Hey, Guys!
I’ ve been working in public schools in New Taipei City. I would not recommend this job because foreign teachers’ classes in public schools are a joke. I’m not kidding…
If you are thinking about getting a job in public schools, please consider once more!
Any questions, I can answer through PM.
How about no. You made this topic, so how about a fully detailed and elaborate explanation. If I were to make a topic stating, “I’m the king of England, and you’re not. PM me for details, I won’t answer anything here.” I would probably get told kindly to fuck off.
You’re right, in the majority of teaching jobs here in Taiwan the teacher gets the short end of the stick. That’s (in my opinion) due to a lack of worker protection rights, which enable an employer to get away with more than they should. That, matched with many news outlets portraying many teachers as wolves preying on their own students combined creates a toxic work environment. Not in all schools, just many.
Notice how I’ve already said more than you did? This is your topic. I give you an F on this assignment, please see me after class.
Nope. The information is for the teachers who wants or needs to know more about the Taiwanese public school teaching job in detail. If you are not one of them, you don’t need to know. Right? So I won’t post the details.
However, I will write some things that I thought it was yucky and unfair.
Good Parts?
What do you think y’all about the public school teaching job in Taiwan?
Sooooooo…
Are you the King of England??
Hahahahahahahah
Omg. I can’t stop laughing 
I can neither confirm nor deny that.
… Also, OP. After seeing your edited post, not all schools are like that. You should post in the “blacklist of schools” and mention the specific schools name. I have AC, a classroom (although you’re right, typically students have a classroom rather than the teachers), support, graded homework, and pretty much a completely opposite experience.
My biggest gripes were that many employers expect their teachers to do promotional events for their school, pretty much just free and completely unpaid advertising for them. The same school expected teachers to surrender their weekends, again unpaid, to visit areas for possible field trips. Contacts cost more to get out of the longer you’re in them. Getting verbally degraded by employers. And being assigned classes in another (further) branch teaching drama (as an English teacher).
Hey,
I’ve been here for nearly 8 months, and though my situation differs from your in parts, I am very happy that someone has finally addressed this issue. There are many posts for the early 2000’s but it’s hard to assess the nature of the current situation from those.
My biggest issue is that after years of deliberation, I finally decided that education was the path that I was going to pursue. And I am deeply passionate about it. It took a lot of time and effort to become a certified teacher, and the assumption is that when you land a job that strictly requires you to be such, that you will actually be teaching. And this is so far from the case, it’s a sad, depressing joke.
In my school, I’ve tried so hard for months just to get the teachers to stop translating every single gesture and bodily function to the students. And the reason that I have survived this long is just a cold, depressing acceptance of the fact that I am not here to teach, I am here to be a foreign clown to be gawked at, photographed and basically just here. If you are aware of this from the start, perhaps you can make it work. It;s “free” money. But I value job satisfaction, so it’s just not possible.
July and August are going to be excruciating… 2 months of just coming into work because that’s what you have to do. I truly think that the government needs to rethink the system. Have work for teachers to do, and provide a lot more support in terms of understanding the culture, and the education system. You’re essentially dumped in an unairconditioned office, with people who site their lack of English ability as the excuse for EVERYTHING! It’s so frustrating. My advice; don’t do it.
Your school isn’t running summer camps? And don’t you take vacation during August?
I am getting 3 weeks in August off and July we have some summer camps, each one is 3 days long.
I found not having AC is the worst thing, at least the office has AC but yeah, currently in the “doing nothing phase”.
Macleo, do you have internet access while you are doing nothing at school?
Cram schools are by far the worst. So the other two options for us are private schools or public schools. Anyone got any experiences to share working in private schools?
I take slight issue with saying “cram schools are the worst.” Having taught ESL for a decade and having worked in places running the gamut from public school, good cram school, bad cram school and university, I’d say a GOOD cram school is much better than being a cog in the public school system. Emphasis on “good” though. They’re increasingly rare, but good ones do exist.
Yeah. There will be a camp in August, but since the current EV teachers will/may be leaving soon, it’s not even possible to start planning that or having something to work on. And listen; yes. I do have internet access. And I come up with many interesting ways to entertain myself etc, but it’s not sustainable. I can imagine it being a more than manageable situation if you have family and attachments here, but I was a FOB and the entire experience has just been a major eye-opener.
I did public school teaching in Korea as well and am amazed by the difference. And there, you don’t even need to be certified. But hearing that Buxibans are worse helps, as, in my mind, they would have to be better. I am also curious to know more about the private schools. They definitely have more work and responsibilites, as far as I’m aware. And actual teaching takes place.
I’ve been working in the public schools for 4 years now and I like to chime in.
No A.C. whole year! SUMMER is yucky in Taiwan.
We’re in a tropical island. I’m sorry, but what did you expect? I carry extra change and towels so I can stay somewhat clean.
You don’t have a classroom. You are a floater teacher.
I had my own classroom for one school. It changes as all schools are different.
Lack of school’s support for foreign teachers
I agree to some point, but you also have to push them to give you support. If you care, they’ll most likely follow you as they are all extremely busy.
You don’t grade tests or homeworks, so students see your class as a Disneyland.
Again, that perhaps is your perception. It’s your class. You can make it as serious or casual as you wish.
4.Principal is never available when you need to ask for a help.
I had schools where such principals exist. (I’m on my 9th school now) However, I’ve had some that were extremely supportive and attentive to their students.
If you want to ask some questions about your duties or statements in your contract… wow!
no one can answer it for you! (airplane ticket reimbursement, salary questions, tax rate…etc)
You probably have/had poor communication with your agency or incompetent agency. Mine has been prompt and professional.
You repeat one type of a lesson 24 times a week. SOOOOOOO boring! For example, if you teach about ABC, you will do the same ABC lesson 24 times a week.
This give you time to plan your next lesson plans and gives you PLENTY of time to plan your future. Lucky you!
Your Taiwanese English teachers either have 0 experience in teaching English or 10yrs in teaching English. You gotta be lucky to have the 10yr experienced teacher. If not, help yourself…
This is considered a bonus. You have your own class and your own lesson plans. You’re supposed to have somewhat of a grip in your class. If I can get minimum help, I’d be grateful. If not, you improvise as all teachers should.
Good Parts?
1. Flexible with teaching content? (Super low English level)
This is the best part for me. Freedom!
2. No homework or tests to grade?
To be in a school program and be a teacher without these works are amazing. We should be grateful we don’t have to do it!
3. No supervising children?
Well, yeah.
4. Vacation days?
I get 11 days plus weekends with full pay. WAY better than working in a cram school if you ask me.
I assume you have had schools that didn’t help you much, but you also have to show that you care. (Not saying that you don’t) Most of the time, I bust my a$$ and schools naturally follow my footsteps. I have had great 4 years and I can’t complain much. No AC sucks, but I’m currently in a school that has AC (yes, classrooms!) and it’s great.
To make decent money you gotta work kindy in a cram school or you’re going to have bad hours and be split between schools. That is the worst because you are just baby sitting and its illegal work.
Also, the times these classes are run, 6.30pm-8.30pm or 7pm to 9pm and you had a class at 9am that morning, it’s just nooooooot ayoba.
Finding a good cram school is very hard indeed. I prefer being a public school cog over the gamble of working at a public school and working 32 hours at times because your boss goes on holiday and makes you sub his classes.
Oh, and cram schools are THE WORST to find subs to go on vacation. It’s impossible. Public schools give you lots of vacation. I didn’t go home for 3 years because I couldn’t get enough time off from the cram school and they don’t pay flights.
Also, hourly rate is bs. If there are public holidays, typhoons, you get sick or they put some classes on breaks before and after CNY and before and after August, 3 weeks at a time, it just doesn’t do it for me.
And if you get a salary job at a cram school they will just pile classes onto you or make you do stupid shit like greet kids at the front door or reading classes in the morning.
I rather take the 70k salary with good vacation and not having long hours to work than being a cram school teacher.
I bring my own fan during summer to stay cool. I also have my own laptop so I can plan lesson plans, browse internet, watch movies, and plan future plans during summer. Frankly, I love it.
I also agree on the holiday and typhoon day pays. It’s great. I remember I was scrambling during the CNY because I wasn’t getting paid. Now I do.
Why have you worked in 9 schools in 4 years?
I’ve come to realize that a long term gig in Taiwan public schools doesn’t seem likely.
I’d be more than happy to teach at one school for 10 years. I like stability and routine. Not finding a new job every year and prob having to move.
I work in a program where I teach 3 different schools in one year, and yes, I do agree about the long term. There’s nothing long term with this program compared to the Taiwanese public school teachers.
I have my own desk at my current school, internet access, great administration staff however, the government is cancelling the English program sooooooooooooo I will need to find a new job next year.
Is it the Xinpu program?
I’m in Tainan, and that suck that your program is getting the boot. We’re afraid about this program’s fate as well but Tainan has been pushing hard for English education so it’ll be around for a while…we hope.
Public school jobs are the best one’s you can get. I’m working in NTC and getting two months off paid with bonuses and vacation days. Looks like you got the short end of the stick. Also, my school will be looking for a new teacher in August so you are welcome to apply. The co teachers sit in the back and watch you while the students stare in wonderment, sleep, or do something in between 
Okay, fair enough. I worked at exactly one good cram school in South Korea, but granted it wasn’t in Taiwan and it was owned and run by a progressive Westerner, so perhaps that was a unique situation.
Most cram schools are crap. No argument there. Can’t say I’m a fan of public schools either though. The one teaching job I’ve quit before a contract was up was at a public school. The money is good, but the atmosphere is soul crushing, or at least it was at mine.