How can we improve the image of English teachers in Asia?

Discussion Open Forum
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From: mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/features/ … 1000c.html

English-teaching jobs providing cover for pedophiles in Asia

Murder suspect John Mark Karr bites his lips as he is shown at a police news conference at Immigration office in Bangkok, Thailand Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006. (AP Photo)BANGKOK, Thailand – The English-teaching circuit in Asia is filled with transients. It is a floating network of backpackers looking to make quick cash while traveling the world, recent college graduates in search of overseas experience and those on the move with something to hide.

From: canada.com/topics/news/world … =46866&p=2

Fake teaching documents also are cheap and easy to obtain in Asia, and there are jobs for the taking. Last year in Japan, there were 4,500 foreign language schools with nearly 14,000 teachers. South Korea had 12,000 native English-speakers teaching at private schools as of May.

Websites post openings at schools across Asia, making it easy for teachers to work short stints in one country before lining up a job and jumping to another, providing perfect cover for sex offenders on the run in a region infamous for sex tourism
…

Fake teaching documents also are cheap and easy to obtain in Asia, and there are jobs for the taking. Last year in Japan, there were 4,500 foreign language schools with nearly 14,000 teachers. South Korea had 12,000 native English-speakers teaching at private schools as of May.

Websites post openings at schools across Asia, making it easy for teachers to work short stints in one country before lining up a job and jumping to another, providing perfect cover for sex offenders on the run in a region infamous for sex tourism.

I do not like the idea of telling people I’m a teacher and having them immediately target me as a transient, pedophile, criminal, child molester.
It’s easy to say that the government should do this or that. It’s quite easy to say a lot of things and not do anything at all.
I do not want my profession known as a haven for child molesters and criminals. I do not want this image to attract even more criminals and pedophiles to ESL.

Any suggestions as to what WE can do, as teachers, to clean up our profession?
Are there any outlets for us to report dodgy individuals to the government?
What if we organize and suggest some ideas to the TW government.

I DO think it’s necessary for the decent folk here to somehow take a stand. In fact, I think it may be vital to saving our reputations. Even if we just speak out somehow, let the government know we’re behind any effort they make to keep the worst elements from coming to Asia, I think that might go a long way towards improving our image, which seems to be in danger of going down the drain.

What can we do? Does anyone have any ideas?

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Sure. When if you have a situation where its difficult to know where people come from or their background you develop a branded certifying company.

A good example of such a company is the “heart foundation tick of approval” for certain foods. If people see it, they recognize it and they know it passes certain criteria healthwise.

What you need to do is develop a relationship with all of the schools and then provide a “tick of approval” where you certify teachers. The schools would pay a small fee in order for you to “certify” them.

If you become big enough, teachers that become certified could be paid more and hence the motivation for teachers to in fact certify themselves through you. If you are lucky and become big enough, you could push legislation for it to become a requirement and then you have a most beautiful kind of business… a monopoly.

Certification would include: background police check, documentation check, university / qualification check and previous employer recommendations…

How would I start out? I’d start by offering to schools lists of people that you’ve already certified.

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Of course from there, then u start offering courses to english teachers and doing job placement :rainbow:

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[quote=“Tyc00n”] Certification would include: background police check, documentation check, university / qualification check and previous employer recommendations…

How would I start out? .[/quote]

I guess that Police Check one should be started soon. They should also take blood and haair samples for drugs testing. The one’s that fail you put em up against the wall and shoot.

The overstayers get minimum jail terms of 10 years. Those working illegally get the death penalty.

Where will it all end? :astonished: :astonished:

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[quote=“trebuchet”] I do not like the idea of telling people I’m a teacher and having them immediately target me as a transient, pedophile, criminal, child molester.
.
I do not want my profession known as a haven for child molesters and criminals. I do not want this image to attract even more criminals and pedophiles to ESL.

What can we do? Does anyone have any ideas?[/quote]

Yep, go back to school and do a degree in another profession. Why would anybody assume you’re a transient, pedophile, criminal, child molester?

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Yep! it’s the only way. With the number of English conversation trainers running around these days they will only continue to be viewed as G.I.s or migrant fruitpickers are.
Back in the day I did it, it was considered by locals to be a very prestigious occupation. They even believed we were actually teachers :beer:

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Tycoon, I agree with your thoughts entirely, but offer the following spanner in your business proposal: It takes about 6 weeks to get a criminal check in England.

My ultimate thought is a depressing one: The laws surrounding foreign hires won’t change in Taiwan until something terrible happens.

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Anyone remember this?

Coast Guard nabs English teachers in drug-ring bust

Aside from his three jobs, he had appeared in commercials and worked on the crew of a movie called Made in Taiwan – a comedy about a Canadian teacher’s life in Taipei. :bravo:
When his work was done, the teacher from Port Moody loved to hit the town. :beer:
Forand and his circle of friends were regulars at some of the bars and clubs that have sprung up across the Taiwanese capital.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/story.html?id=72951e3b-4dd5-45e2-947f-e7fe884431cf&k=63353

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That article implies that coke is a ‘soft drug’ in Canada. Is that the case?

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[quote]Glen says he’s angry at how the case has played out in the Taiwanese media and also on websites that provide a forum for ESL teachers.

“Keyboard commandos, I call them,” he says. “They sit behind their modems and espouse opinions that are hateful. A segment of these people, including the owner of one site, were calling for Matty’s death. It was like: Well, he knows the law of the land and he should be put to death. Make an example of him.”

One Taiwan-based ESL website carried the results of a survey they’d held into how Forand should be punished: 11 per cent chose the death penalty and seven per cent opted for life imprisonment in Taiwan. On the other hand, 31 per cent called for sentencing under Canadian law and 15 per cent said Forand should merely be deported.

“Geez, I hope they don’t execute him,” wrote one teacher.

But from another: “You break a country’s laws, you expect to pay the price.”[/quote]

Interesting article to be sure. I always wondered what happened to him.

Which website did this come from? Is it F.com?

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I am an American. I am not a teacher but I live here and have an ARC. As part of the procedure to getting the ARC I had to supply from my home state a document showing I did not have a criminal record. Didn’t anyone else have to do this? It was part of the list of items given to me before coming to Taiwan to bring with me.

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Though the article’s angle was “Fun-loving guy possibly looking at a death sentence in Asian country”, with all of its talk of high salaries, exciting nightlife, and fascinating people, it seems like if anything it would encourage even more Canadians to come to Taiwan.

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[quote=“Serial Killer On Parole”][quote=“Tyc00n”] Certification would include: background police check, documentation check, university / qualification check and previous employer recommendations…

How would I start out? .[/quote]

I guess that Police Check one should be started soon. They should also take blood and haair samples for drugs testing. The one’s that fail you put em up against the wall and shoot.

The overstayers get minimum jail terms of 10 years. Those working illegally get the death penalty.

Where will it all end? :astonished: :astonished:[/quote]

I’m not suggesting any kind of punishment at all, I’m merely suggesting that a company could be formed to do the kind of work that an English school would find difficult. Especially when its in their best interests. Of course its easy to be cynical and realise that most english schools probably don’t give a $hit about the quality of the teaching as long as a foreign face is in the classroom.

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With the proliferation of crack houses, and labs producing other stronger, more addictive drugs, cocaine is becoming the least of the cops’ worries.

As for the OP, the best way to improve the quality of English teachers in Taiwan is for the buxibans to clean up their act.

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With the proliferation of crack houses, and labs producing other stronger, more addictive drugs, cocaine is becoming the least of the cops’ worries.

As for the OP, the best way to improve the quality of English teachers in Taiwan is for the buxibans to clean up their act.[/quote]

How so?

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It amazes me that schools will hire people without even doing the simplest of background checks. They should be doing this not necessarily to protect themselves from hiring someone who is criminal or pedophile, but just to ensure they hire good, reliable teachers.

It takes about five minutes to call someone’s previous employer and ask a few basic questions. In my experience schools don’t even bother with this. And then they complain if the teacher does a runner or is unreliable or whatever. The schools really only have themselves to blame.

Do you work for Hess? I think they ask their employees for this. They are doing it to cover themselves, not because it is a legal requirement.

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No I don’t work for Hess and am not in the educational business at all. Before I left the US ( I live near Boston) I went to the Taiwan Econimic Office or what ever they call it and they gave me a list of items I should bring so my company in Taiwan could process my ARC. Some never came up for instance I did not have a physical here or in the US although that was on the list. But it did ask for a letter from the State Police confirming I did not have a record. And when I came to Taiwan and every few days passed to our secretary more passport photos and signed papers at one point she asked for the Document for the State Police which I gave her.

btw.: I work for a Japanese company and I think they try to follow the rules very strictly.

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With the proliferation of crack houses, and labs producing other stronger, more addictive drugs, cocaine is becoming the least of the cops’ worries.

As for the OP, the best way to improve the quality of English teachers in Taiwan is for the buxibans to clean up their act.[/quote]

How so?[/quote]

Our school has immediate openings for qualified teachers. Applicants should be under 30 years of age, thin, white, blonde hair, blue eyes, and female. We offer 40 000 NT per month for 100 teaching hours + 75 office hours. Successful applicants are required to pay a 50 000 NT deposit, and sign the contract in blood.

Get the picture?

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Well, we could do our little bit from here and restrict access to the Open Forum. All kinds of teacher trash in there.

HG

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No passing out in the ball pit during nap time? :idunno: