Language School vs. Secondary School

[helicondelta]

Which one is better?

 

I've been working for a language school for sometime but the evening and weekend work hours are killing me.

 

The salary seems to be about the same. But a secondary school I'm assuming has longer paid holidays. Does anyone know how many days?

 

Not sure if I can do a poll here but I'd like to know your opinion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[allane]

All Thai schools are required to provide a specified number of instructional hours per year.  I taught at four different Thai high schools in three different provinces. Three of these were essentially the same in terms of holidays:   - all of April with possibly a few days of either March, May or both, so 5 - 6 weeks

                - one week in late October, so 9 - 10 days including the weekends and Chulalongkorn Day (Oct.23 

                   Statutory Holiday.)

At one school, we didn't have to return from our long holiday until about June 1, but we had to work a longer workday.

The dates I am giving you are for a normal school year. This year has been affected by Covid - 19, which delayed the start of the school year by 6 -7 weeks. The midterm break has been pushed back to start approx. Nov, 1.  And, I think most schools will be working more or less until Songkran.  Any that are not doing that may have some combination of a longer school day or compulsory Saturday classes.

[phuketsub]

I just turned down an offer to continue working at the local primary school. Just too chaotic, too many kids to control and way too much paperwork. The bottom line was that the needs of the small minority of kids in the classes who actually want to learn are trumped by those who don't. And the underlying bureaucracy doesn't help, even though the Thai teachers' hearts seem to be in the right place.

 

I have the luxury of not having to rely on it financially, so I just put all my effort into teaching small groups of kids at my home, where we have a registered school.

 

Having worked there was good publicity for our school, though.

 

I find it strangely ironic after 30 years of teaching here that now that I have all the tools and wherewithal to be an effective teacher, I am simply unable to deploy them in a government school setting. But it is also a question of energy...

 

I don't know how much any of this will help you in your own decision-making process, as I suspect it really matters most about the specific factors in your case. I wish you the best of luck.

Edited September 22, 2020 by phuketsub

[Neeranam]

I recently gave up a secondary school. I hate teaching kids and Thai teachers.

I was getting the same as a language school would pay me but had block schedules -  only 13 hours a week in the morning or afternoon. I also got 3 months bonus in March. I got 4 months holiday a year plus many extra days. 

Was it worth dealing with all the BS? No. 

[Neeranam]

On 9/21/2020 at 3:58 PM, helicondelta said:

The salary seems to be about the same. But a secondary school I'm assuming has longer paid holidays. Does anyone know how many days?

One year, I counted the actual days I worked - it was 87 days! Works out at about 2500 baht an hour.

Edited October 31, 2020 by Neeranam

[moontang]

Language schools are more likely to have people that wouldn't meet basic requirements to teach in their home countries..criminal records, no degree, etc..  They also tend to have people working illegally.  Not to say there aren't government schools like that, but they aren't nearly as prevalent.  I think a job with decent hours at a Rajabat Uni or similar, where you don't have to be on campus 45 hours per week, would be the ticket.  

 

After seven years here, I am going to start spending half the year in the US.  Will make 3600 THB per day as a Substitute, never attend meetings, and likely be home before 15:00.  Modest by US standards, but easily double what they would pay here, with far fewer hours involved.  Can also drink wine, eat steak, and smoke legally, without any trouble economically or with 5-0.

Edited October 31, 2020 by moontang