Just to let you know that I am currently placed at a school in Keelung via AAC. They have looked after me since day 1, and I can only offer praise to them. I’m aware that there are many dodgy recruiters out there, however for the most part, AAC seem to be doing the right thing by me.
They did explain to me that the working hours are 40 hours per week. This is just to cover themselves. This 40 hours includes 25 teaching hours, and the rest is preparation hours in my case. I usually prepare for my classes at home, and arrive about 15 minutes prior to my classes. I’m sure any good teacher out there realizes that there is class prepartion time involved.
Yes they did take a deposit fee of $24,000 from me spread over 4 months. I’m not too worried about this as I understand they have encounterd considerable expense in settting me up, and it would be very hard for them to recoup these expenses if the teachers disappears overnight.
I now get $56,000 per month for 100 teaching hours. This is because there is also an attendance bonus, and another $3000 bonus as I completed a TESL certifcate course. Also my accommodation is free. Overall, I think I’m on a good deal. Was picked up from the airport, and started working the following week.
I think it’s best to speak with a teacher who currently uses AAC. Get the correct information from the horses mouth. Don’t believe everything you hear, and by the same token, I wouldn’t believe everything a recruiter says. So far, I have no complaints however.
Oh, one more thing - on their website they don’t endorse online degrees as someone mentioned in this column. I found this information at http://www.aacircle.com.au/faq_taiwan.htm.
I think that a company like AAC can have its advantages, depending on what your teaching ability/ nerves are like. It can be daunting not having a job or a place when you arrive in a foreign country, and AAC would help you out there. It seems that Jon is happy with his choice. However, with a bit of courage, and a good pair of shoes, you can find much better money for much less work. I got here 2 months ago (many know what a sad case i have been since then) and i found a job i feel is very good within 6 days. I am at the school 4 hours per day, and teach for just 90 mins of that, about 8 hours per week. I get paid to eat breakfast and lunch, and they even provide the food. Thats for 50 grand per month. No attendance crap, no fees taken away, etc. Just money for work. I am also sure that many others on this forum can tell you they earn more that me…
Just dont worry about the work side of things. Come and eat some chickens feet, thats the real test.
Do you know of the source where it say’s this is illegal? My deposit was used to set myself up in my initial weeks in Taiwan. I understand that they have to protect themselves, because there are irresponsible foreigners out there that use and abuse good schools, and disappear overnight.
I don’t really care because interest rates are pretty low at the moment, and had I come to Taiwan without AAC, I would have had to pay these fees anyhow to set myself up.
The Employment Services Act, I believe. I’ll be prepared to bet the English contract says “withold” and the Chinese contract has words to the effect that the teacher must compensate (賠償 - peichang) the school. The latter would be legal, but the school would have to sue you for the money, they could not withold it.
A legal way to do this would be to execute a separate contract with the overseas recruiter under which the teacher agrees to pay a service fee each month to the recruiter. But this could not be deducted at source by the Taiwan school with which the contract of employment is executed.
This seems to be a half-way house between the bizarre situation where people in Europe and North America pay to teach abroad in places like China and Vietnam, and Taiwan and Korea where the norm is that teaching is a means to earn a (good) living. It is not necessary to pay anyone to find you a job. Indeed some schools here pay agents to find teachers. My school (believe it or not) paid NT$20,000 for me (!)
Many thanks for looking this up for me. All sounds a bit complicated. I can only hope to do the right thing, and hence I’ll be looked after. So far so good…
