I am wondering if anyone has else has reached the point where you wonder why you continue to stay in Taiwan? I am not saying the place sucks, and I had a blast in the past doing things outside of teaching, but the older I get the more I wonder about my future.
We all know that there’s a serious problem regarding birth rates, and how it will affect the job market and schools (if it hasn’t already started doing it now due to the problem some people claim finding jobs or at least finding full-time work). One could get their MA and try to get out of the cram school rat race, but I believe universities will start to really hurt in the near future due to the birth rate problem. I guess one could get a PhD, but I honestly doubt that’s going to give you any security. I can see more and more teachers fighting over fewer and fewer jobs at all levels of education, cram school to universities.
It seems that the alternative is to jump ship and head to another country, or become a real teacher, get certified and then work in the public system here. Jumping ship might land you in a county with more jobs, but for how long or at what cost? Are you really anymore “secure” there? Getting certified seems like the logical choice, maybe the ONLY choice, but if I want to work eight hours a day in a real job, why not return home? I know I could save more here, but at what cost? Cost here referring to quality of life.
I know I sound like a doom and gloom negative bastard, but I am just looking at things realistically, at least from my point of view. Taiwan has many things I love about it, and, honestly, I would prefer to stay here, but I have a nagging feeling that doing so would be detrimental to my future, unless I was a certified teacher. OK, enough rambling from me. I had a tooth pulled out yesterday, so as you can see I am in a bright and blissful mood .