Am I screwed?

I work illegally in a kindergarten in Taipei County along with three other foriegners. This week our school planned a trip to the presidential building. Without asking our consent (and without any common sense whatsoever) sent our names, ID numbers and addresses to the government in advance so they could verify us on arrival. This just seems like a ridiculous for a well-known kidergarten to do. It’s one of those things where it’ll probably be no problem, but it’s not really worth the risk of being deported.

We told the school we won’t go inside with the school together (as we need to show our passports on entrance, accompanying a group of kindy kids??) but they’ve still have our details and a connection with the school.

Just to top it off, the government are coming to check our schools licence this week and they have no plans to take any of the English things down. The books all have our names on, and there are big pictures of foriegners teaching kindy kids on the walls outside.

So, any advice? other than run fast when the police come?

Hide under the table?

I think you’re school is taking this far too lightly. Have you told them of your fears? I don’t see why they sent your names ahead???

This well know kindy wouldn’t rhyme with “mess” would it? They are well connected and that may be the safety net.

Dunno.

Wear your track shoes though.

jdsuspicious

Develop an “illness”. Fast.

With all the talk about crackdowns, etc. these days, you’d be MAD to go to work next week until the cops have been and gone!

If they don’t get a picture of you in class teaching then it’s, in most cases, nothing to worry about.

Foreign teachers look very handsome on the walls. “They’re not teaching here, they are models.”

BUT, they were SO stupid with the field trip thing.

Unless you’re the cook.

They also read this forum, now they now they have your passport and you already confessed …

I would quit my job … on the spot :smiley:

You’re going to the Presidential Office? If the cops try anything with you on the your field trip, sit down at the Presidential Office and say you are going on a hunger strike to protest the Presidential Office’s flagrant abuse of the human rights of foreigners, as well as the police’s selective interpretation of the law. Get a friend to phone all of the TV stations. :smiling_imp:

Do you have a TV you’d like to sell rather than ship home?

  1. I don’t think the Presidential Palace trip is a big worry. The Palace is the Palace and your local police are your local police - they have nothing to do with each other. Still, does the kindergarten need you to go on this trip? I don’t think so. Give it a miss.

  2. If you get caught teaching illegally, the kindergarten is going to be in trouble as well as you. Ask the kindergarten to give you all the day off.

  3. Photos = models - good idea. Better still, ask the school to take them down for a few days.

Damn opportunist! :wink:

When the police come in start speaking in Chinese and telling all the kids about your wonderful life in your home country. Have a big sign up behind the class that says (in Chinese) Foreigner Visit Day and explain that the day the police came was a special day at the school when a foreigner comes in and talks to the kids and then leaves once he’s done.

:smiley:

Oh, and don’t sign anything! Or if you do sign anything, sign it “Harvey the Rabbit”

Damn opportunist! :wink:[/quote]Lemons
Lemonade
Silver lining
:sunglasses:

That is not a good idea. They could still get you for doing temporary paid or voluntary work (the latter also being illegal if they want to get you), and they can match your face with the “teacher” photos and your name with documents in the school. They could also simply ask the kids whether you are their regular teacher.

That is not a good idea. They could still get you for doing temporary paid or voluntary work (the latter also being illegal if they want to get you), and they can match your face with the “teacher” photos and your name with documents in the school.[/quote]
Sorry, my post was intended to be tongue-in-cheek, not to be taken seriously. I guess I didn’t achieve the necessary silliness to not be taken seriously at all. :blush:

That is not a good idea. They could still get you for doing temporary paid or voluntary work (the latter also being illegal if they want to get you), and they can match your face with the “teacher” photos and your name with documents in the school.[/quote]
Sorry, my post was intended to be tongue-in-cheek, not to be taken seriously. I guess I didn’t achieve the necessary silliness to not be taken seriously at all. :blush:[/quote]

BACK in the hole! :smiling_imp:

:wink:

The guards at the Pres office are unlikely to do anything other than check you are the person on the guest list.

I dunno, I liked the “Harvey the Rabbit” idea anyway. :slight_smile:

Is this a joke or an over-exaggeration?

My friend’s school got busted yesterday and they told them that with the elections coming up they’re going to all the schools in Taipei County that are known to have foriegners to check.

I’ve heard these stories for as long as i’ve been here,but it seems like they’re really clamping down this time. I also saw in the ‘work’ forum there is a post by lots of people already caught.

I find the kindergarten’s actions to be rather brazen and a disregard for their foreign staff’s security as foreign residents here. The only real reason they want the foreigners along in this case is a selfish desire for advertising, IMO. Most of these field trips where the FT is paraded around in public with classes of kids are. My gf is at a kindy that is doing a similar sort of thing soon. I worry less about her, though, as she is an FBC and a dual national. However, I told her to inform her non-ethnic Chinese foreign coworkers about the possible dangers of being seen in public managing a class of preschoolers. I think I’d tell the kindy that you will not participate in field trips or any activity with the children outside of the campus. I honestly don’t know how real the risk is for the FTs, but it is a risk worth avoiding.