Public School ESL Jobs in China

Public school employment in China are well-known for being among the lowest-paid ESL careers available, despite the fact that the special perks of these roles are enormous, therefore they may be highly enticing all things considered. With decentralized education, China allows public schools considerable leeway in completing the pre-set curriculum: effectively, every school must reach X by the end of the school year — how they do so is mainly up to them. That means your work will be much easier: with every school having its own system, there won't be much space for 'off-the-beaten-path' tactics at public schools in China. As a result, all you have to do is follow it. If you like having your work organized and according to the school's structure, this is the job for you.

When it comes to public schools in China, there are two options:

Elementary schools — children aged 5 to 10 years old

Middle schools — students aged 11 to 13

High school students range in age from 14 to 18 years old.

In China, public school teaching semesters are as follows:

From September through January,

From March through July

What distinguishes public school positions in China?

With a working schedule ranging from 8.30am to 4.30pm, you can look forward to nights and weekends off, something TEFL foreigners working in training centers can only dream of. You'll also have all school holidays off, and you can look forward to a relaxed and stress-free working environment where class preparation won't consume much of your spare time. In public school positions, you will still be able to add your own activities and games, albeit your choices will be limited compared to those in private schools.

What is it like to teach in China's public schools?

Classes at Chinese public schools are famously enormous, and if you've never taught a class of 45 pupils before, you'll find it difficult at first. Nonetheless, there are several ways in place to maintain order in the midst of the chaos, such as small group and pair-work during class. You will also be aided by a local teaching assistant, which is critical in primary schools where pupils have little to no understanding of English.

In a public school, you may be expected to work up to 20 hours each week, although this is frequently just half the time. This is because you may not be the student's primary English instructors. Typically, a local teacher will teach the majority of the English sessions, with you going in for a few classes each week to polish up their comprehension abilities — basically, you'll provide practice while the local instructors lay down the grammatical ground rules. So, although your pay will surely be lower than that of private schools or training centers, you can understand how appealing public-school positions might be in China. Lower working hours may more than compensate for a lack of huge cash, not to mention the fact that you won't be expected to do any office work — you can prepare your lessons at home and simply come there to hold them. Overall, this equates to working roughly half of the year, which is a fairly good bargain.

There is a high need for ESL instructors in China's public schools, making these positions among of the simplest to get. You'll still need a Bachelor's degree and a TEFL certificate, but given the rather rigorous curriculum structure in place, certain roles may not need significant teaching experience.

One of the primary disadvantages of working in China's public schools is the lack of'support' normally provided to international ESL instructors. While in the private sector you may find schools or organizations prepared to help you settle in (from finding an apartment to logistical aid), this is not usually the case with public schools, so you'll have to be a lot more proactive in discovering what you need to know and do on your own.