The International Schools Review Forum

Hello teachers, how are you dealing with the ongoing protests in HK? How bad is the daily commute?

I'm not in Hong Kong but am curious as well. I do know that HKIS has posted a large number of openings for 2020 on the Search Database. Right now I see 10 positions posted which seems like a big number for a Tier 1 school this early in the recruiting cycle. Maybe it means nothing, but I wonder if the disruptions are enough to make some teachers to pull up stakes.

I'm tempted to apply since it seems like a great school overall, but the religious aspects of the school in combination with the unrest in HK give me pause.

Interesting, HK would be an awesome place to be an expat (assuming it doesn't get annexed by Beijing). I've been out to Repulse Bay where HKIS is, pretty spectacular setting - but yes, too bad about the religious aspect of the school...

Im more surprised that the IS AY didnt start with more vacancies and fewer ITs not showing up.

If I was interested in living in Hong Kong I wouldn't let the current protests keep me from applying. Especially not from HKIS which is the best of the bunch in Hong Kong and looks great on your CV. The protests are easy to avoid and from the expert opinions Ive read China is not going to invade and expats on the ground generally aren't worried that they might.
Subways run as usual apart from one or two incidents when the protesters did shut it down but on all other days commutes should be same as normal.

The expat bubble can be pretty thick, a number of expats in HK experience the protests the same way everyone else in the world does by watching it on the television and the internet. It doesnt really impact their lives.

Psychometrika wrote:
> I'm not in Hong Kong but am curious as well. I do know that HKIS has posted
> a large number of openings for 2020 on the Search Database. Right now I see
> 10 positions posted which seems like a big number for a Tier 1 school this
> early in the recruiting cycle. Maybe it means nothing, but I wonder if the
> disruptions are enough to make some teachers to pull up stakes.
>
> I'm tempted to apply since it seems like a great school overall, but the
> religious aspects of the school in combination with the unrest in HK give
> me pause.

That's surprising. I didn't see the vacancies, as I do not use Search (hint: if they want to fill those vacancies and reach the broadest pool of candidates, listing with only one (controversial) agency isn't the way to go), but I can read the (super-brief) descriptions on their website and they state that ISS users can apply with a simple email.

But that's a prime destination for a lot of folks I work with. I'd even take a look, even though I prefer my current location slightly to Hong Kong.

@GrumblesMcGee

SA isnt "controversial" for the significant (and vast) majority of IE, they are one of the main players in premium agencies, they are reaching a large enough audience using SA. They are the whole cupcake (maybe without the Hello Kitty sprinkles) but you not approving of their business model or organizational behavior changes changes and means absolutely nothing.

PsyGuy wrote:
> @GrumblesMcGee
>
> SA isnt "controversial" for the significant (and vast) majority
> of IE, they are one of the main players in premium agencies, they are
> reaching a large enough audience using SA. They are the whole cupcake
> (maybe without the Hello Kitty sprinkles) but you not approving of their
> business model or organizational behavior changes changes and means
> absolutely nothing.

Ah, significant AND vast. Well, I guess that settles it.

"Me" not approving of them means exactly that: me not approving. That's less than a lot, and more than "absolutely nothing."

Furthermore, I'm hardly alone in thinking that. I've spoken with, and interacted on here with, plenty of ITs who will have nothing to do with Search Associates. A more significant group seems to have issues with Search (e.g., feeling it's overpriced, feeling it overly favors schools over teachers in disputes, feeling it shouldn't be as big a player as it is, feeling that recruiter laziness is a big factor in empowering Search...) but are still willing to swallow their pride and sign up.

While I'm primarily in this game for the money, I'd like to think that ITs cling to some pretense of improving the world by teaching critical thinking skills and responsible citizenship. If you're someone who has no personal issues with Search, that's on you. If you're someone who thinks that there's nothing "controversial" about Search, your willfull ignorance makes me shudder for those who are stuck with you as a teacher. And if you're someone who frequents these boards and you're still floating the line that there's nothing controversial about Search, then that's outright laughable.

Every teacher has a right to their opinion on how education should be, both out front and behind the scenes. And every teacher has a right to balance those opinions and their own self-interest as they see fit. I have no problem with some of the thoughtful people on this board who, after weighing the pros and cons of Search membership and accounting for Search's more problematic impacts on IE, still think giving Search their business is right for them. But that's a far cry from your (typical) blustering that most ITs see Search as pure as the driven snow.

@GrumblesMcGee

Exactly, it means EXACTLY that, you not approving, thats not a synonym for "controversial" as you previously claimed.

No youre not alone, but your not anything resembling a majority either, and a significant majority of those that agree with you ideology are not doing so in practice, they are still paying the coin and registering.

Shutter and laugh all you want, their isnt a controversy. There is nothing different about SA and their business practices from any other corporate or business organization. There is no company (not even Google anymore) whose corporate philosophy is do no evil. SA like any company is in business to business and that means generate revenue. Even charities have a majority or equal business aspect to generate revenue to fund their (good) works. SA has never claimed were not in this for the coin. If you think SA is selling less then they claim for too high a price. Heres how the market works, dont buy what theyre pitching, plenty of other ITs are registering and paying the coin. SA could double their registration fee and they would lose significantly less than half their registered ITs which is a net gain, and it wouldnt even be close to half, its around 15%.

SA isnt education. Theyre commodity brokers, cows, ITs or platinum, it really doesnt matter, theyre just stuff.

Most ITs dont see SA as pure as the driven snow, they see them as no different than any other service company which is all SA is.