Hi all forum members

I am thinking about moving to Kunming to work for a training school as it is something I would like to try and so far tick all the boxes for being eligible to teach. Now my next step is to try and find a good school which treats teachers well and has a good reputation in regards of teaching English.

I have researched and read a few articles about the good and bad schools which is why I am on this forum. Also I do realise that in reality this is China and I am aware there will be challenges no matter how western the school may be perceived as.

I would really appreciate it if anyone could recommend reputable training schools in Kunming which offer good teaching English positions and decent incentives for a native speaker.

Feel free to either PM me or add your 2 cents about training schools and living in Kunming thank you.

There are far too many bad schools and too few 'good' schools. Even the ones that are good is based on in the eye of the beholder. Here's a few to stay away from:
Henderson (bad) Haina (bad) They don't pay well considering it's 2013 and prices for everything has gone up.

@Delibeli,
You summed it up perfectly, TIC.
If you accept that you are just a cash cow, and the management will think that they own you, then you are in the right frame of mind to get by.

We used to have an expression in the Army, 'At the end of the day, they can't shoot you, and can't make you pregnant'.
I know that is totally un-PC, but TIC yay!

@DeliBeli How are you defining "training school"? Do you mean a private language school, or something more/different?

Hi thank you for your responses so far and Ocean I define training schools as a private language school and currently the ones I have seen advertising jobs include, Shane English, New Oriental, EF and Web International.

I do not know of these training centres nor know of anyone who works for one which is why I ventured upon coming onto this forum to get some insight.

Keep the info coming it is much appreciated

I think all of those you listed are franchised outfits. This means a lot depends on the franchisee, and how desperate for money, or greedy, they are.
Individual schools listed may have a bad rap in one city, and good in the next. A lot also has to do with the Director of Studies at the school. The DOS is a glorified title for senior teacher. A good DOS will act as a buffer between the foreign teachers and the local management/owners. A bad DOS will be the management's dog. When you speak to the DOS, how you feel will have a lot to do with how you will fit in.
At the end of the day, althought franchises are crap, they get you in-country with flights, give you experience if you are new to the game, provide the opportunity to look for better work in your second year.

yeah but i think what's the 'better work' is what he's asking.

i think he wants to bypass the initial 'employer from hell' and 'dog DOS' experience(s) and go straight to the 'better work'.

can someone recommend a DOS that isn't a dog please?

sometimes you can tell the job is bad news just from the wording of the job ad.

also, you can ask to speak to teachers who are working at the school during the interview, or a teacher who has worked there.

In adddition to Shane, New Oriental, etc you can add Robert's School. It's not a franchise, but is one of the longest established (11 years) and largest (4000+ sts) schools in Kunming. It's owned and run by an English guy and his Chinese wife. High quality education is seen as more important than straight profit. We have some 10 foreign teachers, including myself, and 40+ chinese teachers. I've worked there over 6 years, very happily [@abc I'm that DOS who isn't a dog!]. We seldom advertise for foreign teachers as our reputation means we usually get more applicants than we need. PM me if you'd like more info or to apply.

[@abc I'm that DOS who isn't a dog!].

ha ha :)

We seldom advertise for foreign teachers as our reputation means we usually get more applicants than we need.

I was going to point out that if a school is constantly advertising, especially needing teachers urgently, this is usually a sign of problems and high turnover.