Sorry, it wouldn’t really make sense to argue that if most schools are paying more than they’re the ones who are out of sync with the market. After all, its the Chinese who are in charge of 99% of those schools, they’re the ones who set the wage, which is according to what their perceived value is.
Yeah, let the Taiwanese government put a cap on the pay of all foreign teachers, so Hess can compete better, and watch teachers make a great exodus out of the bushibans for better paying privates and jobs overseas in other countries. You don’t really sound like a native english speaking teacher when you say this. You’re not, are you?, because it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to want to cap your own salary.
No, What I am actually saying is that there are so many english teachers in Taiwan that teachers can’t expect too much for their wages. Wages are based on the demand and supply of teachers. Therefore if there are more teachers it is logical to say the pay will be less.
Of course I would love to be getting payed 1000NTD per hour, but you can’t expect big pay when there are loads of teachers here.
The maximum you can get, with the exception of a couple of schools ins 600NTD per hour.
That’s a fact. And usually to get these jobs you need to know somebody.
I haven’t looked for a job like this, cause I am quite content where I am.
I am a native english speaker, I have been in taiwan for quite a while, I am explaining the way things are, and not the way I would like them to be.
So you are only in Taiwan for the money ???
No, the NT$20,000 penalty doesn’t make teachers stop to think about their quitting Hess. It stops them period, because you need it because the majority of teachers at Hess would quit when they figure out how you take them for a ride. Think about it:
80 hrs a month * NT$500 = NT$40,000 -20% for taxes = NT$32,000
20% tax for the first 183 days in the tax year, after that it is 10%
Now lets see
80hrs*500 = 40000
Tax@10% = 4000
= NTD 36000
Go to another school where you might get 600 per hour
80*600 = 48000
Tax@10% = 4800
= NTD 43200
Surely you must realise that most teachers teach kindergarten also or have privates, and this is where the money comes from.
and then minus NT$20,000 penalty means not enough money for the rest of the month,
If you are living hand to mouth in Taiwan, maybe you should get some privates or something, to boost your income. I know some teachers who teach in schools who are making a lot of money outside the school. As I said before this is where the big bucks come from private students etc… I know teachers adding 50000NTD to their wages every month this way…
unless the teacher has really planned for it, can get Hess to fire him/her (and have a job in waiting) or just not pay it (as said before, nobody would force you too, its not profitable to sue in Taiwan for this amount of money).
If you really want to quit you will quit…regardless of the money…
As for buttercup’s statement, no the predominant rant isn’t about money, its just that money is easily measured. No, the teachers are not fleecing the Taiwanese. They’re not responsible for setting the wages they make, its the Taiwanese who set the demand in the market. You’re both ignoring some of the horror stories that have been posted on this site to suit your own positions.
And how much money would you get for teaching somewhere else in some other country?
And its about money, isn’t it always?? give people enough and they have nothing to complain about.
I am not ignoring the horror stories, there are horror stories out there. Its just people have got to get things in prospective.
If you are working in a school and you feel like you are not getting what you deserve, it serves no purpose to attack all around you. And it is also unfair for a couple of people to attempt to paint a picture of somewhere or some school based solely on their experiences.
And that’s really unfair for both of you to infer that most teachers fall below par. If that’s what you think of your colleagues, I can really understand why there are so many negative comments about the place where you work, and its the owners of the school that are ultimately responsible for teaching and teacher quality.
I will just say this about teachers in taiwan. My friend who has been teaching here for 12 years told me that english teachers have gained a reputation over the time he has been here. They have improved alot from the time they would go AWOL and jump ship for better money or to travel around Asia.
And this use to happen with teachers from alot of different schools.
I am not saying my colleagues fall below par. I am saying, you cannot ask for alot of pay for a job you never have done before.
Sounds like you all lose this round again.
Why, do you think this is some sort of competition or something ?
Oh!! you win this one and I win this one.
I am just explaining the way things are.
P.S. This is how you spell “loose”