Beijing Foreign Teacher Requirements Changed

[gato]

Local regulation has just been issued in Beijing to raise the requirements for foreign teachers. Starting from October 31, language teacher must hold some form of teaching certification and 2 years of related work experience, and non-language teachers will be required to have at least 5 years of related experience.

News article on this attributes the change to the uproar last year around Neal Robinson, an alleged child rapist from the UK who was teaching at a Beijing school.

http://m.guancha.cn/Education/2014_09_15_267102

外籍人员在北京工作门槛提高 受聘外教须有5年执教经历

2014年09月15日

针对北京市外教市场上，外籍教师素质良莠不齐的现状，三部门的《通知》明确，自2014年10月31日起，新申请办理工作许可和工作证件的外籍教师，在学前幼教机构、中小学、国际学校以及各级各类教育培训机构从事教育教学工作的，都应当持有教师资格证书；从事语言教学的，如果没有教师资格证书，那就应取得国际通行的语言教学资格证书，例如TEFL(通用英语教师资格证书)、TESL(第二语言的英语教学资格证书)、TESOL(对外英语教学资格证书)、TKT(剑桥英语教学能力证书)、CELTA(英语语言教师证书)等国际通行的语言教学资格证。

这意味着，“洋外教”不论专职、兼职，以及在任何类型的教育培训类机构执教，都必须持证上岗，北京将从政策上杜绝“会说英文的外国人”到一些培训机构走穴上课的现象。

《通知》明确，外籍人员要来京工作，应同时具备四个条件：

一、身体健康，无犯罪记录，年龄在18到60周岁。

二、要有学士及以上学位和2年及以上的相关工作经历，除语言教师外，外籍教师要具有5年及以上相关工作经历；但如果不具有学士及以上学位、来京承担急需紧缺工种关键技术工艺研发任务的高级技能人才，则应该具有国外技术资格认证。

去年4月，北京警方通报英国人尼尔·罗宾森因涉嫌在华非法居留被北京警方拘留审查。此人在2012年因涉嫌传播淫秽儿童照片和性侵儿童被英国警方通缉，潜逃到中国后竟然在北京某国际学校当上了外教。消息传出，一时间关于外教招聘的漏洞备受关注。

http://www.lostlaowai.com/news/wanted-alleged-uk-child-rapist-found-to-be-working-in-beijing-school/

Wanted alleged UK child rapist found to be working in Beijing school [updated]

APRIL 24 2013

The story of Neil Robinson is spreading through the China blogsphere like wildfire after first appearing as a comment on the China subreddit by a user who stated they’ve known and worked with him for several years at Beijing World Youth Academy, an international school in Beijing.

Robinson is wanted in the UK “in connection with the distribution of indecent images of children and the rape of a child,” according to BBC One Crimewatch site.

[ChTTay]

The 5 years "relevant" experience would be the real killer. Probably ruin most of the English schools in China overnight.

As for the certification, hasn't there always been a rule to this affect? I've got something but it's not an accredited CELTA/TESOL.

[anonymoose]

Tightening of the regulations is bound to happen sooner or later. It's just a pity that a small number of people can accelerate the process and spoil it for everyone else. I'm just glad I did my time when it was still possible straight out of university.

[gato]

It's not totally clear that whether the 5-year experience rule only applies to non-language teachers, or all teachers.

I first thought it would apply to all teachers, but the way it's written, it probably applies only to non-language teachers: "除语言教师外，外籍教师要具有5年及以上相关工作经历".

Since there is a big difference between 2 and 5 years of work experience, I wonder how they will be able to determine who is a language teacher and who is not.

Maybe the certification requirement isn't that big of a change from now.

I am still trying to find the full text of the regulation. It doesn't seem to be on the websites of the three departments that issued the regulation yet.

[Basil]

It means that if you want to teach Physics in Beijing, you need 5 years of experience in the field before you can teach in Beijing.

[zhouhaochen]

I am pretty sure there will be ways found around it - it all depends on how the rules are interpreted at the PSB when issuing the visas. The English language schools here need teachers and they will come. It might make life more difficult though, but I have seen so many "visa crazes" by now where everyone thought nobody can get a visa anymore, but somehow everybody still did, I am pretty sure this will be the case again. Local schools here cannot afford to only hire fully trained experienced English language teachers.

[roddy]

Will be interesting to see what certification they end up insisting on - is a 20-hour cheapo online course going to get through, or do they want a month-long classroom certificate. Makes more sense than just the 'experience, any experience' rule though. Shame they're still cutting out new graduates with TEFL certification - they might not be the best teachers, but there's plenty of them and Beijing could surely find jobs for them. 

[ChTTay]

This is now a story on Thebeijinger

http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2014/09/15/hiring-standards-foreigners-get-tougher-five-years-experience-needed-teachers

[刘慧婷]

Do you think the government would raise the standards in other Chinese cities too? One of my options after graduating was to teach in Beijing but if that's not possible I can consider going to a different city.

[ChTTay]

There would probably be ways around it.

[Simon_CH]

I would be extremely surprised if this was fully implemented, there are few, very few really qualified teachers here in Beijing. The impact would surely be felt in local schools.

Would be interested to hear from teachers on this forum when they confront their schools with this legislation.

[roddy]

刘慧婷, unless you have a couple of years work experience you might struggle to find work anyway. I'd definitely have a Plan B (study Chinese and teach on the side, for example)

[ChTTay]

Yeah most decent int'l schools want at least 2 years experience in your native country anyway... So i hear...

[aone]

Working experience needed for education job in Chinese capital after Oct 31 2014
 

Foreigners who intend to work as teachers in China may face higher thresholds as employers nationwide are expected to copy a Beijing regulation that requires teachers to have previous teaching experience.
 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-09/16/content_18602809.htm

[imron]

merged.

[roddy]

And clipped and link added. Please don't take entire articles without attribution - even if it is just the China Daily. Quote selectively and discuss.