The students are cute, most of them respect teachers but I feel sorry for them because foreign teachers have a high turnover in this department.Personally, I don't think Grace is ready for this position as a dean, even though she speaks some English, she has little intercultural awareness. She deals with foreign teachers in communist party way, like she hides as many things as possible; always has stupid excuses for different avoidable problems. On the top of that, she never smiles, always frowning! To be honest, she doesn't really care about this program because she is employed by the government, so neither education quality nor students complaints will affect her life. That's why she never adopts students' advices unless parents come to demonstrate. In addition, the boss (Mr. Ying) is a gold digger, all he knows is about money. He rarely comes to the school or talks to his working staff directly. Grace and Mr. Ying try in every way to save money like employing TTC teachers which is very irresponsible to students because GAC require experienced teachers.

Grace may be a good leader for the domestic department but definitely not for international one. I do hope some qualified people can replace her some day very soon.

For years, the school promised to paint the rooms several times but never has. All of the rooms badly needed work. Since teacher turnover is so high, they never follow through on promises. Over 20 teachers in two years. (For four or five spots)

Grace Chen Lei regularly "tests" teachers to see if they will take a day or two less in pay. If you don't object, she'll just cheat you another way and more frequently. Teachers work overtime or six straight days including Sunday, expecting to be paid overtime, only to be told that they are compensated as they did not work on a national holiday (tomb sweeping day). You only find out about the policy on payday, when you are expected to appear at Grace's office to collect your pay "in cash". So either accept the cash minus one or two days' pay, or raise a stink and risk a bad review at the end of your time there.

The local government is starting to notice. A teacher brought his family here, at the encouragement of Grace, and once here she has declined to extend his contract beyond an additional six weeks. The Visa office called the school and asked why a foreign teacher was in his office, all by himself without a Chinese staff member to provide assistance, all to go through the trouble of doing paperwork for six weeks. The visa guy told the teacher that this was really weird and not normal in China.

If the school asks you to come here and work on a tourist visa. Do not.

Working for this "school" was a living hell. If you are a self-respecting professional teacher, you don't belong there. Chen Lei (Grace) is a liar and a manipulator.

Ningbo Beilun High School-

I am a former teacher at Ningbo Beilun High School. I was employed by the ‘ SINO-US ( GAC/ACT ) program ‘for a year and a half. This initiative was managed by Grace ( (chenlei_grace@163.com). She was the head administrator and face of the program.

The factual information I provide below are events that transpired over my time employed by the department. As I give no opinions and only facts, please feel free to draw your own conclusions from the content given.

Just a reminder that the facts I present are only to indicate what occurred as being employed by the ‘ SINO-US ( GAC/ACT ) program ‘ and are in no way a reflection of the Chinese section of Ningbo Beilun High School, which by all accounts has a solid reputation.

These are some of the situations I encountered or witnessed during my employment with the ‘ SINO-US ( GAC/ACT ) program ‘-

1) Illegally hiring foreign teachers- Teachers were arriving for work in China on L-Tourist Visas as opposed to Z-Work Visas. This was often done before and is still being done now. Don’t forget that this act can result in financial penalty to you and in some cases, deportation.

2) High numbers of staff turnover- Even though most if not all staff were hired for year contracts, 33% or higher of the 20 or more teachers over the last few years- left of their own volition or were asked to leave before the end of the contract. Some stayed a week, 1 month, 2 months or longer- but very few managed to work longer than a year. A few even did the ‘ Midnight Run’.

3) Not honoring/manipulating the contract- This was something that I personally witnessed where my contract teaching hours weren’t honored by the employer. I’ve also witnessed times where other teachers were given an initial contract to sign only to sign another contract shortly thereafter with intentional changes made to the contract, without informing the signer. Another occurrence involved all teachers witnessing late pay on more than one occasion with little/no notice.

4) Being asked to impersonate someone else- This was something that I personally experienced and another teacher as well at various functions not affiliated with our program. This might be interpreted as unethical/illegal.

5) Being asked to inflate marks/accept plagiarism- We were sometimes asked to add marks to final scores and ignore plagiarism. Our students were applying to foreign universities.

There are probably other incidents that I witnessed during my employment with that department, but these are the main situations I observed directly/indirectly.

Please feel free to view the school website http://www.blzx.net.cn/ to obtain more facts about the ‘ SINO-US ( GAC/ACT ) program ‘ or search Ningbo Beilun High School.

Again, from the information given, please draw your own conclusions about the program.

Good luck in future job searches. Also please remember to research the schools and ask to speak to past/current foreign teachers.

“You’d have to be a freak’n whore to work here”. Do you want be part of the solution or part of the problem? Beware, Grace Chen Lei wants you to join her confederacy to “grease the wheels” for lazy students who expect acceptance at respectable USA schools. (So sorry, Charlie, please bribe me some more). Plagiarism rules together with a no fail policy for rich students. Why study if students pay “red envelopes” to Grace? 20 teachers in two years. Why is that? Is it because all 20 teachers were bad apples? Look before you leap. The school is a page out of Patrick McGoohan’s “The Prisoner”. No shit. The same recording of martial music hundreds of times a month at 100+ decibel volume. Conform or die. Buah ha ha ha ha !!!
J-Former teacher

I agree with you that foreign teachers are not one of China's most critical needs when it comes to foreign experts.
I have conversations every year with Chinese teachers that tell me foreign English teachers are not needed.

I would have to disagree. It depends on where you go. If you are in a less developed city or town. The need isn't necessarily seen by the locals as a must. However, if you're in a larger city where people are more exposed to Westernization and Foreigners. People by far see a greater need for an English teacher. So schools tend to push harder in biggeer cities for foreign teachers. Because of the demand is there.

It just depends on where you go. China is a big country. It's not easy to Generalize.

1. Hi I'm a foreigner! Do you have some laowai in you? Would you like some?

2. Being as rich as I am doesn't mean much when you're old and grossly overweight

3. Hi, you'll do

This makes me very cross

Good to know. Giving the troll a taste of his own medicine. I might add that someone devoid of morals such as you who proudly displays it in his pseudonym should be the last one complaining about folks who employ these kinds of argument tactics.

The old hyena may have changed his name, but not his moniker I see. [edited]. [edited]

This makes me very cross- I am a Grovelling Weasel and you are a Sniggering Hyena- these terms are not interchangeable- Get it-Got it? Good. Hahaha.

I have heard that Yuncheng ielts is a very fine gig for a new FT. I have met its headmaster, Mr River, and I found him a very fine and welcoming man. I have seen their flats and they look okay to me. I have met their TA's and I'm bound to say they look very bonkable-we should tell Silverboy. Hahaha. But we must change his chat up line from "No disrespect, but China is a filthy place full of money-grabbing fat bastards - hope you have your purse with you because I don't like hangers on" to ...............?? competition for new chat up line for SB-please all posters suggest- because at the moment he's done remarkably badly flitting from job to job in search of that elusive Sheila- Hahaha-all good fun SB.

You are only referring to English but to non-native teachers teaching subjects such as Math and Physics is a different scenario.

China, is not to your liking, the only reason you are still hanging about I assume is that the West won't give you a job?

Yes, the west certainly moved some jobs to China, like Yuncheng for example. Could be their investments helped this country you "love" so much be able to make a few chinese rich and maybe one of them even started a training center . And why do you always assume people who aren't working in the west have to come to china? A bit weird. Yes I have worked in China, but I certainly don't think it is the end of all things in this world unlike some losers who love it there because they can't see any other country. Or maybe it's because other countries won't take them due to them having a criminal background? Some people make a choice rather than do something out of desperation. [edited]. [edited]

Stop biting.. biting.. biting (stylus made in UK) the hand that feeds you. am I right or am I right?

I should say this: Blimey look who's back with the same old broken record on his gramophone-the same rusty old gramophone needle trying to make sense of ithe worn out

Good to see you back ,dear boy- have a gay weekend.

The old hyena may have changed his name, but not his moniker I see. [edited]. [edited]

I have conversations every year with Chinese teachers that tell me foreign English teachers are not needed.

If they really feel this way, they should advertise their sentiments loudly. How about a big march on the streets to show some guts at the supposedly indecent, unneeded, and unnecessary presence of foreign teachers and perhaps foreigners in general? Nothing like a cowardly display of contempt towards guests to show how "brave" you really are eh?

If English is for business and actually using it, in order to attract us "lowly" foreign teachers you have to offer a little more than you would pay for domestic talent. I am here all by myself with no support in a foreign land, and that has to be worth something.

Foreign teachers really are like islands. You can't really find too many fellow expats who are worth giving trust to in the long run, and now you have insult on top of injury with chinese teachers weaseling their way to getting more money in a mostly underhanded manner. Just can't catch a break. Only the virtue of actually living honestly compared to most people around you is something to take solace in.

However, the E.S.L students either took some time or did not undertsand the non-native teachers at all.

If these E.S.L. students need to have their hands held even in a western country, imagine how behind students in a foreign country are. For me I would think that if a local teacher instructing English did in fact give the wrong answers in how to pronounce, write, read, and generally use something in English to the students that will only get accepted as being true. The dangerous thing in this is since we are so outnumbered that in the end the lie can become the truth in the eyes of the naive students, and we who actually KNOW what the real thing in English is end up getting ignored. I for example will say the word "Bob" with my American accent, whilst some naive students will immediately TRY AND CORRECT MY WAY OF SPEAKING THIS NAME! Actually, their fake British way of saying it only makes them sound only less knowledgeable than they already are. You should know what I am talking about.

Ohhh the poor Chinese bosses and Principals.

Blimey look who's back with the same old broken record on his gramophone-the same rusty old gramophone needle trying to make sense of ithe worn out message.Hahaha. If the status quo in (and i put a brand new stylus to work to play this-up to date machine) China, is not to your liking, the only reason you are still hanging about I assume is that the West won't give you a job? Stop biting.. biting.. biting (stylus made in UK) the hand that feeds you. am I right or am I right? Good to see you back ,dear boy- have a gay weekend.

I'm glad you like that post. I think we have more issues we can agree about than those we can't see eye to eye on. Not much else I can add at this time except to thank you for posting about what's wrong with EFL in China. It needs to be said, and you say it.

This is a very good post with a lot of good points. Despite our differences earlier this year, I have to say you made a nice contribution.

I agree with you that foreign teachers are not one of China's most critical needs when it comes to foreign experts.

I have conversations every year with Chinese teachers that tell me foreign English teachers are not needed. Fair enough if the aim to teach the language is just for testing. English then becomes just like Latin. If Chinese people want to actually use the language as a global language, I would not entrust this to the local Chinese teachers. They think they know more than me, even after I've studied English for 17 years since kindergarten and have worked in E.S.L. for eight years, but even they have their limitations.

If English is for business and actually using it, in order to attract us "lowly" foreign teachers you have to offer a little more than you would pay for domestic talent. I am here all by myself with no support in a foreign land, and that has to be worth something. Actually, my girlfriend throws me a kiss sometimes so I do get a little support.

I used to work in a high school E.S.L. department in the United States. When our E.S.L. students learned English from non-native teachers they were trained to understand Indian-English and Russian-English, for example. When they learned from native teachers then these students could undertsand more accents. The native English teachers used clear and correct language. When I assisted some Russian and Indian teachers, I understood everything they said because I learned my language from native speakers. However, the E.S.L students either took some time or did not undertsand the non-native teachers at all.

Maybe it is not such a bad idea to have some native speakers teach here. And for that you need an incentive- a little money than it would be fair to give.

Yes fair enough, Foxy, all should be treated with the same dignity; and if they choose to employ non native speakers in the first place, they should be treated well ,while not expecting to receive the same wage as Western FT's .

I agree with you in general re salary. However, there are always exceptions, though they will be few and far between.

We mustn't forget that it's the parents of students who expect certain criteria, and ultimately decide how much an FT is worth. I personally don't believe an English second language FT should be worth a lot.

What you say is true in general. However, many Chinese parents know little about teaching and are racist.
Another thing is that you DO get 2nd language EFL teachers looking for big bucks coz they have a master's degree. Yet their resumes aren't composed in perfect English, which they damn well should be! You can see many instances of this if you check out the resumes section of this board. I question the ability of many Chinese employers to spot that. In contrast, native speakers of English who are employers can spot that at once.
Even some native speakers who are very well qualified post-grad-wise can't write perfect resumes nor spell well. I had tried to post examples of this on the board, taken from the resumes section, but the board mods chucked all of them out!
Fact is, there are too many academically well-qualified expats whose English isn't up to scratch with entitlement mentalities after inflated salaries working in EFL in China!

The poor woman looks stressed and terrorised to me. What do you mean 'Pure racial discrimination is applied in this school'? If these FT's are teaching English they should be thankful they have a job, not being native English speakers. You need to tell us what you mean?

Some background for you re the original poster:

He's not a Johnny come lately into China EFL. He's been teaching for quite a few years on the trot in the PRC, including summer /winter camp gigs. He has oftentimes submitted his CV to this board's resume section.

Given his nationality and his non-arian facial features are not of the preferred variety here, his tenacity and stamina to survive in EFL, in a country whose EFL industry tends to base its assessment of expat foreign teachers on their nationality rather than on their work performance, is worthy of praise.

I've no doubt that his employer has been treating him badly, and full marks to him for posting about that.

BEWARE!!!
To all teachers out there especially to non-native teachers specifically to all Filipino teachers, avoid this school at all cost. If ever you wil have a dealing with this incompetent, inconsiderate and insensitive principal in the near future, with an English name of Grace and using this email ad chenlei_grace@163.com, avoid her and her school. She is a blood sucking parasite ready to take advantage of you and your visa. Pure racial discrimination is applied in this school.

Attached is her picture.