I've signed about a dozen teaching contracts in China,only one of which mentioned a probationary period,of 4 weeks of teaching,following which I could have been fired if < 70% of my students liked my classes.I didn't think that was fair,but I signed it as the only other option I had at that time was to be out of work.That clause re the probationary period could have been misused by my employer to get rid of me,but it wasn't.

The official contract issued by the State Bureau for Foreign Experts makes no mention of probationary periods,but there is the clause that 'Wily' mentioned re re-assessment of an FT's teaching in the event of it having been deemed unsatisfactory due to shortcomings which the FT in question has had the chance to remedy after they have been pointed out to him(or her).This is in effect probation applied throughout the duration of the contract.So I don't see the need for an explicit probationary period in addition,short-term or otherwise.

One recruiter tried to get me to sign a contract that had 12 weeks as a probationary period,during which my salary would have been cut by 500 Yuan each month.You don't have to be very imaginative to figure out where I told him to stick his contract!Some wily Chinese employers have obviously picked up on the introduction of probationary periods into contracts as a good way of paying their FT's less.This is certainly not the official government line!As far as I'm concerned,there's no need at all to introduce probationary periods into teaching contracts in China.I'm sure many would agree with me.

By the way,what Silverboy said about short-term residence permits being issued to FT's on 10 month contracts is also worth mentioning here,another erosion and sign of mistrust re FT's in China.I know for a fact that the maximum period for a residence permit for an 'alien employee' is one year,but subject to extension.And I'd never heard of the issuing of 1/2 year RP's to FT's on 10-month contracts until I read that in one of Silverboy's posts.Not a good thing either!