Being racist, sexist or ageist is not a problem in cram schools in fact they believe it's just business. After teaching at a cram school in Dong Gan for one year my contract was not renewed because they found a female to do my job. The school simply said you worked hard and we liked that, but we found a girl so we are going to go with her. It was complete bullshit and most people would feel the same way if you were sacked not because of poor performance, but because of your gender. When I started the school had a chance to hire a girl, but they didn't because she was black. The owner was very open about it and said it's a small town people would not understand it's not like Taipei or Kaohsiung. He was saying I will lose business if I hire this person, it was a shite situation for this girl.
Sometimes you will see schools placing adds for teachers that read as follows -" Females only, sorry guys". "or Must be under 35 years of age." " Please send picture with resume". All of this makes you wonder that if there are a few schools with the nerve to actually post that how many don't, but are thinking it. I believe many, unfortunately teaching English is about how much money you can make and if the Taiwanese feel a white, American, young girl is the ideal candidate by god that's what the schools will go after.
I left Taiwan shortly after this. I spent 7 years teaching in Cram schools and I can honestly say each year the job got worse not better. It's just simple math the new generation of parents are only having one child per family compare that to the previous generation who were having two to three kids per family. Things are getting much more competitive, schools are combing classes or just closing all together. It's too bad, I loved the life had in Taiwan I played football, played music, studied at Uni, travelled all over the island and shagged many girls it was paradise.
Now I'm back in Canada unemployed and bored as fuck, but the thought of returning would be a waste of time. I don't think things for teachers are going to get better or stabilize they will only get worse. Its better I figure that out now at 37 rather than 47. Oh well, it was a fucking blast Taiwan, I learned so much and I will cherish all the good parts, Zai gen!
