Foreign English tutors in China: Not always qualified

Editor's note: To meet the soaring demand for English language learning, many training centers with foreign teachers have popped up across the country in recent years. But the fact that most foreign teachers recruited do not possess the necessary qualifications, or some even have criminal records, has caused concern among parents. Forum readers share their opinions.

pignut (Expat in China)

I have a PhD and am currently teaching science. I have taught English in the past. The problem is a lack of qualified applicants. I have noticed that Chinese schools are, in practice, prepared to take people far less well qualified than they should (or maybe to turn a blind eye to possibly fake resumes). IMO, wages for teaching in China are OK when things like free accommodation, school meals and the relatively low cost of living in China are factored in. In the west I have worked for higher wages, in more prestigious jobs and been poorer, in real terms. However the wages are still not attracting the right applicants to come here to work.