Jose,

What you say is true, schools generally don't want teachers from Cameroon, Nigeria, Asia etc. However, I think you are slightly wrong with your reasons.

I have been in China two years, and I know many Chinese English teachers. A lot of them are good, and a lot of them aren't. For the theory work they are great! However, if a Chinese person wants to learn English to use abroad, then they should practice with a native speaker. Now, if you want to go to Cameroon, get a Cameroon guy/girl as a teacher. If you want to go to England, US, Cananda, Oz etc though, you are better off with one from there. The truth is I have met quite a few Cameroon teachers, and again, some are good, and some *I* can't understand, and they are supposed to be English teachers!

There are a lot of unscrupulous bosses/schools and the Chinese public don't know which Cameroon teacher is a good one or a bad one, so I think they stay clear of them all. Also there is a lot of ignorance about who is a native speaker. A lot of Chinese seem to think that if you are white then you are a native speaker. Hence Italians, Russians etc can often get jobs because the public think they are native speakers. I don't think it is predjudice because they don't like black people, it is just they want a native English speaker to learn English from. I can't blame them for that, if I want to learn Chinese, I want to learn it from a Chinese person, not an American! (I am learning Chinese by the way, though rather slowly).

If we cleared up the ignorance, and this will come in time, and we managed to clear out the unscrupulous schools (a longer time I think) then this situation will resolve itself.

Chinese schools don't hire non-whites because the students/parents won't come to a class taught by one, and after all even the good (private) schools are open to make money!

I think that the Chinese people are no worse than any other nationality (and better than some supposedley "enlightened" places). The education is what is currently lacking.

> Buenos dias, I am Chinese guy.
> China is a country with discrimination and prejudice!
> Here, in China, teachers from Africa, Ohter Asian countries are
> discriminated when applying for a post as ESl teachers. This is
> summarized with my rich experience as personal career agent for
> foreign teachers from English Teachers' Organisation, Yaounde,
> Cameroon. When i tell agencies and schools here that i have qualified
> ESL teachers from the Organisation to recommend, i am always told
> that PLS DO NOT GIVE US DARK TEACHERS AND ASIAN TEACHERS, WE NEED
> WHITE ONLY FOR good value for money. This is absolutely bullshit!
> How to eliminate the Chinese discrimination, i do not know.
> you might tell me the answer. hope to read answers from you. do not
> hesitate to write to me at zhouleecn@yahoo.com.cn