Adventures in China

Most jobs in my area of China are still in state run businesses (though it is rapidly rolling over to privately owned businesses) which have an 8 hours a day, 5 days a week schedule.

Private companies, like the school I worked for, demand more time from their employees since they also pay more and the jobs are difficult to get. Everyone in this school works six days a week. A teacher works six days a week and will teach 12 to 20 classes. The classes are all in one subject and usually for one grade. So, there is a fourth grade English teacher who teaches English to all the classes in fourth grade. The teachers spend most of their day in their office and then go to the students' classroom to teach.

In addition to working six days, many teachers will spend the night at school to earn more money. Teachers who do not work at night go home at 6:00. The teachers who stay teach evening classes and then help the students get ready for bed. They get off duty around 10:00, then help the students get ready for school again at 6:00 the next morning. New teachers generally spend 3 nights a week at my school.

This is the schedule of a new teacher. 4,1 means grade four, class one. When she teaches classes 9 and 10, she spends the night at school.

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
Class 1
Class 2		4, 1					4, 3
Class 3
Class 4				4, 3			4, 1
Class 5		4, 2				4, 3	4, 1
Class 6	1, 2	1, 2		1, 2	1, 2	1, 2	4, 3
Class 7		4, 3
Class 8	4, 2	4, 2	4, 2
Class 9				4, 2	1, 2		4, 2
Class 10				4, 2	1, 2		4, 2