The China Teaching Web

Once you’ve had some experience teaching English in China you will discover that most of your bosses will treat you well. Not only are they bound by the contract but they want to make a good impression on you as well and they hope that their school can establish a good rapport with the foreign community.

Unfortunately, your experience will also introduce to you some of the more negative aspects of boss-employee relationships in China. You will often observe that the special treatment that you receive is a “far cry” from the way that your Chinese co-workers are treated. Chinese teachers are often berated by their bosses and they are expected to work long hours for very little money.  Many schools do not provide the kind of support for teachers that you may find in your country. For example, the complaint of just one or two angry parents can lead to the dismissal of a good teacher. Teachers are also routinely “forced” to attend seminars in other cities and usually they will pay for most of the expenses out of pocket. And of course, the most minor infractions, such as not being present at a late night company party or leaving the school grounds to buy a bottle of water can result in fines and other disciplinary action.

 There may be times when you feel very angry about the way that your friends (the teachers) are being treated by your boss. You may feel some solidarity with them and be tempted to “take up their cause” to the boss or threaten to quit on their behalf. If you have these feelings, please take a deep breath and think before you act. While I am not suggesting that the plight of Chinese teachers is not important, you should remember that their plight is one that is shared by the majority of teachers and other employees in China. I would submit that it is not your responsibility to try to “change the system.” In fact, complaining to the boss or taking some other drastic action on behalf of your fellow employees could result in dismissals and cause more heartache than you intended. Instead, you should encourage your Chinese workmates to take up their own cause and talk to the boss directly if they have problems. I believe encouraging your fellow employees to stand up for themselves is important but that is where your involvement should stop. Don’t hurt your co-workers and yourself by trying to be a “champion of the working class in China.”

In closing, it should be noted that the system is changing in China. Recently there have been some important labor laws which have been passed. Bosses of large companies that I know are not happy with the new policies and are fighting them with their lawyers. However, I believe that they will stick in China because more and more workers are demanding their basic rights and I don’t believe that there voices can be silenced. So enourage your workmates and be a friend to them. Help them as much as you can but know when you need to stay out of a situation.