Back in December there was a rash of postings about the Aston English Organisation, which I missed until recently.

I worked briefly for the Aston franchise in Wuhan last year but resigned quickly and returned to my previous employer. I resigned because I found that I was not suitable for their style of teaching and they thought so too. I want to caution those contemplating a job with Aston English that their style and methods do not suit everyone and even experienced teachers can fall foul of this. They do insist that all new recruits undergo in-house training but in my case that was not too good and did nothing to prepare me for the realities of the job.

Potentially to your advantage is that all franchisees operate in the name of Aston English. This gives you legal redress directly against Aston English should their franchisee not meet his obligations. The contracts of employment are issued in the name of Aston English and if you wish to complain about your conditions or treatment and get nowhere with the franchisee, there is a grievance procedure available. This involves American staff of Aston English in China and I like to think that the plaintiff would get a fair hearing from them. Bear in mind that Aston English, being a franchise organisation, has to continuously sell franchises in order to be successful. It is in their interests to ensure that their franchisees act properly so as to avoid a string of complaints from disgruntled teachers.

The Aston English Employment Contract has been drawn up by Aston English and is the same form across the board for all franchisees to adhere to. In my opinion the contract terms are poor but this is obvious as soon as you read them. The salaries may sound ok but you pay for your own utilities and your own transport between the school and your apartment. There is no reimbursement of your air fares though there is a bonus for 12 month contracts that they say contributes towards your air-fares. This means it is not a bonus at all and in the case of most foreign teachers will not cover the cost of air fares.

Note also, that you can give a months notice and leave their service without penalty a facility not often found in Chinese employment contracts. However, be careful to note, that if your services are terminated by the franchisee, there is a penalty. I am unable to remember what that penalty is but it is a big one. Needless to say, the contractual bonus would also be forfeit in the event of early termination. The danger here, is that an unscrupulous franchisee could easily trump up a case against you and fire you near the end of your contract so that he benefits financially from your departure in such manner.

Accommodation is shared. You have your own bedroom but everything else is shared with at least one other teacher. If you prefer living alone, as I did, then you will find yourself paying a share of the rent of a 2-bedroom apartment. The standard of accommodation is not stipulated, so you could find yourself in poor conditions. There is a list of equipment in the contract, that the franchisee has to provide in each apartment but it is an inadequate list to say the least.

The working hours are anti-social. There are two forms of contract based on different amounts of time worked each week. Not unreasonably, there is also a difference in the salary paid. Whichever form you choose, you would be working throughout every weekend from early morning until late evening. It is true that you would have time off during the week, but that occurs when everyone else is working, so if you are a social animal needing lots of friends to share your leisure time with dont work for Aston English unless you want to make your friends among other Aston Employees.

There are many schools and training centres in China that have all manner of catch-clauses in their contracts, or that leave important areas uncovered. Aston English contracts however, are clear and well-written, although heavily favouring the employer. There is no excuse for anyone going to work for Aston English and then complaining about the terms and conditions of their contract.

I went to work for Aston English in Wuhan for my own reasons, knowing that the contractual conditions were not good and I did not complain about them then, nor am I complaining about them now. I am honest enough to admit that despite my several years teaching experience in China, I was not suitable for the Aston Experience and they were not suitable for me either these considerations cut both ways after all. So I got in first and resigned before I was fired. I was then treated correctly according to my employment contract. I found the Franchisee of the Aston English Wuhan establishment to be a fair-minded man and I left without any acrimony at all.

I am aware that other teachers seem to have had bad experiences with some Aston English franchisees elsewhere in China but I am unable to comment. My own advice to those thinking of joining Aston English is to be very careful to make sure you know everything there is to know about your terms and conditions and look pessimistically at these from the viewpoint of a franchisee who might not hesitate to screw you into the ground at the slightest opportunity.

There are many schools and training centres that have better pay and conditions than Aston English but at least with Aston English you are to some extent protected by the facts that there are no 'catch-clauses' in the contract and there is a documented grievance procedure available if you feel you are being badly treated.

But beware, nevertheless!

Dave