Looking through the job ads, I’ve noticed that all of those mentioning teaching in the public schools seem to be agents. Is it possible (/legal) to be hired directly by a public school? Is it just that they don’t advertise? Thanks for your help.
According to what my friend told me, no. He works in a public school. As well, I have been present at negotiations between a public school and one of my employers. Currently they can’t legally hire foreigners. So instead they hire a local company to provide teachers, and alas if said company has foreigners in their employ what can the public school do but accept them as teachers. I’m not sure how this will change with the government’s attempts to bring foreigners in from overseas, but this is how I understand it for now.
Does anybody know whether this (working at public schools through an agent) is legal? Working through an agent at other (non-public) schools is illegal, since you’d be teaching at a school other than whatever is listed on your ARC/work permit, and if you’re caught it can have consequences, right? Is it somehow different with public schools?
[quote=“Dzhefri”]Does anybody know whether this (working at public schools through an agent) is legal? [/quote] It’s almost certainly illegal.
The Employment Services Act was recently amended to allow “qualified foreign teachers” to teach in public schools. The Ministry will need to issue regulations defining ‘qualified’ before anyone can teach in them legally. I doubt that this will happen in time for the fall semester.
I talked to a bunch of public high schools in Taipei recently and the general consensus was that nobody knew how the hell to go about getting permission to hire anyone. Then there is the matter of how they find the money to pay you.
I have worked in public schools ‘on loan’ from a private school that was borrowing me from a company in another town that had apparently hired me to write text books.
I’ve seen references to this ‘informal’ hiring in the press as if it’s an accepted practise.
[quote=“tmwc”]I talked to a bunch of public high schools in Taipei recently and the general consensus was that nobody knew how the hell to go about getting permission to hire anyone. Then there is the matter of how they find the money to pay you.
[/quote]
No they wouldn’t In Taiwan, most laws designate a ‘competent authority.’ After a law is passed or amended, the competent authority issues a set of implementation rules that cover the nuts and bolts of things like applications and permits.
I seriously doubt the legality of this.
[quote=“tmwc”]
I’ve seen references to this ‘informal’ hiring in the press as if it’s an accepted practise.[/quote]
‘Accepted practice’ and legal are two different things. If the local police or politicos get interested, foreigners who do this may find themselves being held to the letter of the law even if it is “accepted practice.” All I’m saying here is that there is a small but real risk you are running.
The references you have seen to ‘informal’ hiring are probably to private kindies that ‘borrow’ teachers from registered Buxibans. The MOE has said that this is OK. But that is very different from being allowed to teach in the public schools.
No arguments with you there feiren.