Whats The Policy In Most Schools

[westybrook]

Do teachers get paid when school is closed. All schools do in the UK. I was just wondering how much holiday do students in Thailand have and the main point is, do they get paid, and if so how much, (Full, half or a certain percentage)

Thanks!

[Tyree D.]

First off, you finished a question with a period. Different schools have different policies. Mine pays me. If your's doesn't, sorry.

[westybrook]

Is it common practice for schools to pay teachers when the school is closed for holidays.

Or is it only Thai teachers that gets a salary come school close.

Thanks for the reply Tyree

[Ijustwannateach]

Do teachers get paid when school is closed.  All schools do in the UK.  I was just wondering how much holiday do students in Thailand have and the main point is, do they get paid, and if so how much, (Full, half or a certain percentage)

Thanks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I do not think it is usually policy at most schools for the students to be paid while on holiday.

Each school is different. This is one of those things to make clear during the contract negotiation phase of being hired- and make sure the contract specifies how many months of the year you will get paid. If you don't get a work permit to make the contract legal, however, it won't be worth the paper it's printed on and they can pay you whatever they like, whenever they like.

Amount of holiday also varies, and is another negotiating point. There are two longish periods, one in October and a longer one in April-May, during which there will be no normal classes. Consider using attendance at the inevitable money-spinning "summer camp" as a bargaining chip if necessary to get paid for all the summer holiday; if they're nervous about you pulling a runner why not have a re-sign bonus included paid on the last day of the first month of your second year there?

Beware schools that don't want to discuss details and say "Mai Pen Rai." You're certainly going to "Pen Rai" when they suddenly tell you a week ahead that there's no pay for the 2 months of summer.

"Steven"

[westybrook]

Thanks Steven!

[geronimo]

Do teachers get paid when school is closed.  All schools do in the UK.  I was just wondering how much holiday do students in Thailand have and the main point is, do they get paid, and if so how much, (Full, half or a certain percentage)

Thanks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My experience which covers 15 years in Thai schools - if you're on a salary then you get paid 12 months per year, if you're on an hourly rate then you don't get paid for anything other than the hours you teach (with the exception of school activities that occur within your lessons)

[kenkannif]

^ Good point.

I'd say the majority of lower to middle of the road schools either don't pay for holidays or make you work over the holidays if you do want to get paid. Also if you're on hourly they often don't even need you for the exams (which can mean and extra week or two off).

[Rumpole]

^ Good point.

I'd say the majority of lower to middle of the road schools either don't pay for holidays or make you work over the holidays if you do want to get paid. Also if you're on hourly they often don't even need you for the exams (which can mean and extra week or two off).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bear in mind that most schools in Thailand give very few paid holidays. 8 to 10 days plus national holidays seems to be the norm, even at the so-called universities. The prevailing mentality appears to be that if you are being paid, then you should at least be physically present, even if you're not actually doing anything (like the Thais). You will probably be told that the long inter-semester breaks are for the students, not the teachers, and you will still be required to sign-in every day. Some places may actually go so far as to assign utterly pointless "projects", simply to keep you occupied and on the premises. Yet another reason why I got the h*ll out of there!

Edited August 25, 2005 by Rumpole

[PeaceBlondie]

My first govt. school said up front, and in the written contract, that they wouldn't pay me for October or April, and they didn't. The next govt. school promised to pay me for those months, and they did. It's up to the hiring school, and they need to make it crystal clear. At the end of the 'contract' for the second school, they weren't going to pay me for April at first, until they decided it was in the contract. Which was funny, because there's no evidence that a contract had ever existed.

[westybrook]

I guess what we can learn from this is make it clear from the interview if and how much you will be paid if anything when schools closed!

By the way when are the major break ups in the Thai school calender?

Thanks!

[otherstuff1957]

Most Thai schools have a mid-semester break in October and a summer vacation from mid-March to mid-May.

Most schools give their hourly foreign teachers an UNPAID vacation during those months. They are subsequently often surprized when their teachers find other jobs and don't come back ! Then they will complain about how difficult it is to hold onto good Farang teachers .

[Ijustwannateach]

They often excuse this two ways: the Thai teachers are treated the same, and the farang is paid more. But this ignores the points that:

a. The Thai teachers are NOT in the same market, and

b. The farang has no relatives with a house in the country to go eat rice with for 2 months while waiting for the school year to start again.

"Steven"

[sonong1]

They often excuse this two ways:  the Thai teachers are treated the same, and the farang is paid more.  But this ignores the points that:

a.  The Thai teachers are NOT in the same market, and

b.  The farang has no relatives with a house in the country to go eat rice with for 2 months while waiting for the school year to start again.

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

PB exactly check the contract - operative word being Contract. Contracts are used in many businesses for flexibility, highs and lows of labour requirements,

Apart from the very valid point made by otherstuff1957 why pay for non productive periods.

Ijustwannateach This comment is in very bad taste [The farang has no relatives with a house in the country to go eat rice with for 2 months while waiting for the school year to start again]. I can not believe anyone would actually put this on paper! The Thai teachers are on salary career staff and if we refer back to the input provided by gerinmo:

My experience which covers 15 years in Thai schools - if you're on a salary then you get paid 12 months per year, if you're on an hourly rate then you don't get paid for anything other than the hours you teach (with the exception of school activities that occur within your lessons).

Farangs on salary receive the same treatment as their Thai counterparts.

[Ijustwannateach]

Well, I guess I was hallucinating that year when I was working for a government school and even though I had a contract for 12 months they suddenly told me in March I wouldn't get paid for the summer months, as the Thai teachers wouldn't be getting paid either and would typically go home to stay with their relatives. Or was my department head telling me something in bad taste?

One common mistake I've found people making here in Thailand is assuming that other peoples' experiences will be the same as theirs. Every school is its own little kingdom. My experience is along the same lines as "otherstuff"'s.

"Steven"

[kenkannif]

Yes I'd say most if not all Thai teachers get paid for their holidays. I'd say 50% or less of farang teachers do (for various reasons).