Job Discussion Forums

[igorG]

My students have just informed me that they are going to have to stay in school till Sunday as the holidays begin on Monday. Further more, they've advised me that they'll return on following Saturday for another 7-day week.

Because I have a structured course, a plan for a 5-day week, strict daily assignments, I am upset. My students are in a rigorous program in which 6, not 7, consecutive days will put them over the edge. What disturbs me further is that there is absolutely nothing i can do about it.

So, I am adjusting my schedule to the needs of the local educational system and its leaders. Despite my experience that students underperform under such conditions, I am keeping it all totally nonconfrontational.

Having said that, however, my superiors, who usually are pretty slow messengers, have not notified me about the upcoming changes yet. Still I must prepare and perhaps inquire what others have been doing.

Now, how have you been coping with such schedules and have you been told of the upcoming holidays yet?

[Opiate]

Well...a holiday was in my school calendar for this time but the exact days were not specified until 2 days ago.

How to cope with this...hmmm.

I usually hold my breath until my face turns blue.
Barring that, I complain endlessly to anyone with ears that Chinese holidays are idiotic and we should all have a calendar to work from that is not decided by the phase of the moon or on some whim.

When those things fail...I put on my big boy pants and adjust.

Out of curiosity...is this the first time you have encountered such an issue with schedules and holidays being....fluid?

Oh... and here is free advice. Do not ask. Unless you are told otherwise by a superior it sounds like your days off are Sat. and Sun. Do not alter your schedule. Turn your phone off Friday afternoon. If you are lucky you and your students can snag a nice 4 or 5 day holiday!

[Miajiayou]

I was informed in an e-mail. My students are most definitely not in a rigorous program and we will spend the weekend playing Jeopardy and maybe watching an episode of a TV show. I haven't yet decided exactly how we will not do anything useful, but there is still time.

In the end, I only get ONE CLASS off and am required to shift around my schedule in a way that will not only make me more tired than usual but really doesn't permit any travel time. It takes a lot to ruin holidays, but the Chinese educational system has definitely done it.

[dean_a_jones]

Yeah, this happens with every holiday. With things like qingming it is less about the holiday day (which is the 4 April) but the fact that they tend to give you the days around it (in this case Monday and Tuesday) off as well, and trade them with weekends. This seems to be a national thing, and I'm pretty sure they know in advance. I was told these dates at the beginning of the semester.

Sadly, the ethos here keep information to yourself and leave as much as you can until last minute. Pretty stupid and annoying, the best thing to do when given short notice (like a few days) is to say you cannot make it, as you already have plans. I would demand at least a week or more notice for this kind of thing. That is how change was forced where I teach, and now most things are mentioned a couple weeks in advance, some even earlier.

Also worth noting that May Day falls on a Tuesday this year. You might want to expect the Monday to be "off", we have been told the make up day for us if we teach the Monday is Saturday 28th April.

Our school also makes us make up the holiday day itself if we normally have class, but we can arrange that for when we want. While it is kind of irritating (not exactly a holiday), I can see the rational where I am. If days were not made up then my students whose class were cancelled might potentially have a semester cut by 3 or 4 weeks, which is 25 - 30% for some courses. I made I clear I am happy to be flexible on such occasions when forward notice is provided, which the school seems happy to give. It does help I only work 12 hours a week anyway, so no 7 day marathons for me. The students, though, do get the days tagged onto an already absurdly full schedule, so I try to get more interactive and fun stuff happening.

[Miajiayou]

[choudoufu]

we know the dates of the holidays at the start of the semester, but
not the specifics of which days will be off, and which of those off days
must be made up, and when they must be made up.

department personnel cannot tell me, as the decision at province
level has not been made, or if made, has not yet been communicated
to the schools. all they can tell me is there 'should' be three days off,
and that the two extra days (they assume) will be made up this weekend.

i expect to be told thursday. as of now, i'm planning to hold monday's
classes on saturday, tuesday's on sunday. wednesday is a freakin'
holiday, so won't be made up.

for those keeping track, we still have may day on a tuesday, so expect
to work the weekend preceeding. also upcoming is dragonboat
festival on june 23rd (saturday).

[igorG]

Glad to see so quick replies

[thebrandynabides]

Yeah, I actually found this out from students, so the department hasn't said a word about it yet. They'll wait until Saturday morning I'm sure. Just like the old 'show up at five and tell me they'd like to have dinner with the entire department at five-thirty.' Gotta love being the last to know.

[shadowrider]

[wangdaning]

I don't work weekends. It is clear in my contract, Monday to Friday. We are going to cover Monday and Tuesday classes on Thursday and Friday (after qingming. The next week we will do the Wednesday to Friday classes. Instead of cramming it all in my place has decided to spread one week over two weeks. We will also take the full week for the May holiday so our schedules don't get thrown out of balance. We do only run a 12 week semester, so I guess it is easier to stretch it out in places.

[MisterButtkins]

Been in China 2.5 years now and I get this every year. Nothing new. I think at my school we will work next Saturday and Sunday, then get 3 days off during the week.

[shadowrider]

[danasoverseasemail]

I refuse, plain and simple to work on weekends or make-up days. I have a contract that specifically states my working time is "Monday to Friday, without requirement to work on Saturday or Sunday, unless approved by Party B [me] in advance." It additionally states that I have a five-day work week. Also, that I get paid to teach x number of classes per work week, not including overtime or weekends.

I take little stock in other contractual stipulations regarding the holidays as they are in direct conflict with my work week conditions above.

I simple refuse and state that that is not what was agreed to in the contract when given the schedule for holidays.

My department simply says okay and hands me me cash every month without question. And this isn't my first term by any means with them.

Unless you have the guts to stand up to your employer regarding your work week and violation of the contract by making you work more than those 5 days (as most of work) in a row - without overtime or extra pay, etc. then too bad.

They will push you around so long as you let them.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I hate that "holidays" are not really "holidays" here; it's just shifting around the weekends. Philosophy aside, I'm saying bye-bye to a day off as well.

[auchtermuchty]

Although it doesn't say which days will be used to make up classes, pages like this one at least tell you which days you don't go to work.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/public-holiday.htm