Teaching Job Lowballers

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

We've all been hearing about unscrupulous people marking up prices of essential supplies for the Coronavirus, such as masks and hand sanitizer.

 

I've been seeing the exact opposite slowly creeping into Ajarn.com, the famous site many have gone to for teaching jobs in Thailand. There, in the midst of the virus, are some teaching jobs being posted by lowballers.

 

Anyone who's had experience with teaching in Thailand knows that for at least the past five to ten years, 30k baht is the minimum going rate for a Western, native English speaker, with a BA degree in anything, and no teaching experience. If you have anything above these, you should certainly demand higher, and be able to get it.

 

Yet now, in the wake of the virus, are a few ads with wording to this effect: "Come teach with us, out in the provinces away from Bangkok, where you'll be safer from the virus." Using this as their bargaining chip, they're now offering less than 30k.

 

Don't fall for it. Here's your bargaining chip. Thailand's borders are now closed to foreigners. Nobody new's coming in. If they want teachers, they've got to pick from those already here.

 

There's really not that many of us, as just before the virus really hit, there were articles about Thai education officials looking to boost the number of foreign teachers in the country, due to low English test scores.

 

If anything, now you're worth more. Demand it.

[garrya]

Well, right now, when there is no idea whether the school term can start or not, your logic may work.

But the moment when the Covid is gone, tens of thousands of typical backpackers and "gap year" (lazy) students will inundate Thailand to "help" students to be a master of English language. They will be happy to accept whatever is thrown on them because  they are only here to "go to the beach" and may teach in the meantime.

[timendres]

1 hour ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

"Come teach with us, out in the provinces away from Bangkok, where you'll be safer from the virus."

Where there will soon be an explosion of cases due to the exodus of people from Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket, while providing substandard health care with limited ventilators. I would demand double the salary for working in a "high risk zone".

[donnacha]

Even before this crisis, I could not imagine living in Thailand on so little money. What is the point of living abroad if you have to scrimp and save?

I understand that they really love teaching Thai kids, but it seems to me that so many other jobs provide satisfaction without forcing you into penury.

Now, with the crisis, having money in your pocket and a hefty financial buffer is more important than ever.


 

Edited April 4, 2020 by donnacha

[EricTh]

Sorry but I thought the universities and schools are all closed due to the virus?

[TC17]

Well said!  

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Yes, the schools are mostly closed for the foreseeable future, but I've seen posts from some teachers whose schools have now switched them to online teaching through video conferencing. As the virus persists, I expect more schools to follow.

 

Education in Thailand is a cash cow. They're not going to let this get them down. I can see them getting all the kids enrolled regardless, who will then all watch choppy video on their phones at home. Some have already commented on what chaos this is, teachers having to sift through pages of questions flying at them. But it really can't be any more chaotic than what's been in the classrooms thus far. ????

 

On Ajarn.com I've only seen one big agency announce that they can't give a start date due to the virus, the rest are business as usual, looking to hire for the next term, among them the lowballers.

 

The lowballers will still get the full amount per foreign teacher they hire, I haven't heard anything about the education ministry cutting this number. They're counting on your fear that in this midst of this crisis there'll be scarcity of jobs, or that you need to get out of BKK to escape the virus, and thus you'll take a lower salary, putting the difference in their pockets.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

14 hours ago, EricTh said:

Sorry but I thought the universities and schools are all closed due to the virus?

I got this not long ago. I declined as I've already accepted another offer. Apparently they still plan on hiring teachers despite not knowing if they can open the classrooms, to do online teaching, or other arrangements.

[cyril sneer]

2 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

On Ajarn.com I've only seen one big agency announce that they can't give a start date due to the virus, the rest are business as usual, looking to hire for the next term, among them the lowballers.

I'm not sure all jobs on ajarn are government funded, which could be an influence

 

One of the big agencies advertising without start dates hire teachers to work on an international-style program, which is all funded by payments from parents

[Number 6]

Public schools in Bangkok will pay 42.5k. Upcountry or down any self respecting teacher with more than two years should be making 90% of that. Of course the mercenary agencies are exploiting the situation. This is a time for some to tactfully look for work at good, reputable schools. Not a good time to work for schools seen routinely on ajarn. It's never a good time to work for an agency. If you remain at your current school you will only see incremental pay adjustments you must leave. This is no different than in the US or presumably the rest of the western world. Thai schools are very reluctant to give merit raises even for taking on huge excess work load.

 

[tonray]

When I used to teach high school here....always caught 2 or 3 colds per year from snotty nosed kids drooling over their notebooks and of course when you grab their pencil to correct their papers as you walk around you expose yourself a zillion times a day, I would not be caught dead teaching in the age of Covid-19....until every kid is vaccinated.

[moontang]

The bright side of this is that many of the grey area teachers left while they could, or will be leaving as soon as they can.  The teachers that have hurt wages (NNES, Phils, Eastern Europe, non degreed) have been deservingly, disproportionately affected by this..good riddance.  After all, the ones willing to work for <deleted> wages are the ones most suseptible to visa and/or financial problems, with rare exceptions of the well to do working for a pittance.  The pool of available teachers has shrunk dramatically.  Schools will restart well before the coast is clear for the backpackers to come save the world.  I would play hardball, if at all.  The top item is still their ability to take care of paperwork.  Minibus trip to Laos?  Bwahaha.

[baansgr]

On 4/4/2020 at 9:27 PM, garrya said:

Well, right now, when there is no idea whether the school term can start or not, your logic may work.

But the moment when the Covid is gone, tens of thousands of typical backpackers and "gap year" (lazy) students will inundate Thailand to "help" students to be a master of English language. They will be happy to accept whatever is thrown on them because  they are only here to "go to the beach" and may teach in the meantime.

Then they find that teaching in nakon craphole has no beach or anything to do and leave within a month

[moontang]

11 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Then they find that teaching in nakon craphole has no beach or anything to do and leave within a month

They would probably be making more money in Nakhon Craphole than Chiang Mai, but the younger teachers tend to be insecure and cliquey, making small town life too difficult for them.  Same in rural America..those schools have a difficult time retaining younger teachers.  I have even read of a few killed in auto crashes on their long commutes back to their cliques.