you are doing 20 classes per week, which is not too unreasonable.
It is the other 20 hours I would be concerned about. It sounds like you are working as a private tutor for a rate that is much lower than you could get if you were charging in your free time. Keep in mind a university job at 12-18 hours/week can net you 5,000 - 7,000 RMB a month without anything extra beyond this (except planning time).
On that note, is there a curriculum or do you have to create/develop your own materials. If the latter, then expect some serious planning time. Your 40 hour week could become a 60 hour week if you are not careful (and don't forget you will also need to factor in time to correct homework etc.).
The word "usually" appears a few times--if this is from them, then watch out. An overtime rate should be agreed and in the contract. Even better if it states that any overtime is voluntary rather than required. Point three is also too vague, and if you are not careful you might find yourself doing all sorts of extra work free of charge. These kinds of statements are often in there because they want you to do promotion or recruitment work as you have a foreign face. They tell you it is a "flexible working schedule" but it sounds like you might be bending over backwards for them if you are not careful.
| Quote: |
Utilities included.
1) According to the school arrangement, the employee will enjoy the following Chinese holidays: New Year�s Day, The Spring Festival, Labor Day, National Day.
2) The employee can take 2 days off at Christmas.
3) The employee will enjoy 30 days of paid leave during the winter & summer vacation (totally) every year. If the employee is required to work during the vacations, allowance will be paid based on the evaluation of the international department. |
It is not clear what will happen during the Spring festival (winter holiday). They say they give it to you, but schools usually break for 3 or 4 weeks, whereas the festival lasts only one. Does this mean you need to choose between not being paid or using up your holiday entitlement? Sounds like the summer is the same, so you might want to find out how long the summer break is if you plan on staying for more than a year.
Overall, it is the hours, in particular the tutoring, which sounds to me like they will have you working a 40 hour/week for a poor wage. If you did tutoring privately in your spare time, at 20 hours per week at 100RMB an hour (which is itself quite a low rate), you would be almost making your monthly salary before you even think about class time.
From what you have said here, it sounds like it might be worth passing on this one unless you can get some things clarified or changed, and some confirmation about the reality on the ground from a trusted source. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:26 am Post subject: |
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40 hours class time certainly puts the 10000RMB pm into perspective.
If you can teach academic subjects then you really could be international school material which would pay more that 10000.
The alternative, as others have stated, is go the public university sector and get say 5000RMB pm with round trip airfare allowance or refund for under 20 teaching hours pw. |
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