China’s New Policy For Online Teachers Explained

December 28







It’s no secret that the ESL teaching industry in China has historically been filled with legal grey areas. Up until this year, the legal requirements to teach English online to Chinese students has been fairly vague. This has meant that ESL teaching platforms based in China, such as VIPKID and Qkids, have had free reign when it comes to setting their own hiring policy.


As such, companies like VIPKID and Qkids have been under no obligation to require teachers to have evidence of TEFL certification or prior teaching experience. Many such companies were happy to hire teachers without these criteria as long as they were native speakers and Bachelor’s degree holders.


However, that all changed earlier this year when China issued new regulations for online teaching companies as part of a national crackdown on ‘after-school classes’. Today, we’re going to be explaining exactly what these new regulations mean for ESL teachers.



When Did This Happen and Why?


It all started with a press release published on the official Ministry of Education website towards the end of last year.


China’s New Policy For Online Teachers Explained


The press release was vague in detail but, importantly, mentioned that “a management platform will soon be launched online to tighten scrutiny of after-school training institutions across China.”


As online ESL classes fall under the banner of ‘after-school training institutions’, it was clear that this new management platform would affect the online ESL industry.


The change came amidst the country’s broader efforts to ease academic pressure students in primary and secondary schools. As mentioned in the press release, one driving factor behind the change was complaints regarding the overall poor quality of many after-school programs.


Since the announcement, further details about the regulatory changes haven’t been made public. However, they were given to the ESL platforms in advance of the crackdown. That’s why major ESL platforms like VIPKID and DaDa all made major changes to their hiring policy at around the same time, from which we can deduce what changes were made to the regulation.


Below is a screenshot showing an announcement by ESL company DaDa ahead of the crackdown:


China’s New Policy For Online Teachers Explained



China’s New Policy For Online Teachers Explained

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China’s New Policy For Online Teachers Explained
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Companies That Aren’t Affected By the Changes


It’s worth noting that not all online ESL platforms will be affected by this change. It’s only platforms based in China that are subject to the new regulations. Here are a few popular ESL companies that won’t be affected:


  • Cambly

  • Cafetalk

  • Open English

  • Lingoda


As the above companies aren’t based in China, the new regulations don’t apply. However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t have similar entry requirements regardless.



Companies That Are Affected By the Changes


All of the following companies are based in China and as such will likely already have/soon be updating their hiring policy to reflect the new requirements:


  • DaDa

  • Magic Ears

  • VIPKID

  • QKids

  • SayABC

  • Hujiang



How To Meet The New ESL Teaching Requirements


If you’re already a teacher for any of the above companies or are hoping to apply for them, you may be required to supply documentation proving you meet the minimum job requirements.


If you don’t already have them, that means you’ll need to get your hands on a TEFL certificate, background check, and Bachelor’s degree.


Let’s talk about each of them in turn:


China’s New Policy For Online Teachers Explained



Getting a TEFL Certificate


There are many TEFL courses out there that will award you with an internationally-recognized accreditation. There are lots of different types of courses, but they’re usually subcategorized based on how many hours are required to finish the course, and where the course takes place.


As such, you can choose from:


  1. Online-only TEFL courses, face-to-face TEFL courses, or a mixture of both


  2. 100-hour courses, 120-hour courses, 140-hour courses, or more.


Usually, online-only TEFL courses are a lot cheaper and faster to complete, but they also don’t give you any actual classroom practice, so if you want some hands-on experience, it might be worth investing in a course with some classroom teaching hours.


Under the new China regulations, you’ll need to have a minimum of 120-hour TEFL course, and your accreditation will need to be internationally recognized. Bear this in mind while shopping around.


The gold standard when it comes to TEFL courses are the CELTADELTA, and TrinityTESOL courses, but these are also the highest-price courses you can get – they cost hundreds of dollars while some online-only TEFL courses are available for as little as $50.


120-hour courses are designed to require you to study for 120 hours in order to pass, but in practice, many teachers report being able to complete them substantially quicker. Some teachers report finishing online TEFL courses in as little as a few hours.



Getting a Background Check


To get a background check, you’ll need to go through the appropriate channels for your home state or country of residence.


If you live in the US, this might require you to go to the local police department for your most recent place of residence and request a criminal record search and documentation. You may also be able to apply from your embassy if you live overseas. It’s worth consulting with your local authority to confirm the exact process required, but you can find out more information here: 


https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/while-abroad/criminal-record-checks.html


If you’re from the UK, you may be able to apply for a basic check or DBS online, depending on what your specific ESL employer requires. You can ask them for more information or consult the UK government website for more information here:


https://www.gov.uk/criminal-record-checks-apply-role



Getting a Bachelor’s Degree


There’s really no shortcut to getting a Bachelor’s degree, you simply need to finish an accredited 3-year or 4-year university degree that awards you with a Bachelor’s degree. If you don’t have one and don’t feel like going back to college/university to get one, you might want to consider applying for a company that doesn’t require a degree, such as Cambly.



Final Thoughts


That about covers everything you need to know about China’s new policy for online teachers.


What do you think about these changes? Will they improve the standard of online ESL teaching? Is your company affected? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!




Source: Matt via eslauthority.com




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