Job Discussion Forums

teachfortoday · Joined: 21 Jan 2011 Posts: 48

This is the resignation letter I sent in last night. I think it explains my experiences.

"This letter is to explain my resignation from the Nanjing Institute of Tourism and Hospitality.
My first problem was when I was asked to start teaching on an F visa. I was not asked to try to get a Z visa until I had been teaching two full months.
The contract was not good. I was disappointed with the unpaid vacation during the Chinese New Year holiday. I was also upset having to pay extra money for utilities, after I was told that housing was provided.
Then the contract was not signed immediately. Instead, the school and the agency in Hangzhou changed the contract, without giving me the option of adding my own input. The original contract was never actually signed. The amendment was not signed until I had been teaching more than six weeks.
I did not get my Z visa until after the term ended. The original offer for my visa trip did not actually cover the cost of the visa itself, much less a trip to Hong Kong. The Hangzhou agency eventually agreed to pay more, but my expenses were still not totally covered.
The terms of the contract were still not fulfilled. When I returned from Hong Kong, classes had ended. The canteen and supermarket were closed. I had access to a kitchen that only had a microwave- no stove, no cooking utensils. To get a proper meal, I had to travel by metro.
Some of these problems should have been handled by the school. Some should have been handled by Hangzhou. However, due to the inadequate living conditions, struggle to get a simple work visa, and the overall poor nature of the contract offered, I have decided to pursue teaching opportunities outside of China."

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

hi. your letter does explain your experiences but not very coherently. There's huge gaps that need to be filled in for it to make a lot of sense. I would have rewritten this more carefully before posting it.

It looks there were areas of your employment that were handled poorly by all three parties involved.

TexasHighway · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 779

teachfortoday wrote:

teachfortoday · Joined: 21 Jan 2011 Posts: 48

rogerwilco · Joined: 10 Jun 2010 Posts: 1549

Intentionally vague contract ?
Seems like a common newbie mistake to not clarify everything in the beginning. Until you get burned a few times I think most people would not know where and how the schools can deceive or cheat you.
Also, seems like it is becoming more common for schools to offer less and to try to hide behind deceptive wording in the contract.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Galling I know OP but each element at issue is something I can personally relate to. Not all at the same school/time fortunately!

teachfortoday · Joined: 21 Jan 2011 Posts: 48

I recently heard from other teachers at the school that the kitchen is now equipped with a stove and cooking utensils.

It seems sad that it took my quitting to motivate the school to provide the most basic of cooking utensils.

The school does not provide private apartments. All of the foreign teachers are housed in the first floor of a students dormitory, and the teachers have private bedrooms but must share a sitting room and kitchen.

rogerwilco · Joined: 10 Jun 2010 Posts: 1549

I was chatting on Skype with a recruiter and she mentioned this school.
4700rmb a month for up to 22 classes a week, 70rmb an hour for overtime, 2500rmb airfare for a 6 month contract, or 5000rmb airfare for a 12 month contract.
No paid holidays.
Located about an hour outside of Nanjing.

That is terrible, no thanks !

rottenflesh · Joined: 22 Apr 2010 Posts: 32

teachfortoday · Joined: 21 Jan 2011 Posts: 48

It is my understanding that this school is now desperately searching for a teacher for the next term.

Despite claims to the contrary, they are still using and abusing teachers through Helen Chinatefl .

grape_fruit · Joined: 11 Aug 2011 Posts: 17

teachfortoday · Joined: 21 Jan 2011 Posts: 48

11 Aug 2011 and 12 Aug 2011 seem to have been busy days for you.
You seem to have many user names that "joined" on those days.

Anyway, the school , in the contract, had originally agreed to pay for the visa trip, but then they tried to back out of paying for anything.

It is not possible for newbies to know every aspect of Chinese law regarding visas.
I initially trusted the school and the recruiter. I feel that was my biggest mistake.

peewee1979 · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 12:25 pm Post subject:

teachfortoday · Joined: 21 Jan 2011 Posts: 48

billybud · Joined: 26 Nov 2011 Posts: 17 Location: china

Recruiters are banning together and taking a piece of the teacher's salary. This group seems to be rising to the top. They provide teachers for schools that have no ability to hire a foreigner.
This group in Hanzhou is actually a conglomerate of many recruiters. Promisses are their mode of operation. They have guanshi with the police. Very few people can get Z visas but they can.
They want to test you for a few months before they do the paper work.
So many experts on Dave's these days telling people that they are wrong in their trusting of recruiters. Absolutely no empathy on this forum anymore.
There is this false idea that Z visas are easy to acqire in ones home country. I have been here many years and the only time this was possible was during the 2008 Olympics when foreignerw were sent home to get the visa. Hong Kong was closed.