foxy
- 2011-07-21
Since the new head English teacher JANE took over the position.....
Yep, this can be a problem, even in the state sector! Somebody like her is the worst kind of boss you can have. Chinese women can be ruthless in positi ons of power like hers. She will get ahead in two ways simultaneously, by being a crawler to the leaders while denigrating those she is in charge of.
This has also happened at a county senior middle school supplied with foreign teachers by a local Chinese company/recruiter. Said state school had 6 foreign teachers dismissed last winter. This past term the first one lasted just 2 weeks. I lasted until the end of the term. My teaching assistant, the longest server as such in the company, was fed up with our 'Jane' too. Though the school only employs one foreign teacher, and 'our Jane' was never impolite to me, I know only too well she can be a backstabber from her past actions. Every week she attended my lesson, and pointed out my and my teaching assistant's shortcomings at its conclusion. That's unusual in China at state schools. Before her appointment, foreign teachers were never dismissed. But if one wanted to bring her reign to an end, that would be nigh impossible. Anyways, I got paid in full, and am not required there this coming term. That's good. My company offered me a new contract and has posted me to another senior middle school. Even better!
When we are in bad situations, we should do our best to last out until the end of a term or the end of the contract. Then we should get out of there and find a new school. Chinese bosses can make your life a misery - either that boss, as the head English teacher of your grade, or the school FAO. Before accepting a job, bad vibes from either or both should be a red flag. It wasn't in my case because I needed a job fast at that time - it was Hobson's choice for me!
Any teacher wanting employment at Lu Xian er Zhong should think twice. Read on to see how they treated what the students and fellow teachers thought of the best foriegn teacher the school had ever had. The recipient of the 2009 Sichuan Excellant Teacher of the year award. A teacher who bought fame to the school with all ten students from gao er students who competed in the CCTV English speaking competition being placed in the top 11 in the Lu Zhou prefecture. Also 3 students from quer and qusan finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The gao er students all finished with higher scores than the university students. A remarkable effort yet he like the others were all treated like crap in the past 4 months.
The past four years have seen all teachers dismissed often without reason or cause.
Since the new head English teacher JANE took over the position her arrogance, hatred of men, belittleling approach, treating foriegners like simpletons, attempting to break the contract and not pay teachers was a monthly occurrance. She is an unmittigated liar who could not lie straight in the narrowest of beds.
The past three teachers were all there for two years, gave no problems, had a very cordial and friendly attitude towards both the staff and students. This was exemplified in the fact that every student in grade 10 () wrote, contacted the school heirarchy personally as did many of their parents in an attempt to retain their teacher for the following year.
In the end this teacher was offerred a contract where he had to Pay for his own medical insurance (Illegal under Chinese law), Visa, insurances, 5,000 yuan air fare reimbursment (Government stipulates 8,000 yuan)after 12 months, penalties of 200 yuan a month for missed classes, make up classes for when students have exams or other activities or be penalised, 100 yuan fines if you are late for class and work 25 classes a week for 5,000 yuan a month with shared accommodation (For a husband and wife to share accommodation with chinese is illegal in China). The contract was supplied by Berkley Education Chong Qing on behalf of the school. Berkley were offering better contracts to schools within there own juridstiction so who was on the take this time?
2 years ago we would have highly recommended this school but the changes and cordinator have made the school the worst any of us have ever had the misfortune of working with. The three teachers in question have had over 20 years experience working in China and have not had a complaint against any previous school in fact their references from the schools all are exemplary and testify this.
Students at the school complain bitterly about the food being third rate without great sustenance and overpriced. Check out other posts particularly through baidu if you understand Chinese. In saying all this the students are amongst the best in China and deserve the best.