Africa-Press – Eswatini. There are 365 teachers in the Mbabane corridor who are interested in teaching in Taiwan.
This was confirmed by the Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM). According to go-overseas, an average salary for an English teacher in Taiwan is E32 400 (US$1 800) rising to E63 000 (US$3 500) per month. As a result of the MCM’s bilateral exchange agreement with the Kaohsiung City of Taiwan, job opportunities were offered to emaSwati. However, it has been learnt that the Kaohsiung City has an opening for five teachers. It effectively means 360 teachers will not be considered for the vacant posts in Taiwan.
Migrate
This could also mean a number of teachers who were hoping to migrate for teaching jobs at the Republic of China (Taiwan) might have to cross their fingers really tight. The competition is too stiff, it has been observed. The posts are mainly for English teachers. Lucky Tsabedze, the MCM Information and Public Relations Officer, said they received an overwhelming response from Mbabane teachers up until the day of the deadline for submissions of applications.
The closing day of submissions was on January 16, 2024. Tsabedze did disclose in an interview with Eswatini News that the MCM received a total of 365 applications from teachers around Mbabane. Taiwan Embassy Secretary Nasiim Ke confirmed that there was an opening for only five teachers.“Five candidates will be taken this year, for the years to come it will depend on the arrangement between the two cities,” she said.
“While it is true that for many emaSwati, their interest of going there is job opportunities, the city is also a good place for an escape for holiday makers.”
Attracting
Known as Taiwan’s Maritime Capital, Kaohsiung is a tourist attracting city with its breath taking urban landscape beautification. It is also a city known for fishing. Ke said the successful teachers would also have to wait for some months as the country’s curriculum starts in September. “There are two semesters in Taiwan,” she explained, adding that the first one starts in September while second begins in February.
She said the selected five teachers were expected to start in September 2024. The secretary said the recruited teachers would be afforded welfare and job security, including housing. She said the teachers would be taken care of in line with their contracts of employment. She further explained that the contracts would ensure that all these factors would be taken care of, as agreed between the two parties.
Ke said the contracts stipulated what the employer would offer the employee. “Through agreement, the two parties will know what is expected from the other,” she said. If a teacher agrees to stay on provided houses, she said they would be taken as such or reimbursed on an agreed amount if ever a teacher would choose to stay at a different place.“The schools will either provide accommodation or subsidy to teachers,” Ke said.
Desperate
Weighing in on the matter, the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General (SG), Lot Vilakati, said the number of applicants that applied for these jobs showed that emaSwati were desperate for jobs.
Vilakati said there was a migration of teachers for better offers overseas in countries like Taiwan.
He said this was happening because government had not provided employment. Vilakati said Eswatini could not afford a brain- drain because of its small economy. “Even the teachers who are living, yes it is for betterment, are sell-outs,” he said. The SG said the job offers in Taiwan had been pinned for E50 000 salaries at entry level.
He said this was a very good pay considering the salaries those teachers have been getting in the country.
Vilakati said there was no tangible evidence to that effect, as there was no teacher who has shown them their salary advice. If more teachers of one particular subject were to leave en masse, he said it could create a vacuum in the public sector. He maintained their call for the government to create 4 000 permanent jobs.
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