Dr. Sung,

Thanks for your response and your offer of possible help to Fiona. I wanted to include the following comments in my first post, but in no way did I want to appear to be justifying the behavior of the folks at the school where she was abused, in any way.

I presently work for a year-round school teaching IELTS spoken training. We are in an extremely busy period at this time, due to summer vacation for many young people (and their parents) who wish to use time as an opportunity to prepare for a future IELTS examination.

While the school has plenty of Chinese teachers who teach IELTS reading, writing, and listening, the school is very short of foreign teachers for IELTS spoken training. There are only two full time FTs (one who has been with the training center for over two years, but leaving very soon; and another one who was hired only three weeks ago). I am the lone part-time foreign teacher there (as far as I can tell).

I am under separate, small contracts for each of my six classes. Recently, I have been facing some potentially serious health problems, and my doctors have advised me to stop teaching for at least three weeks. This created a real dilemma for me. I know if stop teaching immediately (as they suggested), it would cause tremendous problems for the school. There is simply no teacher available to replace me.

I feel I am obligated to complete all of my contracted classes which end August 20, if possible. I have informed the school that I must take temporary leave after August 20, and they have been very understanding (at least at this point). However, I must add that I feel this is largely due to the fact that I am NOT under contract as a full time teacher.

All training schools I have worked for (and there are quite a few) make all sorts of promises to students and potential customers regarding the quality and consistent presence of the foreign teacher. Our services are the key selling point. When we are absent from teaching, students get very upset and start demanding refunds.

I dont believe Fiona did anything wrong at all, but what I am saying is that I think the verbal and physical wrath which followed her absence was a result of the management probably being besieged with demands for refunds from most (or all) of Fionas students -- especially in a temporary summer training program situation.

The pressure from the threats the managers were likely receiving from students was unfortunately transferred to Fiona, and therefore she was denied payment for teaching services rendered, physically assaulted, etc.

Again, I am in NO WAY justifying their poor behavior! Im just trying to explain what I think might have been their panicked mindset. The crazed need for profits from English education (mainly from the services of foreign teachers) often eclipses reasonable thinking or behavior.

Do you agree with my theories about the situation? I hope you can offer some guidance to Fiona that will lead to some positive results for what she has endured.

Thanks again for reaching out to her!

Frank