I saw a large article in one of the local newspapers today claiming that legally employed English teachers in Kunming were often "lazy" and "under-qualified". It quoted an "American named Jerry" as saying he had a job as a cleaner in the States, but was now a English teacher in Kunming. Obviously there are a lot of cowboy schools and teachers around, but the paper decided, for some reason, to single out legit teachers employed in legit shools. It's quite a slur on those of us who have lived in Kunming for some years, work hard and are fully-qualified. The Foreign Affairs Department who grant teaching work-visas should feel equally slighted too.

Yes, some of us are very highly qualified. This seems like part of the larger anti-foreign campaign in China right now.

Ocean - you should be so lucky to qualify for a "cowboy" school. In bull riding you probably wouldn't even make it out the gate!

Kunming is not the place for illegal teachers, the pay for you is super low, conditions poor, better you go to another province.

Is the report incorrect? A person can be legally employed but still not qualified as a foreign language teacher.

For the many who are fully qualified and earn their pay (probably twice over), a newspaper campaign highlighting the many flaws in the language training business in Kunming can only be good for schools, teachers, families who pay out enormous sums of money and most importantly, students.

I've not read the article but a properly conducted campaign to raise standards is long overdue and should be applauded.

@nnoble Totally agree.

Actually, there are hundreds of foreign language training schools in Kunming now, but only 32 of them are legally qualified. The others are running without registering nor approval. And according to related laws and regulations, "a qualified foreign teacher should be a native speaker of the language that he/she applies to teach." But the thing in Kunming is lots of foreign teachers don't meet this condition. en.kunming.cn/index/content/2012-06/07/content_2978696.htm

Technically, many of the foreign teachers are employed illegally

If the newspaper were investigating the hundreds of illegal schools/teachers I would have no complaint. Teachers who have the necessary qualifications/experience to get a proper teaching work visa and work at a legit school are the wrong target. (Incidentally, it's interesting that the article names two legit schools who do not advertise in the paper, but none of the legit schools that do advertise there....).

i 've also read a related article about this problem this morning. first, i agree with what nnoble said above. of course, There are several hundreds foreign language training schools in Kunming now, which lies a booming job market to foreigners.

facing so many training schools, how to choose a proper one and what the standard of a legal and qualified foreign teacher?