Recently, we've found out that an ex-teacher of Birmy International English, Peter has made the same post in different ESL forums.

We feel sorry that Peter did not passed his probation period (His work duration in Birmy was 12th Sep. 2010 to 14th Nov, 2010 and his first working day was 14th September). During an employee's probation period, both the employer and employee have the right to terminate the contract with 7 days written notice. The reason for termination was that Peter's teaching style and behavior were not suitable for Birmy, its staff and its students. We understand that he felt frustrated about the termination, and the school hopes he won't pursue any further personal attacks on Birmy.

For all the things that Peter has written, we'd like to explain as follows:

1. When you arrive, if you are a girl, you will spend your first one or two nights in a shared, filthy, tiny dorm-room with 5 or 6 Chinese, English tutors from the school. You will have to do all your ablutions (going to the toilet, trying to wash yourself with no shower, bath etc.) in a tiny, filthy shared space with absolutely no privacy (you will be trying to wash yourself whilst surrounded by tutors defecating & urinating right next to you, with no-one ever cleaning up after themselves). Your first night, you will have to try sleep on what amounts to no more than a wooden board, crammed into this tiny, filthy space with 5 or 6 of the tutors. The next morning, you will have to make your way to the hospital to have your medical, very likely after not being able to wash yourself or get any sleep due to the appalling conditions. To add insult to injury, you will have to pay your medical check-up expenses yourself, which the school should actually pay for you but are to cheap to do.

When Peter first arrived in Jiaojiang district on 12th Sep., the school arranged for him to stay in a hotel in near the Jiaojiang school(the head office), because he was given training in Jiaojiang. After two days basic training, he was sent to his school, in the Yuhuan branch. The Administration assistant took him to look for his flat. After days of searching, he insisted on staying in the flat which tutors live in based on two reasons: 1. He claimed that he would be alone. 2. He didn't have much money.

The condition of the flatfour bedrooms, two bathrooms, one big living room. There are two Chinese boys sharing one bedroom, 1-2 Chinese boys sharing one room and 2 Chinese girls sharing one room. Peter had his own bedroom (as do all foreigners who choose to stay there).

2. If you are lucky enough to be a guy in this instance (yes, the school is sexist), you will spend your first night in the cheapest motel available. Anything above 140 RMB & you'll have to pay the extra yourself.

The school has never asked Peter to pay the hotel fee. The hotel name is Chuanshichuanbai. It's a nice hotel near the government building.

3. You will have to cover all your visa costs yourself (the school should actually pay these for you) and, if in China already, will have to go to Hong Kong, at great expense, to try obtaining your work visa there. The school will not tell you that certain nationalities (such as South Africans) can no longer obtain a Z visa in Hong Kong, and must return to their home country first. So, if you discover this only when you arrive in Hong Kong, you will have no choice but to return home again, after having wasted your time and money.

Birmy pays for the visa fee, though we are not responsible for the travel fees. This is told to every candidate when they sign a contract. The school provides legal documents for new teachers, if there's any chance that South Africans can't get Z visas in HK, Zhejiang Foreign Affairs Office would have informed the school, however, no such notice was given. Peter didn't even go to Hong Kong for a visa, as Birmy can process a Visa locally with the government office if a residence permit has been given, and the school was in the process of doing so for him. South African teachers who work for, and who have worked for Birmy have had no problems in obtaining Visas in Hong Kong.

4. When you first arrive, the school will tell you to take one or two days rest to recover from your long journey. What you may mistake for kindness here is only a rouse on their part for, when you receive your first month's salary, you will find they have deducted those one or two nights jetlag recuperation off the money they owe you. You did not ask for this rest nor were you told they would deduct this from your salary, but they will do it anyway.

The exact word was ask