Room and Board (Paid Program)

Living Conditions

Since we work with both public and private schools, your school could be a boarding school where the children live and eat on the school campus; a school where students travel home on weekends; or a public school where the students come and go every day. Private schools often have more resources and are able to provide a step-up in apartments. Both public and private schools offer very reasonable and sanitary living conditions.

What will my apartment be like in China?

The school is responsible for providing a free, clean, furnished, climate-controlled (meaning heat and AC, which is not common in China) apartment. However, be aware that Chinese heating and AC sources may not be as efficient as you are accustomed. Though the apartment is heated, it may still be ‘cool’ in your standards. Remember that you are living in a developing country. Utilities are an area of negotiations for some schools. Certain ones ask the teachers to cover their electricity each month, whereas others will automatically cover all expenses. Please be considerate and do not waste water or electricity, especially when the school is covering the costs.

The layout style of each apartment differs regarding the number of bedrooms and whether or not a kitchen is provided. All apartments are contracted to have a private bathroom and shower with a western-style toilet. However, there are a few schools that are still ‘modernizing,’ and might have ‘squatter’ toilets. Most furnishings include a TV, VCD/DVD player, telephone, bed with coverings, wardrobe cabinet, desk, chair/couch, refrigerator, computer with internet access, and a washing machine. China Horizons, however, cannot guarantee each of these amenities. All of the rooms are private with a lock and key issued to the foreign teacher.

Meals

What will the eating conditions be like?

Some schools offer free meals at the cafeteria on campus, while others expect teachers to pay for their own meals out of their monthly living allowance/salary. Schools without cafeterias and the means to feed teachers will provide a kitchen in the apartment for the teacher to cook independently. If the school provides a kitchen with the apartment and a teacher would rather cook independently than eat at the cafeteria for free, then the teacher is responsible for all grocery costs. Be aware that the cafeteria food is Chinese food and varies vastly from western tastes. Sometimes it takes several weeks to become accustomed to this change of diet. Much of the Chinese diet consists of noodles, rice, steamed/deep fried meat and vegetables, fish, chicken, pork, and beef. Most teachers LOVE the food and miss it. You will most likely be asked to try something very ‘foreign.’ What you eat is up to you. Just be polite about it.