Alexander academy?

Hi there,

I have just arrived in Taipei and am sorting out my job situation. I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about Alexander Academy with whom I have an interview coming up (www.alexacademy.com.tw)?

I have been teaching for the last few years privately and would rather find a school that is more focussed on the education of its pupils than its revenue (although I understand that all private schools are businesses at the end of the day). Their website seems pretty legit and, when I have spoken to them in person, their approach seemed to chime with my own. I also like that they insist on an interview in person and a demo lesson.

If you have any thoughts/opinions/advice at all it would be greatly appreciated?

Believe me, every buxiban owner and their dog will give the same talk.

We care about the students yadayadayada.

They only care about the student’s parents cash. :no-no: :no-no:

It looks like the normal run of the mill buxiban. :unamused:

Be aware as well, that demos are illegal.

If you are looking for a buxiban that puts education over money, I am afraid you will not find it in Taiwan.

Pardon me if I come across as cynical, but this is the stone cold truth.

Please be aware that if you are teaching in their kindergarten program, you will be working illegally. Random inspections and deportation happen often in this country and I would expect that it would be challenging to teach while continuously looking over your shoulder. The many videos offered by their website are typical of any full-immersion kindergarten/buxiban chain operating in Taiwan and should be taken with a grain of salt.

As per bigduke’s comments, I would have to agree that 1) demos are technically illegal, and 2) many a good-intentioned westerner has been manipulated into producing videos for such schools (i.e., higher order thinking-promoting, student-centered learning, or independent thought-emphasizing or otherwise western best-practice promoting whitey). I believe that most buxibans actually care about their students and, by extension, parents. As a westerner, you are easily replaceable. So, if considering a kindie gig with this school, know that you are risking your legal status in this country.

Hi guys,

Thank you for your replies. I do understand where you are coming from. However, it is, I believe, an elementary school position that I am applying for. I definitely do not relish the prospect of working illegally with the threat of deportation ever-present.

It’s interesting that demos are illegal. Why is this? In the UK, all the job interviews I have had at both private and state schools have involved teaching demos as this is standard practice. Wouldn’t the natural response be to question the quality of employees who are hired into teaching by means of interview alone?

Nevertheless, I will definitely maintain a healthy skepticism about the ethos of buxibans in general.

If there is anyone who has any specific information about this school or anything else they think I should consider, it would be greatly appreciated.

[quote]According to a regulation passed by the Coun[cil] of Labor Affairs last month, if teaching demonstrations are crucial to an employer’s decision in hiring a foreign English teacher, then the demonstration must to be done without the presence of students. The presence of students in the class is a legal violation, council officials said.

In a statement released by the Taipei City Government’s bureau of labor affairs last week, through a recent clampdown on teaching violations at private English-language schools, many foreigners without proper work permits were caught performing in-class teaching demonstrations as a pre-hiring process.

“This demo-teaching excuse used by school owners had been a rather grey area of labor regulations. Therefore, this new regulatory explanation draws a clear definition of what a teaching-demo should be like,” a bureau staff member said yesterday.[/quote]–Cody Yiu, “CLA to crack down on foreign English teachers,” Taipei Times, December 17, 2004

To work here we generally have to have official permission. I think the thinking behind the rule is that a teaching demo in front of students may look like work that we don’t have official permission to do.

The Taipei Times article was mentioned on the board back in 2004: [Forumosa - Taiwan's largest and most active Taiwan-oriented global online community in English … 48#p272148](No More Demos for Jobs