So what are the downsides of working as a teacher for the British Council? I'd divide my answer into two parts, the first being the workload, and the second the management culture within the organisation. Ultimately, I would say the latter is the most important factor (see previous post)
In this post, let's quickly look at the workload or scheduling side of things. In the old days, most centres had relatively few contact hours, typically between 19 and 21, with only a few Young Learner classes. This was a very manageable amount, and any teacher could really concentrate on upholding the BC ideals of quality classes, because you had time to prepare and weren't under the same kind of stress and pressure as some of the "factory line" schools. A great example of this was in Japan, where lots of teachers in the Council had idyllic set ups, while teachers in the big conversation schools or Eikaiwa's, as they're locally known, like Shane and Nova, had hugely stressful schedules, and for a lot less pay. This was a major reason why working for the BC was a kind of Holy Grail at the time, the early part of the millennium.
However, around 2010, a new policy came into place, with the idea that funding from London would be decreased, and teaching centres would be expected to fund themselves. This resulted in most centres having to rationalise, since they were now basically expected to run as successful businesses. Exactly how this fitted into the BC's status as a registered charity is unclear, for from this point on they certainly seem to be competing in the marketplace just like any other school, if they're weren't already. One of the result of this has been that almost all centres now enforce the full 24 contact week. The number of Young Learner classes has also increased massively over the last few years. So a typical daily schedule might consist of a Kids class, followed by a Teens class and rounded off with an Adults class in the evening, by which time you'll already feel pretty whacked, if you're normal, that is.
Another feature that's gathered momentum over years is the LDP or Learning & Development Plan. It's almost universally hated by all teachers as something completely useless and unnecessary. Most teachers are already studying for a DELTA, CELTYL or even an MA, so the last thing they want is this extra workload to prove they're not wasting their time. That, and innumerable in-house sessions, called INSETTs.
Of course, you can argue that that is normal for most large companies or organisations. Perhaps so. Nevertheless, the overall effect has been to make working as a teacher for the BC a much more pressurised and stressful experience than it was in bygone times. Be prepared!
In this post, let's quickly look at the workload or scheduling side of things. In the old days, most centres had relatively few contact hours, typically between 19 and 21, with only a few Young Learner classes. This was a very manageable amount, and any teacher could really concentrate on upholding the BC ideals of quality classes, because you had time to prepare and weren't under the same kind of stress and pressure as some of the "factory line" schools. A great example of this was in Japan, where lots of teachers in the Council had idyllic set ups, while teachers in the big conversation schools or Eikaiwa's, as they're locally known, like Shane and Nova, had hugely stressful schedules, and for a lot less pay. This was a major reason why working for the BC was a kind of Holy Grail at the time, the early part of the millennium.
However, around 2010, a new policy came into place, with the idea that funding from London would be decreased, and teaching centres would be expected to fund themselves. This resulted in most centres having to rationalise, since they were now basically expected to run as successful businesses. Exactly how this fitted into the BC's status as a registered charity is unclear, for from this point on they certainly seem to be competing in the marketplace just like any other school, if they're weren't already. One of the result of this has been that almost all centres now enforce the full 24 contact week. The number of Young Learner classes has also increased massively over the last few years. So a typical daily schedule might consist of a Kids class, followed by a Teens class and rounded off with an Adults class in the evening, by which time you'll already feel pretty whacked, if you're normal, that is.
Another feature that's gathered momentum over years is the LDP or Learning & Development Plan. It's almost universally hated by all teachers as something completely useless and unnecessary. Most teachers are already studying for a DELTA, CELTYL or even an MA, so the last thing they want is this extra workload to prove they're not wasting their time. That, and innumerable in-house sessions, called INSETTs.
Of course, you can argue that that is normal for most large companies or organisations. Perhaps so. Nevertheless, the overall effect has been to make working as a teacher for the BC a much more pressurised and stressful experience than it was in bygone times. Be prepared!
