Tougher mainland scrutiny of foreign teachers after child sex scandal fears
Teachers in China face checks and need five years' experience after one foreign teacher had criminal record for child pornography and another was on the run from child-sex charges
Beijing has issued new guidelines calling for stricter scrutiny of foreigners working in the capital – especially teachers from abroad – after child sex scandals in Beijing and Nanjing last year.
Mainland officials called for closer supervision in April last year after two foreigners – one with a criminal record for child pornography and the other on the run from child-sex charges – were found to have obtained jobs as English teachers.
The new guidelines, expected to come into force on October 31, will require all candidates to face suitability checks.
Some foreign teachers hardly know how to teach languages and have failed to become certified teachers, which has damaged the interests of students
People will also need to have more than five years of teaching experience before working in the city’s institutions and schools.
Foreign language workers would need to provide teaching qualifications when applying for “teaching related jobs” in all pre-school institutions, primary and middle schools, international schools and education training centres, the government-owned Beijing Daily reports.
Those people without teaching qualifications will need to provide other professional credentials, including TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language), TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test) or CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults).
All foreigners working in non-teaching jobs would be required to have at least a bachelor’s degree, as well as more than two years of relevant work experiences, the guidelines said.
The change in policy – issued jointly by human resources department, foreign affairs office and municipality’s education department – comes at a time when there is rising demand for foreign language teachers in Beijing.