There are schools in China who will provide a ticket, but they are usually the bigger chains. My school does, but it prefers you buy your own. As ELLIS said, a lot of schools have been burned by teachers fleeing the coop leaving the schools with classes and no teacher and the bill.

I think ELLIS is right in what he/she (?) (sorry Ellis!) says about there being a lot of dodgy schools, but if you keep a level head, do your research, learn what to expect and come here with your eyes open then you should be okay.

I have worked in three schools in China now and they have all been very different. There are frustrations I will be the first to admit, but there are thousands of teachers working here quite happily as well, which you don't hear about so much.

BTW, can we keep the CAPS down? It is considered to be SHOUTING when you type all in caps on bbs.

Rgds
DOS

> --------------------------------------------

> HEY, DOUG!

> SORRY TO HAVE CONFUSED YOU WITH MY SARCASM! I WAS MERELY ATTEMPTING
> (IN MY OWN PECULIAR WAY) TO CONGRATULATE "CHINESE TEACHER"
> FOR HAVING ANSWERED YOUR INQUIRY IN A MUCH MORE CANDID MANNER THAN
> THAT WHICH WE USUALLY SEE ON THIS BOARD EMANATING FROM OUR CHINESE
> FRIENDS, TO WIT:
> ====================================

> I don't think schools in China will pay upfront for your air ticket.
> Some goes to the extend of cheating by not even wanting to pay our
> foreign friends their due air fare even after when they have
> completed their contract. The best for you is to save and take a risk
> coming to China. Do check around and ask, do your homework before
> taking the slow and dangerous boat to China. You never know, you may
> find a good employer or schools who will take good care of you during
> your stay or you may get one that will send you to hell 2 weeks after
> your arrival. Whatever it is, good or bad, time will tell and the
> choice is yours.
> ====================================
> AS THE MAN SAYS, SCHOOLS IN CHINA WILL NOT USUALLY PAY UP FRONT FOR
> AIR FARE. REASON(S): IN THE PAST, THERE WERE FAR TOO MANY IMPORTED
> ESL INSTRUCTORS WHO, IN HAVING DECIDED THAT CHINA WASN'T THEIR CUP OF
> TEA, FLEW THE COOP WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A ONE-HOUR NOTICE! ALSO, MORE
> RECENTLY, WE HAVE WITNESSED THE ONSLAUGHT OF "THE INCOMPETENT
> IMPORT" -- SOME WITHOUT EVEN A HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE! TO ADMIT SUCH
> FAKERS TO CHINA IS, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, THE FAULT OF THOSE HIRING
> AGENTS WHO FALSELY REPRESENT THE VARIOUS ACADEMIC SOURCES ACROSS THE
> PRC BY NOT SO MUCH AS CONDUCTING A CHECK OF THE CREDENTIALS OF ANYONE
> BEFORE SO FREELY OFFERING CONTRACTS! RESULT: CHINA WINDS UP WITH THE
> GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY FROM THE WEST, NOT TO MENTION THE
> LIMITATIONS SO UNFAIRLY PLACED UPON THOSE OF US WHO ARE QUALIFIED AND
> WHOSE INTENTIONS ARE ENTIRELY HONORABLE. ASSUMING YOU HAVE BEEN HIRED
> AND HAVE PAID YOUR OWN WAY OVER (ON THAT "SLOW AND DANGEROUS
> BOAT"), REALIZE THAT, FOR THE FIRST (AT LEAST) FEW MONTHS, YOU
> WILL PROBABLY HAVE BEEN PLACED ON PROBATION BY YOUR EMPLOYER. IF,
> INDEED, THEY DO NOT CARE FOR YOUR STYLE AND YOU HAVE NO MONEY TO SEE
> YOUR WAY THROUGH FOR A WHILE WHILE SEEKING OTHER EMPLOYMENT,
> WELL...I'D RATHER NOT GO INTO THAT PARTICULAR NIGHTMARE.

> BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION: I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANY CHINESE
> EMPLOYMENT SOURCE THAT WOULD FRONT A TEACHER'S AIR FARE, BUT I DON'T
> KNOW EVERYTHING (TALK TO MY FIRST WIFE ABOUT THAT ONE, PAL!). KEEP
> YOUR EYES FOCUSED ON THE VARIOUS BOARD ADS ... YOU NEVER KNOW. BUT AS
> FOR VENTURING ACROSS THE WIDE PACIFIC WITH NO MOOLAH -- NO WAY, JOS!
> GOOD LUCK, MAN!

> PEACE,
> ELLIS