Great review. I agree, ASTON exploits it's workers beyond belief. I felt very sorry for the Chinese workers where I was working. I could see how unhappy they were and taken advantage. It would be no loss to the World if ASTON shut down tomorrow.

I strongly suggest to any teacher looking to work in China that they stay away from ASTON. There are much better opportunities out there. ASTON is not a deserving organisation as it aims to exploit and mislead it's workers. Beware of the recruiters warm e-mails as they are just templates sent to every would be teacher.

Yes, logic suggests that a foreigner who obviously does NOT work at Peter's English Camp wouldn't really be able to recommend it, and since you only have a "pretty good" idea that Peter could obtain a proper visa for a foreign teacher it stands to reason that he hasn't done so in the past. Considering it's not easy to have the qualifications to provide a proper, legal working visa, he may not be able to accommodate a foreign teacher no matter how much it would increase his profits. Also, you referred to yourself in the third person.

So, yes, it appears that Peter, a subordinate of his, or some other tool are trolling for a foreigner to come work at a school that thus far has only employed local Chinese persons, some of whom I presume are not teachers but staff. What other possible reason is there for your or his original post? Just to notify the world that Aston isn't the only school in Hanzhong? There's also Cambridge school, for what that's worth.

Personally, given a choice, I'd rather work for Aston than Peter's English Whatever, since he's a completely unknown commodity and his business is 100% Chinese owned and managed by him, and if you worked for him you'd be the ONLY foreign teacher in the school. The list could go on and on.

So, there's an all-Chinese English school in a small city in Shaanxi that would like to hire a foreign teacher/sucker to get rich off of. Yippee.

I think it's safe to say the Peters English School/Center review was written by Peter himself, who is Chinese, and runs the school. Last I'm aware of he taught there as well. He was the only teacher. I doubt he employes foreign teachers at all, though maybe he does by now, though it seems highly unlikely that he'd have the wherewithal to attain working Visas for teachers.

There's no reason at all to go to Hanzhong, so it doesn't matter if there's a possible alternative to teaching at the Aston school there.

As for the Aston school there. Give it a pass. You could do better throwing a dart at a map of China, going to the location, and working at the first school you came across. This one's sub-par.

Aston is not the only ESL teaching school in Hanzhong proper. Eg. Peter's English Centre (PEC). That is a good example of a good school. I should know, I have been there.

Good to see an ESL teaching school receiving praise online, for a change.
That bloke 'Silver_ _ _ ' and his supporters won't like reading your words of wisdom concerning Peter's English Centre (PEC) , but there's no substitute for personal experience, and I'm sure you were rewarded very well financially for being a real ESL teacher there! Thanks for sharing with us on here.

You believe that it's OK to underpay workers because they are not forced to work at a school. The only alternative to this if full fledged slavery. The economy and lack of job opportunities forces young teachers to accept unfair salaries, and unscrupulous employers take advantage of this in defiance of Chinese labor laws.

While the Chinese teachers may have 2 full days off per week, this is at a school where almost all classes are only taught on weekends.

"Boss racist? Nearly half of the foreign staff this term is black so if the boss is racist it isn't reflected in school policy."
The evidence that he's a racist is that he's underpaid black employees on the grounds that they weren't white. If they are not lying than he's undercut their salary because of a racial bias.

"For a prospective foreign teacher, though, this is a good place to work as the workload is light and concentrated on weekends." The workload sounds light as compared to a 40 hours work week in the West. However, even if you only teach 20 hours crammed on a weekend, you still should do adequate preparation, which could tag on another 6 hours that you're not paid for. Teachers in public schools teach less hours and get a much better salary and benefits package.

"I understand the need to turn a profit (it is s business, after all) but this school, compared to other Astons, cries for a major facilities upgrade."

Of course all businesses need to make a profit. That goes without saying. But that doesn't justify unnecessary exploitation of workers out of pure, ruthless greed.

"The school will try to give you as little as possible and you'll try to get as much as possible--come to an agreement and get it written in your contract!!!" This just justifies selfish stupidity on both ends. A teacher that does as little as possible and tries to get as much as possible, and a school that gives at little as possible while trying to get as much as possible from teachers deserve each other. Imagine a school that gives teachers what they deserve and where teachers earn what they get.

Hanzhong Aston remains a myopic business, so focused on short-term profits that they undercut their long-term gains by continually sacrificing their teaching staff out of ruthless opportunistic exploitation. Somebody needs to update their business model, and also realize they are in a service industry where the teachers ARE the product. Doy!

Chinese staff underpaid? Perhaps. But they are not forced to work there. If they believe they are underpaid they can choose to work elsewhere. Plus, they have two days off per week, something not all English training schools provide. It's unfair to apply Western work standards to China.

Boss racist? Nearly half of the foreign staff this term is black so if the boss is racist it isn't reflected in school policy.

For a prospective foreign teacher, though, this is a good place to work as the workload is light and concentrated on weekends.

I understand the need to turn a profit (it is s business, after all) but this school, compared to other Astons, cries for a major facilities upgrade.

As with other English schools, the Chinese staff and foreign staff make a big difference in your experience and these change from term to term. The school will try to give you as little as possible and you'll try to get as much as possible--come to an agreement and get it written in your contract!!!