In the past two years, the teaching industry in China has gone through a few major shakeups altering the future and approach teachers and teaching employers will have to undertake. From COVID-19 to the clamping down on private tutoring, teaching in China has its challenges ahead but fortunately, the future is not shrouded in uncertainty.
COVID-19
COVID-19 has changed the way we live all across the world. The teaching industry was no exception. Since the pandemic, more teaching classes have gone online to reduce face-to-face interaction and slow down the spread of the virus. With online teaching readily available, remote teaching has become more accessible, stepping up in tandem with the demand for English classes in China for both children and adults.
With proper measures and containment, most schools have resumed pre-pandemic ‘normal’. However, since 28 March 2020, China has implemented a travel ban to restrict the entrance of visitors and the spread of the virus. A large number of visas that had previously enjoyed flexible entry and exit in and out of China has been temporarily suspended in order to constrict the movement of new and potential viral transmission.
To enter China under necessary trade and commercial activities, visitors will have to apply for a special visa and receive an invitation into the country. If you are applying as a foreign teacher on a Z visa, the PU letter is relevant to you.
A PU letter is an invitation issued to you based on the job application with a China-based company or entity. The PU letter is an additional requirement for foreigners with permission to enter China with a valid visa. With the strict guidelines in place, PU letters are approved in limited quantities and specially reserved for important employees or coveted talents who can benefit China on several fronts such as technological and scientific developments, necessary trade and economical activities, or urgent humanitarian aid.
Due to the pandemic, teaching jobs in China have shrunk due to the imposition on travelers and visitors. At the moment, there is only a slim opportunity for new teaching jobs in China and as a new teacher planning to enter China, your plans may have to accommodate new visa requirements.
Nonetheless, new teachers should consider being inoculated with a Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccine such as Sinovac and Sinopharm for an easier visa application. From 15 March 2021 onwards, China resumed processing visas for foreigners and the PU letter requirement is no longer required if the visa applicant has received a Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccine.
Clampdown on Private Tuition
Apart from restrictions from external talents, China is also looking to adjust the approach to children’s education and place more focus on holistic schooling, shrinking the number of teaching jobs in China open to foreign English teachers.
In July 2021, the Chinese government rolled out new legislation aimed to reduce the pressure among school children and their parents, and overhaul the private tuition sector which has been deemed as “hijacked by capital”.
In an effort to increase birth rates, China’s children policy has increased from two to three. Many parents have voiced their concerns over raising children due to the sheer competitive education culture. Parents want a bright future for their children which involves acing examinations in order to enter a prestigious university that employers will recognize. As a result, children are sent for all sorts of extracurricular classes to not only keep up but to have a head start from the school curriculum.
Parents and children feel equally pressured to do well academically which created a boiler room environment. Moreover, parents may go over and beyond their financial limit just to enroll their children in more private classes.
Private tuition centers benefited from this competitive culture and the industry was once valued at a staggering U$120 billion. However, with the new legislation, the Chinese government is looking to put a stop to the highly competitive culture and the private tuition industry that has enabled it further.
For a start, companies teaching school curriculum must change their status to a non-profit organization, and can longer work towards becoming public listed or raising capital. No more new licenses for private tuition teaching academic curriculum will be issued.
This shrinks teaching opportunities even further as private institutions are forced to pivot and adapt or succumb to closure. English teachers teaching remotely are the most affected as layoffs are in the throngs.
As an existing teacher in China, teaching jobs in China for adults can be the next employment journey as there is no impact on private tutoring for adults. If you have another skill such as music, or sports, these extracurricular activities are not affected and can still be conducted in English. Teaching in China may include more non-academic subjects in the future for teaching English.
Underground Teaching Market
While the effects of the legislation have not fully materialized, during this interim period, parents, in the short term, are likely to seek and secure online direct tutors via VPNs to access blocked sites in China such as Google, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
For now, demand for private tuition for school curricula has been driven underground. However, this is likely not a permanent trend as the Government is intent on making this change. It would be unwise to rely on this tapering demand in the long run.
Beyond Today
Beyond all these adjustments, teaching jobs in China are under more scrutiny in the next few years with the government stepping in to make radical changes coupled with COVID-19 related requirements. As an existing teacher in China, your next move may be hinging on your additional skills or entering into a new space of teaching adults. As a new teacher, unfortunately, the prospects may not look super bright but if your skillset lies within non-academic subjects, job applications may have a better outcome.
Take this period to upskill and work on any outstanding TESL requirements so as to be ready for the next wave of opportunities.