Job Discussion Forums

[si-sewell]

Hi Folks,

I've heard that in places such as Japan, China, Korea etc you must be Caucasian and British if you want to teach in the best schools.

My friend who has lived in China for a few years mentioned that it's less the schools but more the parents of the children who go to the schools that will not pay the same fee if their child isn't being taught English by somebody white.

I am black mixed British and I've taught English in Sri Lanka and never really thought about my colour being a problem until I spoke to my friend and subsequently had a look online.

I had planned to go teach in Asia to teach but I've had to reconsider and change my plans.

Has anybody else heard anything regarding this matter or experienced this first hand?

Is there anywhere else in the world that I'm automatically black listed from?

(Gloomy subject I know)

[Glenski]

I'm caucasian. My black (all American) colleagues have never reported any discrimination in terms of their work here in Japan. I would say that if you are qualified for the job, you will be treated equally here.

[dharma_initiative]

You might want to just apply and see what happens.

The public school program in Korea hired a very diverse group of people every year that I worked in it--all different accents, and all different colors of people were represented.

[lucia79]

I know black people who have taught in Korean public schools and they never said they had a problem with discrimination because of their skin colour.

[posh]

How do you go about enquiring about work in Korean public schools? Is the salary any good?

[tttompatz]

[si-sewell]

Ohh well that's interesting.

If this is the case I really don't know what my friend was talking about. The forums that I looked at online may have been dated.

I'll put a photo in with my resume, just in case, to ensure that there isn't a really awkward moment during a skype interview!

[Cool Teacher]

[coledavis]

Speaking for Russia, I believe that strangers can be hostile to non-white people, but a bit like in Britain, many warm to you when they know you. (Not admirable I know, but that's how it is with a lot of people.)

[sistercream]

In Hong Kong and Macau, language centres are more likely to be fussy about the race of people they employ. In "real" schools (such as those served by Hong Kong's EdB NET scheme), there's little if any discrimination on racial grounds.