I receive several e-mails every week from prospective teachers asking me for recommendations for the best schools in China to teach at. Unfortunately, it is a lot easier for me to advise teachers which schools they should not teach at.
Most prospective teachers rely on Internet-based school reviews provided by other teachers. The major problem with these reviews is that the information is often quite dated and conditions at private schools change all the time. The other problem is that in the absence of consensus, it’s difficult at best to know how valid either a very bad or good review truly is. In addition, reviews based on one school within a large franchise system tell you absolutely nothing about what a different school in the same franchise will be like, as franchisees are only purchasing the use of the school name for marketing purposes: In China, there is usually no accountability regarding “standard operating procedures” to a corporate office.
Therefore, the only schools I can recommend prospective teachers to are those that are owned and run by people I have known personally for quite some time and have very good feelings about. These are schools I would send a family member or best friend to because I know he or she will be treated more than fairly.
The schools listed below are owned and managed by people I either directly know or know of from sources I trust and, so, I can personally vouch for them. I can recommend any of these schools to you without reservation because I know the owners are fair and honest and that a teacher won’t be confronted with any last-minute surprises. If you need a job, you can have confidence in the schools on this list. If you have any questions about these schools, you can contact me directly.
Gregory Mavrides, PhD
drgreg@middlekingdomlife.com
School Name and Description |
Hiring Status |
|---|---|
| Kenneth's English
Established 2004, SAFEA licensed, located in Jilin City. Kenneth's English School is an American owned and managed English training center that teaches students ranging in age from four to fourteen years of age. Kenneth's English School is known for its fun, high energy classes led by excellent teachers. |
Now Hiring |
| Perfect English Established 2001, SAFEA licensed, located in Changchun. Perfect English is an American owned and operated English training school. The school is located downtown and teaches students ranging in age from kindergarten to adult. The school has recently been expanded and remodeled. The school is renowned for its "American Odyssey" student trips abroad led by the school's owner and headmaster, Jack Murray. |
Now Hiring |
| Hainan YuDa Foreign Language Academy
This is probably the only private English language school in Haikou even worth considering for a job as it is the most successful and one of the oldest schools in the city. You definitely need a degree to work there (a master's degree in a related field is preferred) and at least two years of experience teaching primary and secondary school-aged children in China, or in your native country. Degrees, experience and recommendations are thoroughly checked. The school is especially looking for teachers with experience in TOEFL, SAT and ACT exam preparation (or those who would be easily able to teach in that capacity). The housing is, by far, superior to what is typically provided by other schools, especially the colleges and universities, as is the salary (5,500 to 8,000 to start for 16 periods per week). Teachers receive up to a 15,000 yuan in annual performance bonuses and about five paid weeks of vacation per year. Hainan YuDa is one of the few private schools in the country to award automatic annual salary increases upon contract renewal. For the right person, this position could constitute a career move and not just another EFL job in China. For more information about the school and its programs, click on the link above to visit the English version of the website. |
Accepting Applications Now for a Feb. 15, 2009 Start Date |
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