Any truth to this (rumor)?

As a teacher for 5 years in china I know first hand that this as been happening a lot in china ., and yes the system is now like this in zhuhai , If you so not have a degree then just go to thailand buy one for 50 usa , if you do not have one then sorry to say no more work in zhuhai unless you move to another city .

????

I don't quite get this.

regards,

T. Tempest. DCA
____________________
"I'd love a thousand words in a foreign language." Tang Yuchuan
All welcome to visit my homepage http://www.kong-xi.com/doc.html

Me neither, i thought those requirements were always in place or is that just naivety?

I do know that due to the increase of crimes committed by 'foreigners' in Guangdong last year there is now a three tier system rolling out- permitted, restricted and forbidden. Jobs that are restricted require additional visa payment by the employer. The others speak for themselves.

GLV has reqired Uni Degrees only now for a few months.

"I don't quite get this."

Is it my facts or the ridiculousness of the situation that you don't get?

@ Spencer:
No,those requirements were in NO way the rule until recently. Heck, my BOSS didn't have a college degree-- until (s)he bought one in Thailand recently! ;)

@JJ
As a current (former??) manager in a school that hires foreigners, I would assume that you might be familiar with the policy- if it indeed exists elsewhere.

hao

Man, just found out my former school is now requiring all teachers sign THREE YEAR contracts! Something really weird is going on right now with the English schools in Zhuhai...

I don’t know what all the fuss is about. Rumors like this have been floating around the teaching community for as many years as I have been here. I just signed a 1-year contract with a local school, and I received my resident permit and alien work permit this past Thursday. I should mention, however, that I have a legitimate degree and a TESOL, as well as 4+ years teaching experience in Zhuhai.

Ok, so here's where the "rumor" part comes in...I know for a fact that what I have said is true for my former school. The rumor is that it applies to all of Gungdong province. I hope that it is, indeed, false. But it still sucks big-time for my former colleagues. At last count, if something isn't "worked out" at least ten of them will lose their jobs. Now, I applaud the tightening of standards- in some respects, (though it will make it MUCH more difficult to find qualified teachers. Japan and Korea want only a college degree and pay 3-4 times more than China does.) I just don't understand why the government won't "Grandfather" in the long- term teachers.

@Orrin:
Just for the heck of it, ask around at your school and see what you come up with.

@ Canrun -> I just got hung up on the sentence structure. n.p. I understand the situation.

Just to paint the back ground.

1. 7 years ago, the basic requirement was a degree and English as a first language (or near native equivalence). There were work-arounds where one could show trade/industry equivalence and experiential relevance to the job/industry.

2. About 5 years ago there was a noted shortage of NES teachers so requirements became further relaxed but not relinquished, such that a degree whilst preferred was not necessary - you could probably call this the guanxi ruling.

3. Around about 3 years ago, there became a slowly growing drive to hire teachers with TEFL/TESL certification. Such certification in the past had some impact on higher levels of salary but only in some institutions. It should be noted that this is only a vocational certification.

4. It should not be a surprise to anyone, given past trends, that current changes and movements in this field should be towards some form of degree, vocational certification and experience. Especially as both foreign and Chinese teachers of English continue to express the need for greater teaching experience & knowledge, demonstrable skills and accountability for teaching outcomes and learner achievement.

There may come a point in time where, "any degree" will not be sufficient, that one will require a language focussed degree either in arts or literature coupled with post-graduate qualifications in either primary, secondary or vocational instruction PLUS 'recognized TEFL/TESL' certification (whatever that means.)

As for rumors, well...this industry is awash with them and what happens in one place doesn't necessarily flow through to other places. Similarly, what one or two colleagues are told regarding impending dismissal, may not be (although it could be) the general case. It may pay to look beneath the surface, so to speak and see how the undercurrent is running.

regards,

T. Tempest. DCA
____________________
"I'd love a thousand words in a foreign language." Tang Yuchuan
All welcome to visit my homepage http://www.kong-xi.com/doc.html

Canrun,

I, like you, applaud this new regulation if it is, in fact, for real. Perhaps it will drive out some of the burned out deadbeats and starry-eyed university dropouts who see teaching in China as the greatest place in the world to hide out while they are working for 4000 yuan/month. Perhaps then the wages for the diminished number of truly qualified and experienced teachers will get back up to where it should be.

I agree, Orrin. I just think it totally, 100% SUKCS for those who have been teaching here, oh, SIX YEARS or more...

"Similarly, what one or two colleagues are told regarding impending dismissal, may not be (although it could be) the general case."

@ Doc:
How about a general announcement to the 40+ teachers at the largest language school in Zhuhai??

Canrun,

I know it sucks when they change the rules in the middle of the game, but that’s one of the occupational hazards we sign up for when we get into this business.

Doc wrote:

“There may come a point in time where, "any degree" will not be sufficient, that one will require a language focused degree either in arts or literature coupled with post-graduate qualifications in either primary, secondary or vocational instruction PLUS 'recognized TEFL/TESL' certification (whatever that means.)”

This is exactly what happened in Thailand in the fall of 2006. Between September and the end of the year, 2500 teachers in Bangkok alone, including myself, were either “shown the door”, or left on our own because their legitimate degrees were “not good enough” for the Ministry of Education to approve the renewal of their non-immigrant visas, which must be renewed every 90 days.

My degree from UC Berkeley is in engineering, and I have a post-grad TESOL certification, but that wasn’t enough to get my teaching certificate or my visa renewed.

Could this happen here? It’s possible; but, for a lot of reasons both economical and political, I wouldn’t hold my breath until it does.

@ canrun

40+ fair enough.

regards,

T. Tempest. DCA
____________________
"I'd love a thousand words in a foreign language." Tang Yuchuan
All welcome to visit my homepage http://www.kong-xi.com/doc.html

Dont know how one can define someone as a Deadbeat, because they dont have a degree. In some instances, I have employed non degree holders who were much better teachers.Teaching comes from the heart,not Horticulture Degree. You either have it or you dont .
Yes, I do have one ! ...for the sceptics !!

I too have hired and worked with several non-degreed teachers, and most of them did an above-average to excellent job. I certainly did not mean to imply that anyone teaching here without a degree is a “deadbeat”.

I reserve that term for the burnt out losers who have fled their home countries and come to China to teach because they either: a) can’t find or hold a job there, and teaching here is the only gig they can get, b) are escaping some kind of adverse legal or financial situation, or c) only want to be here to party, and chase 20 year old “chickens” on the bar street or the walking street, and see teaching as a secondary endeavor only to finance their other aforementioned activities.

Fortunately, these types rarely finish out the full term of their contracts but, because they will “work” for whatever wages some schools are willing to pay them, it has the effect of driving down the pay scales for everyone.