Taught simple English to kids 6-8 years old. About 40 kids in a class. They paid 30RMB for a class and I was paid 250RMB. Taught the same material for 8 class a day (sat and Sun). The school got about 19,000 per weekend and I got 8,000. And, yes I did get paid all of it. In Changping near Beijing.

Taught at a private school in Beijing, Students paid 80,000 a year plus living, plus food, plus books, plus, plus. Subject teachers, not English teachers, were paid 10,000 a month, foreign and Chinese both for 12 hours max. Most taught 8 hours for Math, Chemistry, Physics, Accounting, Statistics, etc. all A level courses with UK books. Silly owners fired the headmaster who took 80% of the students to his own new school. This school folded I think.

Private schools usually get the tuition and boarding fees upfront. They tend to run out of money toward the end of the year which makes return air ticket money iffy.

Breakeven depends on rent and the number of non teaching staff, you know the guys that hang around all day reading newspapers and plying cards. One private school I worked at had 65 Chinese and foreign teachers with over 200 total staff most of which did little or nothing.

Rent is a mystery. One school paid annual rent of 25% of tuition collected - this school folded. Other schools had cost reduction programs, firing teachers or abusive fines. Fines for failing to report to a class when the time and day had been changed but kept a secret from the teachers. Class schedules and notices are sometimes posted in Chinese in areas the foreign teachers don't frequent.

I don't usually teach English and usually get to pick the text with the requirement the text be less than 3 years old.

Private schools hire foreign teachers for marketing reasons. My face has appeared all over the place and my resume greatly enhanced (in Chinese).

If foreign teachers get paid more at a private school, tough, the smiling white faces bring in the revenue and job opportunities for Chinese teachers.

I have also worked at two government universities. At both schools, Chinese professors taught less hours and earned more money. I gather the Chinese get a basic salary, around 1200 at my uni, then get paid for hours times a factor (prep or difficulty) and also extra money for extra assignments. One Prof said his 1200 was upped to more than 4500 based on the pay scheme. Me? I get 3700 for 9 class hours contact time but that is 11 paid hours if I was paid according to the Chinese scheme.

Sounds like a great idea. I like the day trip idea for photo taking. I have been looking for a car and driver and locations.

Laotou is right. My apartment has an electric water heater and aside from the risks it wasn't very productive in winter. My landlord, who was living in Germany, agreed and suggested I buy and have installed a gas heater and he would repay me.

I did buy an 80L heater (OK for one person) for about 1300RMB installed.

Hot water is glorious!

Sorry SFL, the potential student is 12 years old and proximity to the Hump Bar is not a selling point. :-)

A Chinese acquaintance insists there is now a retirement visa available in China. I can't find any mention of such a visa anywhere. Has anyone any knowledge of this visa option?