Chatteris Educational Foundation

Chatteris International Graduate Programme - Terms and Conditions

As a Chatteris CNET you will be making a real difference in the lives and learning of the Chinese school children you work with and at the same time enhancing your personal growth, confidence, leadership skills and flexibility. You will also have the opportunity to develop a lasting insight into the Hong Kong and Chinese culture and to form lifelong international friendships. Please remember that Chatteris is a charitable organisation, while our positions are paid, we expect our employees to come to Hong Kong primarily for the experience.

Salary: CNETs receive HK$13000 per month (Approximately US$1650, other currencies subject to fluctuation of exchange rate) for the duration of the contract. Please note that the general cost of living in Hong Kong is much lower than your home country (e.g. UK, US and Canada ). The salary in Hong Kong may go a lot further and may give you a standard of life equivalent to that of someone earning much more in your home country.

Duration: The CNET contract is 9-months long, from 1st September to 31st May. However, CNETs are required to arrive in mid-August for orientation.

Orientation and on-the-job training: Upon arrival in Hong Kong orientation is provided by Chatteris to all CNETs. Orientation covers basic TESL methods and the Chatteris Approach to teaching. However, most importantly it offers hands-on teaching experience with Hong Kong students in a local school allowing CNETs to localise their training and begin to understand their new environment. The two-week orientation period also allows CNETs to find suitable accommodation (accommodation provided but no salary during orientation period). There will also be ongoing seminars, workshops and tutorials throughout the year, some of which are mandatory.

Flights and Accommodation: As a charitable organisation Chatteris is unable to provide flights. Accommodation is provided only for the first two weeks of the programme during orientation training. After this period you will be responsible for finding your own accommodation in Hong Kong. Chatteris has a lot of experience in finding suitable accommodation in Hong Kong and will help CNETs to find appropriate and affordable accommodation near to their schools. It is possible to find 2-bedroom flats for around HK$5000 - $8000 per month. Although the initial two-week period seems short, there will be plenty of time to sort out accommodation.

Working hours: There is a standard 40 hour, 5-day working week. Approximately one third of this time will be spent on teaching lessons (20-25 lessons of approximately 40 minutes per week), the other one third of the time will be spent doing extra-curricular activities and helping students to speak English out of class, another one third of the time will be spent on planning and preparing for lessons and activities, documentation and logistics. While Chatteris works hard to ensure fair working hours for all its employees, please be aware that as with any full time job you will occasionally be requested to complete tasks for schools that will require additional hours. Schools are allowed to ask you to work at evenings or weekends (on English Funfairs, Open Days or Parent Evenings, for example) for a total of 3 sessions, after which they must provide you with time off (compensation leave). You are also expected to help and support at least one Chatteris promotional session in a school per year.

Holidays: You will enjoy all Hong Kong public holidays. Please click here to view the list of public holidays in Hong Kong. You will also enjoy 6 days of annual leave within the 9 month contract to be taken during Christmas, Chinese New Year and Easter school holidays. If you have good performance, attendance and punctuality, both Chatteris and the school will grant you extra holidays to be taken during school holidays. Each school schedules its own holidays, CNETs can expect up to 30 days’ holiday during the nine month programme. Click here to view the estimated number of holidays for CNETs.

Deposit: Upon acceptance of a position offered by Chatteris, you are required to pay a deposit of HK$2000. The amount of HK$2000 will be returned to you at our discretion following full completion of the contract and observance of the departure procedures of your school and Chatteris.

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