Ask Headmaster Ken

Greetings, I have been reading over the forums and will be reading the guide book as well.

I am a father of a HS Junior. I sent him to China on an EF Tour and he loved the experience. He is an excellent student with outstanding grades (top 7% in the State). He is studying IB and AP classes, one of which is Chinese Studies. His passions are physics, astrophysics, and music. I have no doubt that he will be accepted into one of the prestigious universities here in the USA.

His teachers at his high school are encouraging him to go to China and teach English straight out of HS without any experience or qualifications. This would postpone his college attendance for a year.

My concerns are several. Firstly, I feel that he should instead opt for a foreign exchange program through whatever university he decides to attend. Also, it seems to me that the schools who would be hiring people without any experience or credentials are probably not very reputable, and, in reality, he wouldn't get reimbursement for relocating there let alone coming back home. So naturally, given the low pay, he might not even make enough in one year to cover his overall expenses.

Additionally, I feel that if he were to delay his college education it would not fare well for him with scholarships and funding (with a few exceptions, if he is accepted into their programs).

His mother (my ex-wife) and I have tried discussing and educating him on the subject, but his stubbornness in this regard is cause for alarm. It seems as though he wants to do this at any cost, and I am wondering if this is speaking to a larger issue that we are unable to pinpoint.

We have convinced him to, at the very least, apply for several college programs first, and then once accepted, apply for deferment of admissions for one year. This seemed to appease all parties.

Perhaps this is not the place for this question, but I am very concerned about the obvious corruption and abuse exhibited by the schools that would be hiring someone with his nonexistent qualifications.

Please, advise.

Many thanks,

David

I am in state of total disbelief that any responsible high school teacher would advise a promising prospective college student to postpone college to teach oral English in China. I just can’t believe it. This advice is both academically and vocationally irresponsible and even destructive.

The time your son spends in China teaching oral English will not help his application for admission any more than time spent in an overseas resort (or prison) would. No U.S. university admissions committee will view this period as anything more than having atypically taken time off from his studies: World travel looks a lot better when taken between undergraduate and graduate schools than it does directly after high school. From a strategic point of view, in terms of getting into the best university one can, taking time off to teach English in China before applying to universities is incredibly self-destructive.

All your concerns are entirely founded for the very reasons you mentioned. The only teaching jobs available to an 18-year old high school graduate are Christian missionary and other volunteer types of positions that would just barely pay enough of a subsidy for your son to survive on—forget about saving any money.

If you son is determined to work in China, that’s fine but he should do it the right way—in a way that doesn’t ruin his life. Tell him to finish his undergraduate and graduate school education and then to start looking for an American company that has a business presence in China. Once he is known to the company, he can apply for a transfer to China.

If your son really has his heart set on teaching in China, that's also fine but, please, make certain he does so not as a lay oral English teacher but as a certified educator with all the proper credentials. In this way, he can seek high-paying and professionally rewarding jobs at international schools and even be competitive for positions in Hong Kong.

The only real way to earn money in China as a foreigner (aside from owning a business together with a Chinese spouse) is either on sabbatical (such that one is still drawing a salary from the home university) or as a Western-owned company employee who is not only receiving his regular salary but “combat pay” as well.

I know that Headmaster Ken as a private school owner will also have something to add about this as well.

Please, David, do whatever you can to prevent your son from making what will undoubtedly be the biggest mistake of his life thus far.

If your son has any doubts about the validity of what I've written, have him contact me directly by e-mail.

I could not agree more with Dr. Greg.

As a school owner I would NEVER consider hiring a high school graduate.

The very notion of a talented high school senior with a promising academic career lined up delaying entry to college to teach in China is utterly outrageous.

Beyond the obvious academic setback, China has other hooks that can set back the lives of those lacking the judgment and maturity of an adult.

I could not be more opposed to this idea.

Your son is fortunate that he has a caring father who is working to save him from a mistake he would undoubtedly regret.

Thank you both so much for your thoughtful responses. I will direct him to the forum and speak with the teacher at his school to clarify his intentions. Additionally, thank you Dr. Greg for being open to allowing him to email you on the subject. This is very generous on your behalf.

I am also happy to hear that there are more advantageous options available for him between undergraduate and graduate schools. This makes much more sense. What's more, I think it would be good for him to experience a university-sponsored international program during his undergraduate studies.

Again, thank you for your informative responses.

David