KJK
- 2006-10-16
Hello Everyone.
I too am in a similar situation as Lorraine. Been here for over a year, love teaching but I am sorry I hate the crap I had to put up with a couple of schools that I taught at. I had all the same things happen to me, L visa instead of a Z, having to pay for all my paperwork when promised that the school will pay for them, being made to work extra hours and no pay for most of it and being told to act as a class clown not a teacher. I have stayed in this small city because of a wonderful lady I met but we have now accepted the fact that I will have to go and work else where in China.
I take my teaching seriously and I am wondering if any of you know of a school that too is serious about teaching and treating their teachers with respect and honesty. I have a TEFOL cert. and college diploma and I am now looking to go to a new school to teach. Any suggestions from those out there that have had good experiences with a school or schools or those who have heard of a good school?
I am not saying that I need to have a 4-star apartment, 10,000 yuan a month job, free meals everyday or be driven everywhere I go. I am sure that there are a few schools that are good to work for. Thanks for letting me vent here and any information that is passed along the way by anyone.
KJK
P.S. As one person said on one of these forms " I love teching in China but I hate working in China". Let us all work to make it two loves!
I found this post today and I am just giving you all people a heads up.
http://www.aacircle.com.au/forums/esl-black-list/4602-jilin-tianshou.html
Jilin Tianshou
Hi folks, I'm a regular visitor, but never bothered to join until now. I'm a 39 yr old male Kiwi living and working in China for the past 2 years and, on the whole, loving it!
There has been however one bad mark, a blot, on my love for China. This blot is Jilin Tianshou Education Exchange Services Ltd, based in Changchun, Jilin province. My advice to any, and all, who come to China is to not, repeat, NOT ever sign any form of anything with them.
I had the misfortune of doing so, and as soon as I could, I bailed on my contract. These people are the most unscrupulous bunch of mongrels I've met in my travels through various countries in this world of ours. They regularly breach the contract but expect the teacher to keep it, ask for far more hours than specified by contract, then deduct the salary when refused, they say that a work hour is a "clock" hour, not the standard 40-45 minutes as is the norm throughout China, they will do "everything" to help you, but never do anything, they use your passport for foreign transactions, but never give your passport back until you threaten them with your embassys' involvement, they make the teacher pay for their own visas etc and they never give you your Z visa until it's almost too late so we're working illegally....my passport has 5 F visas in it! This is just the tip of the iceberg, but take it from me, don't EVER go there! They had approx' 80 foreign teachers working for them when I arrived from Shandong province last year, now, I doubt if they can muster 20, such was the exodus and contract escapers.....
Don't believe a damn word they say, be careful of any recruiter in Jilin as they change names regularly because of the word being spread. If there is the name "Teresa Yang" in any of the email addresses, run the other way as fast as you can!
Ok, nuff said, I'm now in Hunan, basically vastly better than Jilin and those people up there. I'm looking forward to another year in this wonderful country, have a Chinese fiancee and will be living here for the foreseeable future, although not in my present location.
Take care y'all.