SCHOOLS AND RECRUITERS REVIEWS
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#1 Parent FTinPRC - 2018-03-29
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

an
over exaggeration

Are there under exaggerations?

my boss
Jake and his fiance cherry

Jake and Cherry, their English names alone make it worth working there. "Jake, how's Cherry?"

#2 Parent Observer - 2018-03-29
Re: Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

definately?

#3 Parent Tanya - 2018-03-29
Re: Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

Hello
This post is definately not written by the school. Earlier some people were complaining about chinglish grammar. Honestly I don't understand why some individuals would be so immature, it's time to move on guys and stop acting like you just started pre-school. I am speaking from my 1 year teaching experience at St. John's. Everyone has a differrent experience. My experience was great, I am not sure about yours and I wonder why yours wasn't so great? *rolling eyes* You can't just overlook all your faults and blame everything on the other individual.

#4 Parent Observer - 2018-03-29
Re: Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

Hey! .. this post was obviously written by the school. You should try harder.

#5 Parent Tanya - 2018-03-29
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

Hello to everyone reading this thread. I would like to inform you that I have successfully completed my one year contract at St.Johns. some of the comments posted below are an over exaggeration of what the actual situation might have been. There are many cultural differences and for teachers coming to China for the first time it can seem a little overwhelming. All my concerns were handled in a positive way. Whenever I had a question or concern about classes or management or anything whatsoever, I discussed it with Jake and we were able to come to a conclusion. I had a great experience working at St John's as my first job in China and I would like to say that Jake and cherry are very kind and helpful to my experience. So please don't try to ruin the image of school and don't try to discourage teachers from coming to the school. We all have different experiences but we must cooperate with each other in order to make the most out of our time and experience. Overall I had a good experience and was satisfied with my job and my boss Jake and his fiance cherry, as well as his dad who is a very friendly gentleman.

#6 Parent Perfect Chinglish - 2018-03-29
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

It's not the first time that some training center goon comes on here to defend his dirty school businesses and the unethical business practices in connection with the same. They usually masquerade as native speakers but can easily be spotted as fakes that they are because their written posts are full of Chinglish.

"His Chinglish grammar betrays him. Only in China you will meet so-called "English education experts" who can't string a basic sentence together."

#7 Parent Perfect Chinglish - 2018-03-29
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

And "I am not agree" that you are a native speaker, you fool.
Your grammar is shit; "And I don't agree" is correct. Let Chairman Mao teach you. His English is much better than yours.

"And I'm not agree with some things people wrote here".

#8 Parent SuperKupo - 2018-03-29
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

His Chinglish grammar betrays him. Only in China you will meet so-called "English education experts" who can't string a basic sentence together.

#9 Parent Pretending to be a native speaker - 2018-03-29
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

This reply comes most likely from the Chinese school owner of a school other teachers complained about. For the newbies in ESL, this portion of text is a sample to practice error/mistake correction in written English. It's like a game: Can you find all the errors/mistakes in this text to prove that the writer is a pretend native speaker and is posting on here as a fake?

"I used to work at this school for a year. And I'm not agree with some things people wrote here. My assistant was nice, you really feel that you work in a team. About Jack... There was no such kind of situation that he came and started checking your appartment or anything like that. He always calls and asks if it's convenient for you to meet and what place is better for you. No issues about the salary, too. Overtime was paid accordingly. I don't know if they changed their policy just before I came there or I'm just so lucky but honestly, I have no complains. Probably, some people really don't understand that it's China and some things can seem weird or abnormal but apart from these "Chinese" things everything was fine..."

#10 Parent Slan - 2018-03-29
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

I used to work at this school for a year. And I'm not agree with some things people wrote here. My assistant was nice, you really feel that you work in a team. About Jack... There was no such kind of situation that he came and started checking your appartment or anything like that. He always calls and asks if it's convenient for you to meet and what place is better for you. No issues about the salary, too. Overtime was paid accordingly. I don't know if they changed their policy just before I came there or I'm just so lucky but honestly, I have no complains. Probably, some people really don't understand that it's China and some things can seem weird or abnormal but apart from these "Chinese" things everything was fine...

#11 Parent Grace - 2016-12-09
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

We are just being hired at this school, do you think we should still continue working at this school, hoping there's a lot of changes after a year?

#12 Parent Pete Australia - 2015-07-15
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

If esl teachers would just do a little research on the schools that offer them employment. I've been teaching English in China now for seven years . i have come across so many bad schools like this St. John's schoolthat the other esl teachers are talking about. When so many ex teachers complain about this school. It's a pretty fair bet this school sucks. I've read all the comments from previous teachers. And the one thing I noticed is that not one of St. John's previous teachers came to the defense of the school. To me this Speaks volumes . AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID. Not all them teachers can be wrong. Also when applying for a teaching job in China . Ask to speak to the schools current teachers or ask for the contact details of the schools previous teachers. If it's a decent school they should have no problem supplying you with that information.

#13 Parent San Migs - 2015-07-10
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

She has an unparalleled ability to publicly degrade teachers and assistants to the point of making a grown man cry.

She is still nothing more than a virago at the end of the day.....I wouldn't be afraid to stand up to her. You can't let these people walk all over you man....it's basically dog philosophy, you can either be the dog that lies down and licks other dogs balls, or you can be a dog that stands on it's own four legs and is unafraid to bare it's teeth and bite....the same standards of being "nice" in the western world, don't apply in a country that manipulates it's currency and breaks up other countries banks.

#14 Parent Bill from England - 2015-07-09
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

I am in full agreement with the previous post; we should keep this forum dedicated to warning future teachers about the horrible and degrading experience that is St. John's English School in Zhoushan, China.

I reviewed every single claim about St. John's English School on this forum... and EVERY SINGLE THING SAID ABOUT THIS SCHOOL IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE!!! In fact, I would say that some of the criticisms against this school are a little bit under-emphasized! I cannot even begin to describe how horrible my time was at St. Johns English School.

Let's start with Jake (the owner of the school) and Cherry (Jake's girlfriend). Jake's consciousness is equivalent to that of a 5 year old boy. He is selfish, greedy, absent-minded, unreasonable, and irresponsible to name just a few of his reprehensible qualities. When working for Jake it is necessary to watch your back at all times. This means that you must always review your bank statement when money is deposited into your account because each time there is almost a 100% chance that a significant amount will be missing (however it really doesn't achieve anything because when you question him about the missing sum of money he will either 1) give you a ridiculous answer intended to steer you away from the topic or 2) he will become very angry).

To say that jake is a liar is an understatement. Jake is a pathological liar who would lie to you about the color of the sky if you asked him if it was blue. Get the point? I also learned very quickly that I could not trust a single word that came out of Jake's mouth. Jake does not differentiate between serious lies that could have potentially serious consequences or everyday white lies - he constantly tells them all.

Jake is the most unreliable man that I have ever met. When he is due to pick you up in 10 minutes you are guaranteed to still be waiting for him an hour and a half later.

Next to Bernard Madoff, Jake is the most unethical business man in the world. His business practices include committing identity theft in order to obtain underage or unqualified teachers working visas (he uses passport numbers, names, and other forms of extremely sensitive identification documents of teachers who have applied to work at the school, but have not ended up working for St. John's, to obtain working visas for teachers who are too young to work or who have no degree, etc.), forging fake documents such as passports and degrees, and exploiting his extensive government personnel friendships in order to circumvent laws and regulations.

Jake is never satisfied with any of his teachers and he does indeed blame every single little thing that goes wrong on his teachers. It does not matter how ridiculous his logic is or how diplomatic you are when dealing with jake; he is convinced that he is always right and that his logic is impenetrable. He is, without a doubt, the most difficult man to reason with or even talk to about anything.

Just one more interesting fact about Jake: Jake has a side business importing Filipino women into china. Jake is very secretive about this and reluctant to discuss it which leads me to wonder what exactly he is importing them for. Prostitution? I don't know... you decide.

Jake's girlfriend Cherry is a terribly cruel and manipulative individual. Her consciousness is equivalent to that of a starved, caged animal; aggressive and merciless. She has an unparalleled ability to publicly degrade teachers and assistants to the point of making a grown man cry. Her mere presence in the office is enough to send a chill up anyone's spine. I have never spoken with another teacher or assistant who has not strived to avoid her at all costs, least she should throw one of her constant fits and fall into a rage, because when this happens nobody is safe.

Please be aware that the contract that you sign detailing everything from your salary to your living conditions while working for St. John's English School is not worth the paper it is written on. Furthermore, please be aware that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. It is very true that Jake becomes extremely angry when you bring up the subject of the contract and he does indeed yell things such as "this is not your country. Contracts do not matter here." You will undoubtedly work many more hours than stated in your contract, not receive as many days off per week (if any!), and not be provided the salary or accommodations described in your contract.

The living conditions provided for the teachers are, to say the least, disturbing. If you plan on living in the house provided for the teachers you had better bring your A-game because the roaches fight back. [In the house] the summers are unbearably hot and the winters are freezing cold (due to the fact that most of the air conditioners do not work). Water leaks from the ceiling, there is mold growing on almost every surface possible inside the house, most of the toilets don't work, the showers consist of small nozzles on the side of the bathroom wall, you are very lucky to have a hot shower (because the water heater is older than I am), the neighbors will hate you (because they are all elderly and from generations that inherently despise foreigners), people make noise as they dig through your trash at 3 AM, and there is even what appears to be blood spatter on the walls in the living room and bathrooms (no I am not joking). Additionally, I would never even consider cooking in the kitchen or sitting on the couches or chairs, both of which are completely saturated with insects and mold.

I hope that my warnings have given you, the reader, a clear picture of what it is like to work at St. John's english School in Zhoushan. Please know that everything I have stated above is the absolute truth and that I am only posting this in the hope that some other individual does not have to suffer through what I did while working for St. John's English School. PLEASE, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ST. JOHN'S ENGLISH SCHOOL.

Have a nice day.

#15 Parent Zack - 2015-07-08
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

Please can we get back to point of this forum. If you want to complain about embassies please go to embassy forum. This forum is to save esl teachers the nightmare other teachers suffered at the hands of St. John's school

#16 Parent EXTC - 2015-06-22
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

Your son should contact the nearest US embassy/consulate for help.

And then not come to China again. Horrid place.

#17 Parent Julie Schultz - 2015-06-22
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

I need help. My son is at this school right now with all of his luggage as this guy did not pick him up at the airport. His American phone is almost dead for texting me at $.50 each time. I can't find a phone # except his Skype which he isn't answering after an hour now of showing he is online. My son's name is Michael G[edited]. Can anyone offer advise? Soon please!

#18 Parent Extc - 2015-06-19
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

This is China. What were you expecting?

#19 Parent On Lydia's Behalf - 2015-06-19
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

She says -

They called me. I also called the school many times, but it is not controlled by me. I called the principle many times and asked him to do adjustment, but he does not listen to me. After that I have never introduced teachers to the school, but other agencies also recommend teachers to him.

#20 Parent Kevin - 2015-06-19
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

Shouting at children in class, he does expect of all his teachers, he describes it as a good class the parents will be happy.

This is true. Chinese parents scream at their young offspring. What's more, Chinese parents encourage their toddlers to scream loudly. When their kids do so, their parents are extremely happy. It's the culture here. I've seen it on quite a few situs in public near my apartment block. Good parenting? I doubt it!

#21 Parent Raymond - 2015-06-19
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

Her name is Lydia. I only know her skype: Lydia jobs in China. She wasn't helpful at all. We complained to her the first few weeks we arrived but she didn't do anything!

#22 Parent Chris - 2015-06-18
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

To all recruiters out there, if you recruit teachers for St.Johns English School, I hope you can live with the guilt of ruining someones life and time!

Do you mind telling us which recruiter recruited you and your friend?

#23 Parent Paul - 2015-06-18
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

Thanks so much guys .. I was offered a job at this school by an agent .. Thank god i checked the web before accepting the offer.. Thanks again ;) ;)

#24 Parent Nat - 2015-06-18
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

Dear all,

I would like to find out more about teaching at St. John's, is it really so bad? I want to find out mroe about going to China as an ESL teacher. Can someone who has taught there and is interested in sharing more please email me at natalie.lenrer@gmail.com? Would appreciate it if I can find out more about this school!

Thank you all in advance!

Nat.

#25 Parent Michael - 2015-06-18
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

As someone who has worked at Saint John's English school, all that has been written here is true. Jake is an ignorant imbecile, who constantly lies to his staff about everything & anything. For example he told me that all teachers at whatever school they are at in China pay for their own insurance, which with a little research on the internet I found out not to be true, when confronted about this Jake described it as a cultural difference. Working hours are ridiculous, the two days off a week is another lie. Shouting at children in class, he does expect of all his teachers, he describes it as a good class the parents will be happy. He also likes to surprise his teachers with promotion classes in either Kindergarten/Primary/Middle schools & shopping centres, sometimes you can be lucky and get told an hour in advance but normally its 2/3 minutes before, he tells you "we go". The living conditions I never lived with Jake or his dad but I know for a fact other teachers have. The house itself is not what it states it should be in the contract.

In conclusion Jake describes every question/query/problem who may have at this school as a CULTURAL DIFFERENCE. Jake will lie to you, Jake will degrade you, Jake will tell( even though you have addressed a problem with him several times & asked to speak to him about it, he says yes we talk but no he won't until the problem escalates out of control) it's your fault. In fact everything that goes wrong at Saint John's is THE TEACHERS FAULT.

#26 Parent Ross - 2015-06-17
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

What a coincidence that I should find this post - I also used to work at St. John's English School in Zhoushan and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write about my experiences. I could not agree with the previous post more: St. JOHNS ENGLISH SCHOOL IS A TERRIBLE SCHOOL. Jake (the owner of the school) is unequivocally the most unreasonable and nonsensical man I have ever met. Additionally, he constantly tells lies and half-truths, even about things that are irrelevant and unrelated to important issues. After working for him for only one month it became apparent that I could not trust anything he said. Jake would often show up at the teachers provided house uninvited and walk around the house, looking into rooms and even going through our rooms and our personal stuff like a policeman searches a house for contraband. The teachers are NEVER paid on time. In fact, while working for St. John's English School I was never paid sooner than 4 days after payday. Additionally, the amount of payment was extremely inconsistent. Different amounts would be deducted from my pay each month (sometimes up to 1000 RMB!). When I asked Jake why so much was taken from my pay he would say things like "Oh, this is cultural difference." or "This not important." When I would demand an answer he would often become angry. In my contract, it specified that I should receive 2 days off per week and work a certain number of hours each week. However, I only got 1 day off each week (sometimes not even that!) and I always worked many more hours each week than was specified in my contract. When I confronted Jake about these discrepancies in my contract, Jake became angry and stated "Never mention the contract! The contract doesn't matter. Chinese contracts not the same as in your country." I would finally like to mention that Jake's girlfriend, Cherry, is one of the coldest, most uncaring, and meanest people that I have ever met. She basically operates according to a 'rule by fear and an iron fist' principle. I would also like to mention that the schools are in poor condition - not the buildings, but rather the curriculum, etc. All of the toys are broken and the curriculum is a scam. Jake even said to me once that "We not care if children really learn English. We care if children happy because if children happy then parents pay." No joke. In conclusion: PLEASE STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM St. JOHN'S ENGLISH SCHOOL AS POSSIBLE! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

#27 Parent Raymond - 2015-06-17
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

Thanks Chris for revealing this awful truth! I hope people will read this so this cschool can close down. Indeed, this could be the worse school to work for in china. I came here with my friend and our lives became a nightmare. Thankfull we were able to leave the school after two months, leaving him with 2 teachers less and with the hope that his school will close down. Here are some more details to add to the bucket list:

- Jake would demand from us to shout very loud to the students, to the point that they got scared sometimes. If we didnt, he would come to the class and confront us in front of everyone, yelling like a maniac. His excuse was that the parents want to hear the children shout loud. What parent wants their kids to by screamed at in their face?
- He would always undermine you, compare you to other teachers. He even embarassed my friend in front of all his students, asking them who was the better teacher, him or the previous one.
- We had to live with Jake and his dad, who walked around with his underwear only! There was no privacy. He would come home after 1am and knock on the door to tell us we had a demo class early in the morning. He aslo demanded to call him to say where we are ifter 11pm.
- One of the female teachers was forced to do adult classes with a group of men in their 30s . . . in THEIR office. she expressed her concerns to jake. She felt vulnerable, and for the right reasons. She could have been raped. The boss did not care however. Should I mention that he's a sexist?

There are so many more horrible examples to give, but I'll let some other ex-teachers to express their stories!

To all recruiters out there, if you recruit teachers for St.Johns English School, I hope you can live with the guilt of ruining someones life and time!

P.S: I don't know how this person could have so many native speakers as teachers when there are schools in Beijing that struggle to find one!

#28 Parent Extc - 2015-06-17
Re St. John's English School - Zhoushan

This leads me to my next logical question: Are there any decent schools in China? All we see on these boards are complaint after complaint after complaint.

Extc.

Chris - 2015-06-16
St. John's English School - Zhoushan

Hi, I would like to talk about the bad experience of working at St. John's English school. They have 3 schools in Zhoushan. One in Dinghai, one in Lincheng and one in Donggang. The bosses of the school are Jake and Cherry. The boss is very unreasonable, and would often walk into the teachers provided house uninvited. He would just walk in the teachers house without knocking or without telling you he would be coming. In the span of one year, I have been payed late almost every time. There would also be deductions on the paycheck that would not be explained to the teacher, so your pay was always a different amount each month. Several times I would be asked to teach a class at a primary school 10 minutes before actually going there, so there was no time at all to prepare any kind of a lesson. We only get 1 day off per week, which makes it virtually impossible to travel anywhere during your time off. I was also working more hours than was stated in my contract. Another thing is they would use recycled paper for lesson plans that had previous teachers passport details on the back. Anyone could use these if they wanted to do identity theft. Now that my 1 year contract is over I am moving on. Please stay away from this school in Zhoushan.

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