When Noli Castillano Apachicha, 38, a Filipino English teacher in Beijing, heard the new policy that non-native English speakers may not work as an English teacher in Beijing, he was upset.
From October 2016 to March, a new work permit policy was launched by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA), which classifies foreign workers into three categories, ranking them as an A, B, or C expat, based on their profession, level of education, work experience, and so forth. It has been piloted in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Hebei Province and other places, according to a post on the administration's website. In April, the pilot will spread to other areas in China.
In these pilot areas, foreign English teachers should be native English speakers with a bachelor's degree from their home country, in addition to having two years of teaching experience. Before this new policy, non-native English speakers could work as an English teacher if they have a bachelor's degree from an English-speaking country. Yet under the new policy, the bar has been raised. Non-native speakers cannot be an English teacher, even if they obtain a degree from an English-speaking country.
"I expect that later on, I will not be qualified for my job because of this new regulation," said Apachicha, who works at RISE English language training school. "It will also shun many qualified non-native speakers like me who hope to come to teach English in China."
An official with the SAFEA, who asked to remain anonymous, told Metropolitan that they did so to attract qualified native English speakers, and to improve the overall quality of foreign language teachers. Although there are good intentions, foreign English teachers and a manager of a recruiting agency for foreign teachers interviewed by Metropolitan think that it would further increase the shortage of foreign language teachers, and advise for more nuanced requirements over the qualifications.
Being shut out
Apachicha came to Beijing to start his career as an English teacher back in 2007 because he thought there was a huge demand for English teachers in China.
Filipinos often speak English in the Philippines in business and even with their peers when they communicate, he said.
"Most of us sound like Americans. Young Filipinos have strong American backgrounds, and they can easily speak in an American accent without many difficulties. They are born to be good speakers," he said.
Despite his skills, he admitted that during the past eight years, there were cases where he was not considered for a job because of his background and skin color.
"Parents are very particular for wanting native English speakers, and we were not given a chance to showcase our teaching capabilities. We are judged according to our background," said Apachicha.
Non-native speakers also needed to fulfill requirements such as a degree from a native English-speaking country. This new policy will worsen the situation, he said.
"Even with a bachelor's degree gained in the Philippines, a TESL (Teaching English as Second Language) certificate, and eight years of teaching experience in China, it still does not guarantee that I can teach English," he said.
Rebecca Rosenblum (pseudonym), an American math teacher at an international school, has taught in Beijing for more than seven years.
She does not agree with the new policy. She believes it will force many good teachers to find work in other cities that do not have such restrictive policies.
"Being a native English speaker is good for a teacher, but there will be many people affected who have near perfect pronunciation and education/experience but are from other countries. Some non-native English speakers actually have better teaching skills than natives," she said.
