http://www.abroadchina.org/html/cache=article38.htm

School frames teacher by threatening students

Threats from Nanchang College

The topic is about corruption and blackmail of students in this school, and of the treatment given to foreign teachers who try to assist their students with the problems they face.

My wife and I have been working in the Nanchang College of Tourism and Commerce for 9 months and during that time there have been 27 breeches of the contract by the offices of foreign affairs namely Ms Long and Mr. Tang the two representatives in the school as well as others in the English Department like the head Ms. Zheng who threatens students that they would not receive education certificates if they complain about what happens to them being forced in this way to buy things like typewriters and over pay by 2 & 1/2 times the value of books which in some cases they didn′t receive until 6 weeks later and only when we complained on the students behalf. (For this they threatened to fire us if we didn′t stop helping our students)

All the problems were taken to the school leaders who at first ignored them then decided to fire us again by a breech of contract as we proceeded to take it to the oppropriate Government offices. Who in turn also ignored what was happening even though there are about 900 complaints in writing by students who had enough of being cheated and threatened. The school has also gone as far as to use libel and slander to remove us so that the information and help could not be provided to students and their families most of whom are very poor and cannot afford to pay what calculates to 210 RMB extra for books, as this is equal in some cases to more than some students have to feed themselves for 1 month.

This I am writing as a warning to any other teachers that may be seeking employment at this school to think very clearly and give it a wide berth and look at one of the many others that know their responsibility is to give the students a proper education and not use them as a money tree which in this case adds up to about 1,000,000 RMB per year. Any-one who would like more information can contact us by Email at tiger62002@sohu.com / littlemouse@myrealbox.com and we would happily provide it. 99% of students will speak up if the threats by the leaders and Department heads stops which is unlikely as they have too much to lose such as money and positions.

The school has now fired us by way of breech of contract, and as a way of removing my wife has stated that she only has NZ permanent residence and was illegally using this to gain employment at their school. It is a noted fact in writing and by another worker from the college that she stated very clearly that she was a Chinese national married to a NZ citizen and only held NZ pr, and was hired by the school as a foreign teacher by contract. As for myself they are now saying that I physically abuse students with corporal punishment, and have tried to force the students to put this in writing by threatening to not supply their education certificates YET AGAIN!

As teachers who are liked by our students and others at this school who are under another teachers instruction, they are refusing and are willing to bare all to the appropriate people in the Government etc who ignore their pleas for help. But now say they are ashamed of their own country when it is not interested enough to take an interest in those that would be the future bosses and leaders of tomorrow.

We know that corruption is a way of life for some and it exists in different degrees everywhere but there is something that is supposed to now exist in China called civil rights, student rights and legal rights, but with this school and the leaders in the Government here in Jiangxi province, Nanchang these things do not exist and they prefer to live in a society that is kept in the dark and hold no choice as to their futures and existance. All this in a country that has entered into the WTO and expects its citizens to interact with foreign companies etc on an even basis. How could this be if certain schools do not allow the students freedom to the education that they pay for or are entitled to by the law? Or do those laws only exist for those that can pay for lawyers etc to help them stand up for their rights?

If this is a good school to learn at or be a person involved with why do they need threats to students and teachers to keep them quiet about the problems they want to ignore?