Ask Headmaster Ken

Hi Ken,

I just arrived in Hunan today. I was greeted at the airport by staff from my school and was driven to the city that I am staying in. I was treated to lunch and then given a tour around the school. It all seemed perfect: the school is so chilled and the people are just really nice.

However... I arrived at my accommodation and reality sunk in a little bit. The living accommodation is a flat in a block of slums about 40 minutes away from my school. Although the school has said they'd pay for travel expenses, I'm still not happy!

Firstly the security door is broken, meaning I am protected literally by a lock and key. Inside it is clean and neat, however the TV is broken, there is no sofa, just a wooden armchair, the washing machine looks to have seen better days, and I don't have a cooker--instead I have a camping stove on a window pane!

The toilet--now this is where it gets messy--is a hole in the floor, no automatic flush, I have to pour a bucket of water down the toilet. There is also no shower:I have to poor cold water over myself.

Also the building is missing half of its windows! They are instead replaced by crappy netting things that are completely messed up.

Please advise me with where I need to go or what I should say to sort this out. I don't think I can stay in this place. I really love the school and the people seem to have respect for me but I actually fear for my safety in this place and feel as though I couldn't leave any of my stuff here at all!

Hello,

We seem to have quite different ideas about how respect is shown.

One thing I always tell people is that your accommodations are the best single indicator of how your school intends to treat you.

The fact that they have placed you in such abysmal circumstances is a clear warning that you can expect further problems.

You need to inform them the apartment is unacceptable.

Let them know you will not be surrendering your passport for visa processing until you have been placed in acceptable quarters. Meanwhile, let them know you will be exploring other employment offers.

Do not sign a contract.

Dust off plan B and be fully prepared to use it.

Be polite, but firm. Express your sorrow that you won't be able to work at their school under the circumstances, but, perhaps if they could find an apartment before you took other employment....

There is no need to make a row about it, but don't give an inch. It will cost your school a few hundred RMB per month to upgrade you, and you are well worth it to their bottom line.

Thank you Ken.

I did some research last night and found out that there are other Chinese teachers who teach at my school who live in the same area (one lives right below my flat). I am apparently living on a University campus, which I only found out after taking a walk around and then later discussing with my PA (which they seem to have provided me with).

I talked to my boss last night and he has agreed to put a shower in, and has told me that if i need to buy anything for the flat to give him the receipts and he will refund me for it (which i guess is better than nothing).

I also have contact details of an American teacher who lived in this apartment last year but has been, as they call, "upgraded" so I intend on getting as much info out of her before I sign anything.

Kind regards,

Andy

Hey,

I have a sort of related situation (though not nearly as bad) and am hoping someone can shed some wisdom on the subject. I'm a bit worried so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I worked at a public high school in China last year, and everything was fine except the apartment. When extending my contract for an additional year I asked the school if they would partially subsidize my living off-campus and was told that "it is not allowed." I assumed that it was all about dollars and cents: the school simply didn't want to shell out cash when they didn't need to.

I went ahead and rented an apartment on my own dime. Didn't tell the school, and minimally use the school apartment now. I'm registered to live in China at my school apartment, which I technically do live in.

Must I register for my new apartment as well? I don't want any problems with the school or police, I just want to pay for my own place that offers acceptable living conditions to me. If I must register at this additional location, but do not do so, what potential problems can I encounter? Any advice on how to deal with this?

Thanks so much for your help.

Since you are already legally registered, it would be disruptive to now ask for a change of registration.

Since you do live in and use the registered apartment to some extent, I'd let sleeping dogs lie.