Dear Reader,

I am writing on behalf of Shane English Schools in Dalian. I am the current Academic Manager and I have held this position for the past 12 months.

These negative comments are from early 2015 or prior, and while I cannot comment on any incidences that may have taken place before I started working here I would like to address our current situation as we do not stand for anything like what the poster has described. Even if you take the online comments as complete and unbiased truth, you should know that the new management team has turned the corner and we had an amazing year in 2015, the school really is thriving and we are very thankful to our staff for all their hard work.

Please understand that I am not posting here to start an argument, nor call out OP on any of their comments asking for proof and to post the other side to the story. I can understand how a disgruntled employee feels the need to exact revenge through trashing an organization anonymously via online bulletin boards, though I just hope that the Reader can appreciate that out of a medium sized school (10+ foreign staff) you eventually will have an individual that feels the world owes them more. Thankfully these troublesome staff members don’t stay around for too long.

Here’s the differences as to what the Poster said, and our school as at 2016:

“The management for this school is beyond incompetent, the lying and deception from all management is absolutely unbelievable”
Wow, harsh. If it matters please note that from about the time this comment was posted, around 12 months ago, the school has been under new management, both foreign and Chinese.

“most teachers are working there illegally the school says they are unable to get the correct working visa due to regulations in Dalian”
All teachers are on a legitimate working visa. No exceptions. If a school is unable to apply for the correct working visa due to regulations this means that the individual did not meet the necessary requirements to obtain a Z-Visa. If this was accurate in the past, it is not anymore.

“you are earning 9200 RMB for 18 hours work, once you get there they tax you so your salary is only 8700, but how can they tax you if you are working illegally?”
There isn’t and has never been an 18 hour contract option. I am no expert on income taxation, nor should you have been working illegally. Our teachers teach 20 class hours per week for 11,200 minimum (baseline salary, before reviews and increases).

“You get no housing subsidy or any other benefits”
Actually, due to an amazing 2015 our teachers will now get an extra 1000rmb/month on top of their regular salary for housing! Regular benefits also include an end of contract bonuses, retention bonuses, insurance, and flight reimbursements.

“Once you arrive the manager will actually tell you that it is not the Chinese staff members job to help you and if they do its " out of the kindness of their own hearts". So you will be left to fend for your self in a country where you can't speak the language.”
Without more details this is difficult to comment on. I know how difficult it can be stumbling around in your first month without support, and I have always done what I could to assist new teachers over the years. I have noted this well and will be sure to provide more help our new staff while they settle in. Please remember that the TA's have personal lives and separate work duties too.

“One girl will show you 2 apartments and you will be made to choose they are some of the worst living spaces I have ever seen.”
It is difficult to find a perfect apartment within a budget, though our most recent arrivals have all lucked out with some beautiful apartments! In the future please be sure to speak up at the time if you aren’t happy, not bottle up resentment and be miserable – it’s your personal space and you need to feel comfortable at home. Please note that apartments aren’t forced on staff, as teachers are free to choose their own place.

“You will be asked to sign a contract in Chinese ( this is after they have sent you a totally different one ). Unless you can read Chinese you will be unable to decipher what you are signing but the contract states that you are only earning 6000 RMB, if they ever with hold your wages and you take them to court the most you will ever get is 6000.”
This sounds fishy. I’ve never seen a foreign work contract written only in Chinese and it’s my job to offer, maintain, and update the employee contracts. Did you ask for translation? Are you talking about the apartment lease?

“If you try to take some of the 11 days holiday they offer you you will be told it is not company policy to give staff weekends off.”
We get 22 paid holidays per year, though these are to cover the National Holidays. Any other form of personal leave is considered as unpaid leave, and you are correct, it is not company policy to give staff weekends off. Weekends are our busiest time! Taking a weekend off for no legitimate reason sometimes throws your colleagues under the bus to cover your classes… and you still want to get paid for doing this?

This said, throughout last year, 2015, I had the pleasure of approving every single personal holiday request for our foreign staff. It was a nightmare at times calling meeting after meeting, so many extra hours of work for so many people to reschedule the teachers, balance hours, informing the TA’s, have them notify all of the parents, arrange handover notes, etc… the list goes on! But we did it. Every time. The teachers covered each other without complaint because of the awesome team we have, all looking out for each other.

“Then when you leave they will with hold the money for the days you were not allowed to take, they will also try to not pay you your over time that you worked or your flight allowance.”
I don’t know about this as it is standard policy to pay staff for any extra holiday days that weren’t taken at the end of each 12 month contract. There is no exception to this rule. You mention they ‘tried’ not to pay you? Meaning you actually got paid… I appreciate you probably didn’t need a conversation about it if you were leaving on a sour note, though at the end everything was above board, so I choose to take this one with a grain of salt.

“While other schools are giving their staff usually a couple of days more than the government minimum national holidays Shane will give you less.”
We are closed for the National Holidays, and offer 22 paid days per year to cover for these. I cannot comment on any other schools or offers.

“You think the contract isn't so bad cause its only 18 hours, well, your scheduled will change weekly including your days off which are never together,”
Ideally your 20 hour class schedule shouldn’t change weekly, this can be so frustrating! Currently, there are very few changes as everyone is working regular, permanent classes. Other times this cannot be avoided, such is the nature of having a dozen families trying to agree on availability or scheduling make-up classes for absent students. Days off are now consecutive for regular weeks, if they aren’t we have a chat first as to why, and for how long this will affect your schedule.

“you will be unable to pick up extra work as you will be unable to tell clients when you are available.”
We both know you shouldn’t be working extra classes as per your visa regulations..

"There are thousands of schools in China don't work for this one."
To each their own. Shane English schools are a global franchise, and a reputable one at that. Not only do Shane schools offer a great foot on the door for new teachers but also plenty of opportunities for experienced teachers to gain some management and training experience. We have a solid syllabus and course books for all ages, homework books, listening CD's, phonics courses, flashcards, realia, etc.

Regards,
Academic Manager
Shane English School Dalian
dl_am@outlook.com