I’ve been in the public school system for the last 4 years, it’s been an interesting mix. But I’ve built a reasonably successful side gig translating and while I’d like to completely put my focus on that, I still need a visa till I can apply for my APRC in late 2024.
In August I’ll be moving to Taipei and have been considering trying a Buxiban to get more free time to focus on my sidegig. This is possible in some public schools but it’s really all about luck of the draw (some schools really micromanage, some give you a lot of free time etc).
I’ve no experience of Buxibans but from what I’ve been reading and hearing, it’s quite a lot of work / hours to get the salary to meet the APRC requirements and might just end up being more teaching than in a public school? Again it’s all luck of the draw, right?
It all depends on the individual branch and the attitude and expectations of the owner or manager. Some buxiban’s will be a train wreck: bad vibe among the teachers, unhappy kids, expectation of large amounts of unpaid overtime and preparation. However, if you can find the school, buxiban’s can be a great option for someone who wants enough time to do their side gig. An ideal buxiban job might be something like this: hourly pay rather than a fixed full time position and little in the way of preparation, marking, etc. Even if the hourly rate is not very high, say 630 per hour, as long as there’s not a great deal of unpaid prep it’s a good option, much better than full time public school teaching. 20 hours a week at 630 would give you just over 50k a month, with lots of time to focus on your side gig. You need the visa so it might be a bit more difficult to find a buxiban willing to guarantee you the minimum weekly hours while paying an hourly rate (as opposed to a fixed full time contract), but some will.
So the ideal position would be hourly pay, low prep, sufficient hours, low prep. This would be better option than public school teaching. If you’re comparing a full time buxiban position with monthly wage vs full time public school teaching, again it depends on the individual buxiban: sometimes the buxiban option is better, sometimes worse.
Thanks for that great insight. I’ll keep that in mind when I start asking around. Just out of curiousity, I don’t suppose you know how the APRC final year salary is calculated do you?