This is a re print from another board with an update..
Last year I worked at a so called international school in Beijing and would like to post some of my disappointments with this school.
First the school is not legal, instead using another school's permit and will dummy (standard) contracts to reflect a lower salary as to avoid detection.
They will also deduct taxes, with out giving the teacher the tax break of 4000, 4800 thus taking additional money out of your pay. Last year they did'nt provide proof of tax payment until being forced to by the staff.
While hiring practices regulate that teachers only with a teaching certificate are on staff, they have in the recent past hired staff without, and this is advertised as an international school and the teachers are represented as having certificates..
This school will routinely sign a teacher to two years with a breach clause but this year when they experienced a down turn of students they broke their own contracts and refused to pay the breach charge.
Three staff members of a previous year were promised bonuses and were left holding the bag. The same thing happen to the ESL teacher this year.
It seems by opening a restaurant in additional to the schools, there are three, they have used up operating funds and even the kindergarten branch is broke.
This past year the classes were scheduled so that some teachers had as many as 36 hrs of class per week with a starting time of 8AM and a closing time of 4:30 pm, with after class and lunch room duties. Some teachers had to eat their lunch standing up next to the children's tables due to additional duties given in addition to classroom duties. Many teachers were ask to teach additional ESL classes without additional pay or were ask to run night time or weekend activities such as PTA meetings.
There was a no-leave the campus policy that was replaced by a less strict one in which the teachers had to sign out and account for any moment they were not on campus, even to cross the street and buy refreshments.
They did pay almost on time and did offer a day trip once during the term.
Things may get better with the addition of a new principal but this is the 6 one in two years (3 last year alone) and it is not very clear how much power he will have in matters over the Chinese president, at any rate the office staff is taking bets to see how long he will last. I would not recommend anything to anyone but I feel a need to put out a cautionary note and tell any applications that most of the teachers have left after a short time or after the first years contract.
If you are a teacher of standing in some country you can make more money in picking another international school because it is now in the plan to hire fewer teachers but make the work schedule longer.
This is the most recent news.
It also has come to my attention that the principal who had been hired at the end of the year, is no longer there.
That is the 7th principal in the last three years..I also understand that the contracts already signed by the teachers will be changed and that the plan is to have them resign another contract after the beginning of the school year...with a more favorable performance clause concerning the usual bonuses.
Topic: Beanstalk in Beijing..BIBS international school (Read 1208 times)