Michel
- 2008-03-15
Still, I loved the two weeks I spent in China and I want to go back; just not with those village idiot managers at Nanhai Neusoft!
Raoul Duke
- 2008-03-14
"terminating a teacher who is capable of working seems like the surest way for a school to find themselves having a classroom full of students...and no teacher".
Ah. You're trying to apply logic. Seldom a good idea in China; you'll only hurt yourself. 
China do have its moments, though. If ya feel up to trying again some time...not every experience is like this one.
Michel
- 2008-03-12
I won't argue back (much), but terminating a teacher who is capable of working seems like the surest way for a school to find themselves "having a classroom full of students...and no teacher".
That said, I should have just hidden from them that I felt sick. That was stupid, no question, but I expected that the school would follow my recommendation and give it a few days to see how my health changed. The schools rash and ill-advised behavior has left it short-staffed. Thats isnt a good thing.
At is happens, I found out that other teachers had much worse health problems after arriving but made a point of hiding it from the school until they got better.
Ill put this down as a learning experience for myself. That said, I loved China and it was a blast and I'm glad I went there.
Raoul Duke
- 2008-03-11
I'm not here to argue ya or dispute your claims of weaseltry by this school...but showing up for your first live contact and saying "Hi, I may have a chronic health problem" is probably going to be the Kiss of Death for a teaching job...and a lot of other jobs as well.
One of the things that schools here hate and fear most is having a classroom full of students...and no teacher to put in there with them. Any indication that this could be the case is going to make them very skittish indeed.
And yeah, inept management, pirated software, and buggy networks are the rule in China. Never put your computer on a school network in China, and be careful about even trasnferring files to and from one. If pirated software bothers you, you might want to try your luck in Japan or Switzerland or some such...
As for the management and admin staff of Chinese schools...well, all I can suggest is that you take to hard drink. Maybe a Valium.
TIFC (This Is F***ing China).
Michel Katz
- 2008-03-10
I just came back from a "contract" with this school, and the school made it quite obvious how little respect they have for wasting your time and money. I showed up and right away felt sick with respiratory problems that I concluded where an allergic reaction to air pollution. I advised the school that I was not well but able and ready to teach and that I wanted to see how my "allergy" would go. Despite having been invited to China at great cost and inconvenience to myself the school immediately terminated me, even if I was able to teach!
A few days later I realized that I had started a cold and would be ok. I advised the school but I was told that since the school had drawn up a schedule without me they would not change it back.
Be aware that of you go to teach in China you are open and ready for being abused! Neusoft is a large company with schools and offices though China, so I took the following steps:
1 - I sent a complaint email to the recruitment address for the whole company;
2 - I send a complaint email to the Bureau of Foreign Experts which is supposed to make sure that "foreign experts" are properly treated and not subject to abuse.
I have yet to hear from either one, so don't expect to have any recourse if this school screws you over!
At the same time, I found the people that I was dealing with on a daily basis really helpful (Karen and Julie Myer and Javen). The problem seems to be at the management level where the attitude is that having teachers on staff is a necessary evil that should only be tolerated. I also had the impression that the school managers could not deal with slight problems without hysterical panicking and making rash and stupid decisions. In my case the school could just have let things go for a few days and the minor problem would have gone away. Instead the school felt the "urgent" need to terminate me and assign my classes to other teachers. The obvious result was that the school started the semester short-staffed and teachers with excess work.
Sorry, but in North America these people couldn't qualify to manage a shoe-shine stand. While I was there I noticed that every computer I looked at had a pirated version of Microsoft Windows, and when I asked Nanhai Neusoft claimed that in China you can't purchase a legit version! I also noticed that Neusoft claims to be a Microsoft partner at the same time that it is ripping-off Microsoft. I wanted to connect my laptop computer to the school's network, but I was told that I should have up-to-date anti-virus software because the school couldn't even keep their own network secure!
Yi,
hang tough. I for one believe you.
The arguments being used against you are totally spurious. The fact that you came over on something other than a Z Visa does NOT put you in the wrong. Thousands of foreign teachers come here every year on the same basis and it's usually fine.
You've done a pretty good job of demonstrating that you had done what you were asked to do by this employer. Even if you had some small errors somewhere, this DOES NOT excuse being told that you didn't have a job after all despite flying all the way there with a signed contract in hand. I'm convinced that you were duped by a bunch of crooks, and you have my sympathy and support.
You're getting bullyragged by someone intent on simply shooting you down, and who refuses to even consider that you might indeed have been ripped off...and then demands that YOU be objective.
Don't let it get you down. After the tirades you've endured your obligations to be "respectful" are long since expired. Go for it.