Can't Blame The Teachers... - Teachers Discussion *Link*

DB, I agree almost 100% with what you've said here. Maybe it's just a semantics problem. (And good on ya, Frank, for posting that article. The abusive state of the TEFL industry, especially in China, is Thank God finally starting to get some notice in the world mainstream media...)

I do agree completely that new teachers coming here usually ARE naive. I sure was when I first came over. But to be "naive" means you don't know any better...and I can't ascribe blame to this any more than I could blame a baby for being naive.

The schools, however, DO know better, and they are as you indicate taking full advantage of that naivete. I can definitely place blame on them.

I hope you're right about the prospects of government-level reform of the industry. It'll close down a lot of these dodgy operators that now make up the bulk of the industry, and it'll send home a lot of those teachers that shouldn't be here in the first place. And the industry will be better for it.

Unfortunately, I'm not too optimistic in China, at least not in the short run. There's too much money being made, there's too much corruption, and there's not much grass-roots demand for real standards here from the customers....who are also naive and also being taken advantage of.

Re: Houston News - Teachers Discussion

A very timely and important post Frank. Thanks for getting that into the forum. I've said in the past that such articles, as more and more teachers return to their native countries, will become more common. And I've suggested that it is that kind of publicity which will ultimately force the government's hand.

The problem however is multi-layered in that the blame for the shambles of EFL in China cannot be placed only on the illegal schools and scam artists and corrupt local officials that allow them to operate. The reality is that these problems begin with a certain degree of naivity on the part of would be EFL teachers and that naivity is nurtured by TESOL Schools and their profit driven mentality. Albeit, the suffering and discomfort that some/many have had to deal with is..........well, insufferable.

But in my search for a real understanding of this issue, and believe me I've experienced some discomfort myself at the hands of the unscrupulous, I have to accept that the system that allows such problems to go unpunished should not receive all of the focus. TESOL schools, for example, should be more forthright about the problems that teachers may encounter when teaching abroad in an environment that, as the Houston article points out, does not accept the rule of law in the same way that we do. TESOL schools should also make an effort to guide students toward the wealth of material that is available about teaching abroad, and should make them aware of websites like this.

Age also factors into all of this. Not that young people are the only ones who have had to deal with the lies, deceptions and dishonor found in this business, but it's an unfortunate truth that youthful naivity often clouds reason and judgement. In fact, when I first started to contribute to this forum it was with the hope that such young people could benefit by being advised about some of the difficulties of teaching in China. But it's also an unfortunate truth that few of them will do the research that seems obviated by such a huge transition.

If and when someone writes an expose of the worldwide EFL business that is reputably published and well written and gets into the hands of new teachers, I hope that it covers all the bases, and that by so doing it will not focus solely on the recruiters, the schools, and the administrators. As I said, the problem is multi-layered and should be addressed within the context of that honest awareness.
But the government axe will fall sooner or later. However, when it does fall, it won't be just the illegal operators that are weeded out. It will also be the end of the free ride for unqualified teachers, backpack teachers and anyone else who has scammed their way into a classroom with little care about whether or not their students succeed as long as their personal agendas are met.