No, I wouldnt happen to be the foreign Phd guy. I 100% dont have anything to do with Buckland, or recruiting either. Absolutely, categorically not. Like I said initially, I am happy for anyone to add me on Facebook (same user name and there arent many Pellatt's) if they really wanted to 'check me out'.

With regard to my contract. I went to China in December 2009, and signed my contract one week after arriving. I signed for one year, which as you correctly noted, hasnt yet expired. I gave notice on my contract early in May as I have had to return to the UK to address some financial issues with my estranged partner and 18 year old son. For this reason, I have 'suspended/terminated' my contract early and I left China on June 5th and am currently writing from Eastbourne, UK.

I say suspended or terminated as I am not totally sure what my future plans are yet. Omeida do want me to return later this year, around October. Assuming I can address my finances I may return although I am also considering a move to another country. If I do not return to China, it will be for reasons of professional development, which I have stated in the Daves thread you have linked. I want to work for British Council approved schools and get involved in teacher training in the future, prolonged stays in China are unlikely to help me reach that goal.

With regard to that thread on Daves, as I posted there ... I do actually know the OP personally, and I believe I have answered his post in the same balanced way I have responded here. Although it may seem biased in favour of the employer, this is actually because I actually believe the posts there (and here) are unfair based on MY experience, which has on the whole, been positive. Whilst I accept some people prefer to use different user names, I post here and on other forums using my own name ... foolish to some people perhaps, but Im a straight up guy and dont have anything to hide.

I know you have been around a bit, and I dont mind at all that you are unsure of my motives and question me over them. I hope the above clears up the contract issue that was unclear...I left early.

Also, I dont know anything about any issues you had previously with Odar, and it would seem that as the thread has been deleted, I cant read the previous posts. All I have stated is what was in my contract, and presumably all contracts that have been issued since the date I signed. Obviously I cant comment on anything that happened before then, and can only comment on what I have seen/experienced. That experience has been pretty positive, but I have still listed negatives about Omeida in a previous post. Ill stand by these 100%.

Im just trying to offer a balanced opinion, without hiding behind a username...based on the truth as I have experienced it which I hope answers the OPs question clearly ... Omeida and Yangshuo might not be for everyone, but for me ... I think it was pretty good. Your 6th sense has failed you this time

My experience and qualifications arent so compelling EG ... But I do think my post is a fair one based purely on experience, rather than the speculative nonsense that has been posted on this thread. I also think its a balanced one, which is the kind of information all of us as EFL teachers need.

As far as I am aware. I am the only person in this thread who has actually worked at Omeida, so the only one qualified to give opinion, be it negative or positive. Trevor and his wife did work there, and started only a few days after he posted here, but he hasnt updated anthing.

I understand you had dealings with Odar and didnt like him ... fair enough, we arent all going to like everyone. I dont know about the contract you discussed in your earlier post, maybe they have changed, but I have a contract in front of me as I type. Page one clearly shows bonus after one year being 6000 rmb, with a further travel bonus of 2000 on completion of a one year contract, giving a total of 8000 RMB. That is very clear on all current contracts ... contracts issued since Dec 2009.

In addition ... I know of one teacher who finished his contract early, and rather than being subject to the breach penalty and losing bonus, was still paid bonus on the basis of months worked ( 'X' months worked x 500 RMB). This flies in the face of suggestions of Omeida using excuses to not pay any bonus to FTs.

Likewise with the suggestion of Omeida using (and even encouraging) student feedback to penalise teachers. Another wildly inaccurate assertion in this thread. I do know of teachers there who have received a number of complaints ... IMO, they have been justified complaints too. For example, a teacher delivering lecture type lessons for 4 x 90 min lessons in succession about Western food. Lesson content TTT=80% STT=20%. Another example ... a teacher deciding to offer a week of themed lessons with the following type of article - 'Chinese Politicians Take Bribes', 'Why Chinese Men Visit Prostitutes' etc. One topic of this nature each day, for 5 days. Both of these teachers are still there, still being paid...and Im sure will still get their bonus at the end of the contract.

I know from reading your posts on Daves, you have been around long enough to know that delivering lessons of that nature time after time should spell doom for a teacher really. I havent seen evidence of that at Omeida, but I have seen evidence that these teachers are given more than enough time and support to improve. Omeida is not a 'hire and fire' place.

Anyway...apart from anything else, this thread was initially started by someone requesting feedback from someone who has recently worked at Omeida. I hope my posts provide that.

In summary for anyone considering Omeida

Advantages-
Small classes of motivated adult students (typically 4 - 8 students per class)
No weekend or evening classes
Transparency and good communication with education department regarding schedules etc.
Always paid on time with no hidden surprises or deductions in salary.
A chance to practice and develop new lesson ideas/plans
Friendly students offering lots of social opportunities
Lots of Westerners in Yangshuo for a more Western social experience

Disadvantages-
Low salary compared to some jobs in China
Oral college means less chance to focus on other skills and develop your own teaching skills in these areas
Lots of Westerners in Yangshuo. Yangshuo can be busy during holiday periods.
Freedom to practice new lesson ideas/plans can be a disadvantage to some new teachers who need more training
5 x 90 min lessons per week with the same group of students means more planning is needed than in a typical Uni gig

I feel I need to write a reply here..yeah, yeah, first post. Before you suggest I am in the employ of Omeida, feel free to check my 800+ posts over on Daves, or add me on Facebook to know Im genuine.

I have just finished a contract at Omeida ... and Im not a backpacking youngster either. Im 41, have a related degree, a diploma in English Language Studies, and hold a Trinity. This was my 5th ESL job, 3rd in China, and has to rank as one of the best. If not The best. Ditto for Odar as a boss.

Ill address a few of the issues noted.

Students are not spolit and stuck up. Mostly, students are adults who earn between 2000-5000 and they save to come and study as they have a strong desire to improve their english. One or two can be troublesome, and lets face it, you cant like them all! But the vast majority of them are decent, hardworking and motivated.

The majority do expect to learn, and be taught. And of course, like all adult students, they may complain. HOWEVER, this is not quite as represented in the posts here. Omeida will always side with the teacher, and in the event of a complaint will discuss, monitor, and support the teacher first every time. This may involve observing a class, offering feedback...and in extreme cases, asking a teacher to drop a class from his/her schedule and take a week to observe other classes giving them a chance to improve. This is really the kind of thing we would all expect of a professional school right? Esp considering the quality of some of the teachers in China.

Ill add to that...not that Im suggesting any of the posters in this thread are like this, but if you are used to teaching classes of 40+ students and just entertaining them with witty anecdotes and stories...this probably isnt going to be the place for you. Whilst it isnt perfect, (more about that later) Omeida does offer a chance to really 'teach' students in very small classes with lots of contact (5x90 min lessons a week) where you really have a chance to work on and analyse language problems.

I have seen some terrible teaching here in China, and here at Omeida. In small classes of adult students....for example, just 4 students...you cant get away with the nonsense that EFL teachers do in lots of other places in China. However, if you are semi-decent at your job...give the students lots of time to talk, and give them useful, functional language to use ... you aint gonna have any problems.

I should also add...This isnt one of the plum jobs in China...it isnt one you work in country for, and get with considerable amounts of guanxi. But it is in a nice location, and it does have its benefits. Not everyone wants classes of 50+ once a week, or wants kindy or middle school. Not everyone wants to work weekends or evenings either...and as a training school, Omeida doesnt ask you to.

Contracts? there are some clauses in the contract as mentioned. I have never seen them put into practise as the school does side with teachers first...i think they are there purely to stop some teachers taking the pee and doing a terrible job. these are the teachers we often moan about...Omeida is trying to weed them out. There are other small clauses about fines if you skip meetings (one a fortnight) and social nights. In practice, I have never seen this enforced, even though some teachers rarely attend social nights. Again, I think its there just to stop teachers taking the pee.

Ill finish the post with some comments about Odar. In my experience, he is a straight up boss, and I actually like him quite a lot. He has never lied, or pulled the wool over my eyes in any interaction I have had with him. In addition, he has proved to be very supportive to one of my colleagues who had an issue with a sick mother, another teacher who had to take a 3 week break at no notice to return to the USA for a family illness...and he was actually at the birth of Trevor's son and took photos at 3am in the morning of a new born baby which he shared with all the other teachers.

Yeah ... trevor took a job there...and was in yangshuo in December last year.

Sure, there are some problems in this school...name a school in China where there isnt...generally though, I reckon its a pretty good gig, and I would recommend it to any new teachers, teachers who wish to experiment and use their CELTA/TRINITY teaching skills, and who are sick of big city living/kindy/large classes.

One last thing, they dont insist on teaching from books...I actually dont like this, but it does give a certain freedom to experiment. I used this time to develop a new range of transferrable grammar lessons, and develop some nice activities with music, that DIDNT involve just asking students to sing a Britney Spears songs.

I also got bored of that, so my final months there I taught exclusively from Face 2 Face and New interchange.....with just some supplementary material from the Guardian Weekly....

Its not a bad gig....recommended IMO

Dear Trevor, I will try to sum it up for you & your wife in a few points:

That covers it. Odar doesn't even use the standard SAFEA contract. More info available if needed, but I hope the above will suffice.

Ex-tc.

In my opinion, Omeida Language College should be re-named Ohmymy Bad Language College. Why do I say so? Because after you get there and have started your teaching, you'll say to yourself "Oh my my!". This will be followed almost at once by a word like "S_ _ t!", bad language of course, brought on by the way you'll have been treated by that college's management. Don't teach there in order not to have to say "Oh my my! S_ _ t!".

Would you mind telling us why Angie? :0 :) :0 I'd love to hear a defence of this rotten corupto-school.

Ex-TC

You are correct, Omeida is crap, just like most of the "schools' in Yangshuo. Odar is a total [edited], and Owen Buckland is nothing but a ruthless profiteer and pathological liar who knows nothing about education and could not care less.

I would like to warn all teachers to keep away from Yangshuo, do not line the dirty pockets of vile and evil people like Buckland and his [edited] cohorts.

These people are the [edited] of the earth! .................. AVOID!

I have taught there for a year. It's great school.

I wouldn't go there if I was you. It's just entertaining spoiled yuppies. If you can't entertain them, you will be fired. This school cannot get you the proper Z visa and RP. The work in unstructured and unrewarding. Yangshuo is a lovely place, but for some the locals really spoil it. Try a university or high school in Guilin.