> Paul, I think you are making a fair few generalizations in your post.

> Perhaps you are only talking about universities, but private schools
> tend to get a better rate of pay. (for more hours of course).
> I have very rarely seen a position where you have to pay for your own
> apartment, though the ones I have tend to be in Shanghai and Beijing.
> Paying for your own bills comes under the same heading. It varies by
> locatin and school.
> In the big cities then rent is much more expensive, but you can still
> get a place in Shangai for 1,500 which is a decent apartment (1
> person). Where I am you can get a place for 600 without any hassles,
> and 1,500 will get you a nice pad.
> Medical cover varies. Our school pays for it, but if you use it you
> have to pay the first 100USD yourself.
> Holiday allowance varies with school, private schools usually don't
> get as much holiday as unis.
> Travel allowance is usually paid regardless of salary. I get a two
> way refund. Our school pays for your inbound flight after six months
> and your outbound after a year, which I think is fair.
> A lot of schools have free internet, though of course not at home. I
> don't see why the school should have to pay for your calls, you
> wouldn't expect this in the west would you? Having said that, our
> school provides free ADSL in the apartments.
> I suppose LEGALLY you can only take 70% of your salary out of the
> country, but then would you have saved 100%??? You can always find a
> way to change your RMB into dollars, and they can't prove that that
> is your salary or not! Come on now.

> If you all think the salary is too low and the conditions aren't good
> enough why are you here? No one forces you to come and teach in
> China. If you sign the contract then you have agreed to the terms and
> forfeit your right to complain about them. (Assuming you haven't been
> duped along the way, and you can avoid that with research and
> planning).

> Stop your moaning. Enjoy the ride!

Doing research isn't as easy as you think. I came here under contract with the Tianjin government's blessing. I helped a small private English school to get started but it turned into a major nightmare for me after 4 months.

The number one problem here is corruption. In other words, if you want fairness and justice, then pay for it. A contract has extremely little value here for the employee of any school. It is more cosmetic then anything else, something to "ease the foreigner's fears", as it was put to me by a U.S. Embassy official.

Once I saw how much money the schools make and how the problem of low wages keeps a steady stream of teachers moving through a revolving door, I decided to open my own private school and cut out the GREEDY middleman.

We are small, but the income is high so we can afford to pay high wages (about 180rmb per hour to start after probation) in order to attract the right teachers and KEEP them.

Many students and parents would LOVE to have the same teacher 2,3,4 years for obvious reasons. The improvement level among students is MUCH greater when this occurs.

I was asked to China to do business and private education is indeed a business. Teaching is a profession worthy of good wages as much as any OTHER profession that the Chinese invite here to help them. Yet some 'teachers' here in China take exception to complaints about mistreatment and low wages because they think China should be an "experience".

Does anyone here post messages to "moaning" corporations that complain about Chinese Business ethics and crooked dealings? I am VERY sure companies like Motorola, Sony and Siemens didn't come to China for the "experience". They moved jobs and factories out my country and probably yours to China for one reason only, BIG M-O-N-E-Y.

My original post was directed to those that run schools or recruit for schools, NOT for teachers that want an "experience" or a fun ride. I have had a lifetime of experiences and fun rides, now it's time for the MONEY HONEY!

If big business can transverse seas to engourge their accounts with 'lucre', then why can't the "little guys" make a decent and comfortable existence for themselves by following the outflow of jobs and business?

Cheers!