Rajabhat 'uni'

[3stan]

Has anyone taught at a Rajabhat 'Uni/institute' before? What was it like?

Thanks

[sriracha john]

Giving up on Sriracha so soon??

[3stan]

hihi..

i'm teaching at success right now but they only offer part time work ( evening classes), plus, as you know, they don't provide work permit and visa...i'm getting a little (ok, really) tired of making those visa runs. I like sri racha and don't really want to move away from here, but the job opportunities are kind of limited around here ( knowing that i only want to teach adults)..So yeah, i'm looking into other possibilities now..

[sriracha john]

hihi..

i'm teaching at success right now but they only offer part time work ( evening classes), plus, as you know, they don't provide work permit and visa...i'm getting a little (ok, really) tired of making those visa runs. I like sri racha and don't really want to move away from here, but the job opportunities are kind of limited around here ( knowing that i only want to teach adults)..So yeah, i'm looking into other possibilities now..

Yes, that's been the normal practice at Success Language School for over 5 years now (no full-time work, no work permit, low hourly wages). I've seen countless people come and go after a few months there. As late as 2005, he was paying teachers 250 baht an hour and raking in thousands off of his students. I remember one very new and very naive Canadian who had accepted a full-time postion with them, which surprised me as that was unusual... until I found out it was for an astounding 8,000 baht per month!! I talked to him and explained how he was being misused and abused by them and he quit there the following week.

Good luck on your search for better employment. The Canadian eventually did; he was extremely happy as it was actually even in his studied field, computer technology, and at his 45K salary.

[3stan]

Thanks John.

Actually, success now pays 450/hour, which isn't bad. The main issue about working overthere (outside not getting enough hours and no work permit) is their total lack of organisation..

If i do find a position outside si racha, i'll probably keep my place for week end get aways..

[Neeranam]

Yeah - it was OK as a first job in Thailand. The money was terrible. If you do it, make sure you only have to be there for the hours you teach, while making extra outside. 200 baht an hour overtime - what a joke. Never work in a uni. for less than 700 an hour, if you are a qualified, experienced, white teacher.

[3stan]

Ok Neeranam, Thanks.

They offer 28000 bahts/month for 16 teaching hours/week (and i allready told them how i'd like to be free to leave outside teaching hours, they said it was 'negotiable'). How does that sound?

My only qualifications are a B.A and a TEFL certficate. I don't think i'm qualified enough to teach at a 'real' Uni.

[PeaceBlondie]

I never worked at a private language school, but the three where I applied were obviously not going to give a work permit to a part-timer, and two of those schools weren't paying enough. Aren't language schools limited to one work permit per classroom, or something like that?

Rajabats sound okay for full time work, if you can come and go, or if you can do private lessons at school.

[sriracha john]

I never worked at a private language school, but the three where I applied were obviously not going to give a work permit to a part-timer, and two of those schools weren't paying enough. Aren't language schools limited to one work permit per classroom, or something like that?

Rajabats sound okay for full time work, if you can come and go, or if you can do private lessons at school.

Unless there's been some change in the past 6 years, Success Language Center has only one work permit... that of it's American owner... a rather unsavory character with questionable ethics and unsettling views on criminality.

I've never known a teacher to obtain one from there and I've never encountered an adult student who has had positive statements about the place.

Other than those factors... it's a fine establishment.

[3stan]

wow..that's harsh John!

The staff is friendly, as well as the american owner (outside the fact that he never returns his phone calls, promises a lot but fails to deliver..beyond carelessness, i'd call it plain disrespect)

Yeah, i have to say that ,overall, my experience overthere has not been very positive (so far)...

[3stan]

Thanks for the input Peaceblondie.

Has anyone else experienced teaching at a Rajabat uni.?

[sriracha john]

wow..that's harsh John!

The staff is friendly, as well as the american owner (outside the fact that he never returns his phone calls, promises a lot but fails to deliver..beyond carelessness, i'd call it plain disrespect)

Yeah, i have to say that ,overall, my experience overthere has not been very positive (so far)...

sorry if it sounded harsh... just that over a long period of time, one acquires quite a lot of information... your negative experiences are minor compared to what some others have experienced.

I'm sorry I didn't know that that was where you were going when you arrived in Sriracha... I would have steered you away from it.

[3stan]

..well, success is a 5min walk from my place, and again, for corporate/adult teaching, there ain't that many options..it's either success or ecc..hence my decision to start looking elsewhere (meaning outside chonburi province)

[sriracha john]

That's entirely understandable.

Indeed, Sriracha is really limited and practically speaking is no place to secure a well-paying job as a teacher.

I wish you good luck in your continued search.

[Neeranam]

Buy a few Business English books and sell courses to all the large oil companies. Man, there's so much work around there - don't work for a crappy language school unless just arriving in Thailand and new to teaching.

[mbkudu]

don't work for a crappy language school unless just arriving in Thailand and new to teaching.

Wise words. I feel nauseous just walking by them.

[3stan]

Buy a few Business English books and sell courses to all the large oil companies. Man, there's so much work around there - don't work for a crappy language school unless just arriving in Thailand and new to teaching.

..not that easy i'm afraid. You'd have to build up a reputation first etc.. Big companies (like the ones in eastern seaboard) prefer to work with established language schools. But yeah, trust me, i'd rather not have to deal with farang middlemen and language schools in general, and i'll try to avoid them in the futur. I'd rather deal directly with thai staff (which is the case for the 2 interviews i have lined up).

[the swagman]

Ok Neeranam, Thanks.

They offer 28000 bahts/month for 16 teaching hours/week (and i allready told them how i'd like to be free to leave outside teaching hours, they said it was 'negotiable'). How does that sound?

My only qualifications are a B.A and a TEFL certficate. I don't think i'm qualified enough to teach at a 'real' Uni.

Rajapats are 'real' unis.

They were upgraded quite afew years ago as an alternative to the students who missed out on the govt uni positions.

Because of that the students are a little less studious yet no less intelligent. In any of the 'real' unis you still get the good classes and the bad.

Rajapats all over the country pay the same, as do government unis all over the country.

One of the benefits of teaching at a university is the built in respect (warranted or not) that you get from working at a uni. If you are looking for outside work, it is easier to come by. Companies and organisations tend to assume that because you work at a uni then you are a good teacher.

We all know that is a lot of bunk. As we also know that it doesn't matter how many qualifications you have it still won't make you a good teacher.

[the swagman]

Buy a few Business English books and sell courses to all the large oil companies. Man, there's so much work around there - don't work for a crappy language school unless just arriving in Thailand and new to teaching.

..not that easy i'm afraid. You'd have to build up a reputation first etc.. Big companies (like the ones in eastern seaboard) prefer to work with established language schools.

Too true.

You have to pay your dues.

[paully]

Rajabhats and government universities can be a good option if time is important to you. Many (but not all) allow you to leave campus as soon as you've done your teaching hours plus a few 'office' hours. So this give you the option of fitting in evening work and outside work if you can arrange it - and you'll need to given the low basic salary. Some places also have some lucrative outside work: my old uni had work at 1,000 baht or 800 baht per hour, but not all year round.

[Loaded]

A few years ago the Raj in Chiang Mai were asking for a Masters for their f-t positions. Might have changed now.

[adjan jb]

A few years ago the Raj in Chiang Mai were asking for a Masters for their f-t positions. Might have changed now.

You can work at Rajabhat CM with a BA (25 000 b/month) or a MA (30 or 35 000 b/month) or a phd (40-50 000 b/month).

Pay rises (3 to 5 %) are based on an evaluation by the faculty and the students.

There are about 40 Raj universities all over the country but as far as I know the salaries are not the same. Some pay for visa and WP, some don't (Raj CM don't !).

The work load is 12 or 15 hours a week (4 or 5 courses). Farang teachers don't do any administrative work.

There's no position available at CM this term.

Hope this helps.

[3stan]

Thanks for the posts guys.

Ok, they offered me the job (after a long interview + having to demonstrate my superior teaching skills (hihi : ) in front of a a small commitee). They'd like me to start immediatly. They pay for WP . Salary is 27020 bahts/month. 15 contract hours. I made it clear that i didn't really want to stick around outside my teaching hours.

I have one more interview tomorow at an other uni/college (that pays even less)..we''ll see. i'll keep you posted.

[3stan]

..tomorrow

[wangsuda]

I worked at Rajabhat Suan Dusit a couple of years ago. Yes, the pay was low, but I only had12 contact hours a week, and they took care of all my visa and work permit issues. I really can't complain about them.

[Ijustwannateach]

Did you leave for better money, or better location, then?

[wangsuda]

I left for better money. Of course, better money came attached with more hours and more prep. Oh well. As far as location, I lived only a five minute walk from my Raj, so the location was great.

*SIGH* A slave to the baht - that's what I am!