Job Discussion Forums

[martinding]

Winnerway Foreign Language School -
Nancheng, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
宏远外国语言学校

There are over 15 foreign teachers at WFLS. Only one of them has a legal working Z-VISA.

The Vice-Principal of the school, Tamzin Hardy, does not have a degree from any college or a university. However, she is the only one with a Z-VISA.

The employee who has a Z-VISA makes 10,000 RMB a month, but was required to sign an official government contract that stated they only made 6,000 RMB a month.

Numerous foreign teachers illegally employed at WTL Training Center are forced to teach at numerous kindergartens that are also not legally licensed to hire foreigners. If they refuse than they are fired.

There are many Chinese employees who are working without a contract and are refused health insurance.

All English classes that are insrtucted by foreign teachers don�t have a curriculum. Some may have a book that can be used, but other than that you are free to do what you want.

The 2 hour long Friday VIP classes which are instructed by foreign teachers do not have any curriculum, books, or guidelines. When I asked what should I teach the students the Vice Principal replied, �Do whatever you want to do, but you should write a lesson plan.� Parents pay 200 RMB per class. Teachers get paid 50 RMB per student. If you have 8 students in your class, you are making 400 RMB. The school is making 1200 RMB.

[7969]

[Opiate]

I wish I was paid by the head at my school. I'd have a BMW by next month.

[martinding]

Perhaps "forced" is not the correct word. "Blackmailed" would be more like it. It's that simple: "If you don't work at this illegal kindergarten (even though you signed a contract to work at the WTL Training Center) your contract will be terminated effective immediatly and you will be fined.

More and more "training centers" are doing this around China. They basically pimp off their foreign teachers to kindergartens that aren't allowed to hire foreign teachers. It's illegal and if you are one of the foreign teachers that gets caught working there you will get in trouble.

This happened to a friend of myne that worked at the WTL Training Center/ Tian Ruo Training Center in Nancheng, Dongguan, Guangdong, China. He did quit because he didn't want any trouble, but should he have had to quit? I mean you sign a contract with good intentions of working and then they try to make you do some illegal stuff. What gives? The police are asking about it. They will get caught sooner or later. Just beware. That's all I'm saying. Heads up and beware.

[7969]

I'm not a fan of training centres, I worked at a couple in the past for short periods of time and I hated the experience.

But in your post, some facts are missing. First, are you or have you worked at this school? Or is this a second/third hand account of what goes on there? Unless this is your own personal experience I have my doubts on the veracity of it all.

Why don't these foreign teachers have Z visas? How many of the 15 foreign teachers at this school are native speakers of English, have a degree, 2 years experience and are over the age of 23? Any that don't meet all of these requirements don't qualify for a work visa and shouldn't be doing these jobs anyway. At the same time the school knowingly hired them on that basis, can't or never bothered to get Z visas and are equally guilty. So if any of those teachers decides that they've had enough they can just pack up and leave - the school will simply have those who remain behind pick up the slack.

The only way any of these teachers can't leave is if:

a. they have no money; and or
b. they were foolish enough to give their passports to whoever they're working for.

I hope this isn't the case but it wouldn't surprise me.

Anyway assuming everything in your post is complete, accurate and true (not sure on that), getting fired from this place would seem to be a good thing. I mean, why would anyone allow themselves to work under threat of "blackmail?"

[martinding]

The Winnerway Foreign Language School and WTL Training Center and Tian Ruo Training Center are all owned by the same guy. Now WFLS has about 10 FT's and the training centers have about 5.

You are right about the FT's most don't have experience and some are non-native speakers and some don't have degrees. There are some teachers working there that are fresh out of high school. I'm talking 17 or 18 years old. The school recruits people like this so they don't have to pay them so much and so they don't have to get them Z-Visas. I was only writing those facts to demonstrate the kind of organization this place is. Yea, if you're sitting at home with nothing to do, sure, you can come to China and work at the Winnerway Schools/Training Centers. And people do do that.

However, there are some people that do have the right qualifications and are promised a Z-Visa and they do get screwed. Basically the school just doesn't want to spend the money and/or just can't be bothered with it. I wish I knew. But I know people who had all the right requirements and they just kept getting the run around.

I'm just saying stay away from this school. They have the connections to do these things and they treat FT's like dirt.

It's a great job for backpackers, but if you're looking to continue/start a career in teaching do not do it here. You will regret it.

I'm sure this could be said for a lot of "private" schools in China. This is just my experience.

[martinding]

And when I say "This is a great job for backpackers" I mean those backpackers that like getting into random adventures with no money and like having no sense of security whatsoever.

[martinding]

[Silent Shadow]

[choudoufu]

blackmail? forced? in what way?

if they refuse to work, then they are fired.

that's pretty much how it works all over the world.

terminated and fined? by whom? illegal contracts are not enforceable.
who's gonna fine 'em?

"When I asked what should I teach...." so....you're working illegally?

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

[choudoufu]

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

[dean_a_jones]

[martinding]

Whatever word you want to use - forced or blackmailed or scammed - let me be clear on the situation. You have all the qualifications to work legally and are promised a Z-Visa. You sign a contract to work for the WTL Training Center. Then you get the run around on your Visa and are told you will be teahing in a kindergarten. You go to the kindergarten to do a demo class because you work FOR the training center, you know you would be doing some traveling. In the middle of your demo class you are quickly taken to a small closet with no windows and told to stay there because government officials are here looking around. So the next day you say I refuse to work at that kindergarten.

YES we all have the option of quitting and YES you don't have to pay a fine unless of course the school hasn't paid you for the previous month. But all I'm saying is it's not right. You sign a contract and then something else happens. The school should be required to pay a fine to the foreign teacher. Will it ever happen? Unlikely. You have just signed a contract for a year and now you have to walk away and try to find a new job in the middle of the semester because of something illegal the school did. That's BS.

As far as the money - yes it is dirty and yes it is business. But I just wanted to illustrate the kind of place this is. Dirty. Everything is done under the table and no taxes are paid when it comes to foreign teachers because they're all working illegally (whether it be because they're not qualified or because they get the run around on there Z-Visa process). Yet the school can go about business everyday. There needs to be consequences.