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Q: Payment of Foreign Teachers at British Columbia Ministry of Education Certified Schools
I was a teacher at the Mianyang Foreign Languages School in Sichuan Province of the People's Republic of China. I was discharged after 30 days. I received no salary, severance, or travel reimbursement. Do you support not paying discharged foreign teachers at British Columbia Ministry of Education certified schools?
10 years 23 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - China
If you had a legal 'Z' visa and RP, plus a contract stating hours and conditions, contact SAFEA outling this to them clearly. If you are not here on a legal 'Z', you are unlikely to get anything. Of course, it also depends on the reason you were discharged: was it for a valid reason?
Sam_C:
Thank you, I will make no effort to collect any money on the contract. I do appreciate advice. I cannnot answer on a valid reason. I was fired for not following British Columbia Ministry of Education policy and procedures. I refused to allow the children to be beaten. I refused to violate the privacy of the head of the program who had disappeared at the end of the first week. I refused to tell anyone the teacher was sick and would be back in a month. I refused to change an assessment of the abilities of one child. I refused to work without a contract and operate in way not in compliance with Chinese law and Chinese school policy and procedure, including allowing a teacher to deliver instruction because the police check-in had not be accomplished. I refused a promotion to program director. They also said I did not follow a schedule. I was given no orientation and we had operated a number of weeks without it. I was quite please there was some kind of schedule as it was the first evidence of any kind of curriculum. I implemented it immediately but it was very important to the British Columbia Ministry of Education that I be held of accountable for not implementing the unknown schedule. I said goodbye to one Chinese teacher the day before my last teaching day as I had no contract and was leaving the next day. I was also told I was rude and was the source of the general impression of the program. In summary, the kitchen sink, I was personally responsible for all the troubles in the world. Which my final violation of British Columbia Ministry of Education policy and procedure, I did not agree with that conclusion.
I certainly did not follow the British Columbia Ministry of Education policies and procedure. Whether this is a dischargeable offense, who knows as I was only given a contract the day before my last day of teaching and have no reason to read it. I think it is safe to assume it would be. I am quite happy I was fired. Do you support not paying discharged foreign teachers at British Columbis Ministry of Education certified schools?
I am not sure on this point but somehow somehow I believe that in Sichuan there is a thirty-day probationary period for new teachers. A new teacher can be discharged without cause and without recourse during this period.
Simply cut your losses and move on. For the record Mianyang Foreign Language School is actually not such a bad place -- there are a lot worse.
Rin:
That would suck though,spending a lot of money to get here, leaving your old life behind, then essentially working here free for a month before getting told to go home. 
Sam_C:
Thank you, can you answer the question - do you support not paying foreign teachers at British Columbia Ministry of Education certified schools?
How do you know your school is/was a British Columbia Ministry of Education certified school? A framed "certificate" on the wall? Print matter with stock photos and quotes from "real people" representing the school and the BC M of Edu?
I have seen so many cheap, bogus certificates in schools around China that link a wannabe school with a reputable certification board or fancy private school overseas that it really aches my heart.
You, my dear man, were hoodwinked. Move on.
Sam_C:
Thank you, can you answer the question. Do you support not paying foreign teachers at British Columbia Ministry of Education certified schools?
Red_Fox:
Hi Sam! I suppose I didn't answer the question in the first go. So, here goes.
In general, I support no school or business which fails to pay its employees.
You got screwed. Plain and simple. Better luck next time.
You are purposefully not telling the full story. So I can safely assume you were the problem. And they handled your dismissal according to your contract. "Severance?" , Are you serious?
Z visa or nothing. Anything else and you assume your own risk.
There are a lot of shady recruiters here, and I would not recommend using them. Most of them refuse to get you the Z visa.
Sam_C:
Thank you, can you answer the question - do you support not paying discharged foreign teachers at British Columbia Ministry of Education certified schools?
Hulk:
If you work, you deserve to be paid. That's what I've always believed.
You got duped by someone named "Sandy," or some variant of an "S" name, didn't you? "She" tried to get me to go to that school in Mianyang last year, but everything "she" did and said was 100% shady, including last-minute city changes. No way I'm going to trust her.
I understand the OP's complaint.
However, I find his very, very same story on every expat forum that I come across. Now that's over-saturation for a fact.
For what reason do you ask forum members if they support your nonpayment? To what end?
