A draft published from the Ministry of Education on July 21st has outlined that foreign teachers employed in China will be able to legally seek part-time work opportunities so long as they make their current employer aware.
The foreign teacher, employee and part-time employer will need to sign an agreement. After, this will need to be submitted to the Exit and Entry Administration Department for legal records.
Note: the accumulative teaching hours in the part-time work cannot exceed the number of teaching hours that is contracted by their existing employer.
So far so good – What other differences come with legal part-time work?
The draft announcement is a joint liaison by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and Public Security and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These efforts are to improve the legal system and regulation of foreign teachers.
The State Council aim to launch a national and comprehensive platform for foreign teachers. This platform will establish a foreign credit system to reward good teachers. Conversely, to monitor, deal with and dismiss teachers who commit crimes whilst employed in a timely matter.
Crimes listed that will be grounds for dismissal include drugs, sexually assaulting/abusing minors and sexually harassing students. Not to mention, other serious violations of China’s customs, ethics, and codes of conduct.
However, the list for grounds for dismal also contains more patriotic lines. One outlines ‘harming China’s national sovereignty, security, honour, or public interests and engaging in religious education or preaching illegally’.
Another point of interest is that the education institution will be responsible to provide a minimum of 20 training sessions. Used to teach foreign educators of China’s laws, morality and the ‘current state of the country’. Interviews of foreign teachers conducted by Sixth Tone highlight a UK teacher’s concern about the new regulations. They highlight the 20 hours training to ‘learn the obvious’ would deter foreign teachers. Conversely, another teacher believes the draft is positive as it will prevent schools from taking advantage and hiring unqualified teachers.
Until Aug 21st, public feedback is welcome for the new regulations, including allowing foreign teachers, legally, take on extra part-time work. After this, authorities can revise the draft before formally adopting it.
Read more on who can currently and how to return to China.
Sources: Xinhua, GIC, China.org, WioNews, Sixthtone.
Are the students in the picture from Mianyang? Only asking because that really looks like a class I taught