As a highly-experienced foreign teacher from America, all I can say to this recruiter from JETA is: "You've got to be kidding!!!" It makes absolutely NO SENSE for a foreign teacher to pay any recruiter a fee for a job -- especially if the job pays a meager salary of 6500RMB!

This is a foreign teacher's market. China is in desperate need of good, qualified foreign teachers, and while we should give our best to the job, it is simply unthinkable that we would be expected to pay a fee for a job. The salaries are so low for someone with experience. We come here to help Chinese students improve their English for perhaps a better future. We should not have to pay to get the job.

I LOVE teaching English to Chinese students more then any other teaching work I have done before. My students are my joy, but so many schools / companies / organizations I have worked with during my three-plus years in China have broken the terms of the contract or tried to give me laughable excuses as to why they cannot fully honor the terms of the contract, etc. I should PAY someone for this aggravation?!?!?

As the JETA recruiter lamely explains, if the school does not his agent fee in their budget, then they should wait until they do to hire a foreign teacher. This situation (if it's true), also suggests that if a school is so strapped financially, to the point where it cannot pay an agent's fee for a qualified teacher, then how does the teacher know they can pay his/her salary,and on time??? This whole notion that the foreign teacher should compensate for this stuff raises lots of "red flags."

Also, keep in mind that the foreignt eacher must front the cost of their travel here, as well as other expenses, in good faith that the school will reimburse at the end of the contract. As much as I love teaching students in China, I've had to fight for every bit of reimbursement and compensation that was promised to me before I came to China, or when I signed the contract (which was usually violated within weeks after I started the job).

Foreign teachers are offered a plethora of positions, in a variety of institutions and organizations, in a full spectrum of locations. We must choose carefully as there so many bad jobs and employers. We must ask all the right questions up front, or else the situation is loaded with surprises. Why on earth would we pay someone for this potential misery and frustration?

The best thing you can do is to see the contract in advance, and demand to speak with foreign teachers who are currently working there, or have done so in the recent past. Don't sign anything that is vague or makes you feel uncomfortable. My experience with recruiters is that they will they me almost anything to get me to agree to the job. The only problem is, the reality hits after you arrive at the school.
Chinese students (of all ages) are loving and great fun to teach, but BEWARE of vague teaching contracts, false/unkept promises, and recruiters who respond with "no problem," and "you needn't worry about that," etc., to your questions and requirements.