Owen Buckland is a businessman. He has worked hard for twenty years to build up the 'Buckland Empire'. His mission is to place an English teacher in every school in China. Why do people seem so begrudging of a person earning money out of his own business? He pays on time and relative to local wages, he pays well. He organises accommodation and food . He knows which visas are necessary and when..it his his business to know. Any business in China not operating lawfully runs the risk of being closed down. Owen Buckland would not risk his 'Empire ' in such a way. If you have a problem you need to pin him down and talk face to face. He is difficult to pin down because he is like a whirlwind. In UK public sector speak: he is a 'mover and shaker'. His Chinese staff are loyal and he trusts foreigners to work autonomously in a way no UK employer would. He is not the best at communicating. I find the Chinese generally do not have the same organisational communication structures that we are used to in the west. it seems that in China even the Chinese don't seem to know what's going on half the time....this is a lesson in the Tao...going with the flow, learning to trust...oneself and others. It is not the west it is china and it operates in a very different way. That is why we visit China ...to learn the Chinese way. Standards of living in the provinces where Buckland places foreign teachers are way below standards we expect in the west. It can get very cold in the winter and much accommodation and schools do not have heating....plumbing is also an issue: toilet paper will block toilets and drains; you will need mosquito repelent; you may not like local chinese food; Maybe you will feel uncomfortable and feel obliged not to turn down work because you need him to help sort your visa. Maybe you will have to hang around in Yangshuo because the job he promised hasn't materialised and he is organising another one for you. But if you have a problem, he will find someone to help. His staff are all very helpful. When I was in Yangshuo one foreign teacher had lost his passport in rural China, while cycling to his school. He had to return to Yangshuo to sort it out. He was accommodated, fed and his predicament was prioritised. The staff at Buckland Institute took him to the police, PSB and helped him with the travel documents to reach his embassy. Obviously they did not pay for his travel to the embassy or for a new passport, it cost most of his months of wages but then again it was his own fault he lost his passport and he did still have a job.
Yes The Buckland Institute act as an agent taking a cut and yes you could earn more privately, but if you are fulfilling your teaching hours there is nothing stopping you from taking on private work if you have the right visa. One last thing as I understand it: f visa/ business visa can be used for oral english.: you are not claiming to be a teacher, you are not assessing, preparing for exams or delivering state curriculum. you are talking...this is cultural exchange. ok. If you are placed in a public school you should have a z visa to 'teach' unless you are a cultural exchange visitor or volunteer. Personally I feel uncomfortable about placing volunteers in state secondary schools because chinese teachers are paid and i believe therefore that foreign teachers should be paid too.but don't expect to be paid more than a local wage. your pay with the buckland group will also depend on your experience qualifications and ability. There are agents for efl tefl etc in other parts of China who do not pay well. e.g. 13000 a month in Shanghai might sound great compared to what Owen Buckland pays in Guanxi but it is way below the local wage...difficult to live on that amount in shanghai...Owen Buckland will pay you a good local rate. He is a businessman, he is an empire builder but he is also dedicated to accommodating foreigners and building cultural exchange.