Way back when I started teaching here, before teaching in private schools was foreseeable in my future, I heard gossip on the anonymous English sites that private schools won’t hire teachers currently employed by other private schools in their area as a kind of gentlemen’s agreement. Now that I’m in one, it seems to me I see coworkers coming and going from other private schools all the time. I see no direct evidence that any kind of no-poaching rule exists. And yet there do seem to be a lot of weird backroom agreements between some private schools, so maybe it’s plausible, just not as the gossip portrayed it?
Does anyone have any facts on the matter to enlighten?
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This is not the case. In fact, every person I know in the private school world has jumped ship to another school at some point in their career.
Perhaps this is more an Ekaiwa thing, or just a local thing perhaps. I know where I work several teachers have moved between the two big private schools here.
I’ve sort of run into this, twice. It wasn’t exactly a no poaching rule, it was just that the principal of the school I was going to was friends with the principal of the school I was leaving, and wanted the transition to be as smooth as possible. Before I could get a job at my new school, I had to find my replacement at my old school. A similar sort of thing happened when I made the jump from public to private.
The private high/ junior school I use to work at would actively try and poach teachers from different schools.. and my wife still works in the office so I hear all the inside gossip
I assumed something similar. However, some private schools set limits on the duration of their teachers (i.e. 3 years is usually the go to number). This is all a game they play so they don’t have to offer you tenure. Some private schools strictly follow the 1 year contract rule etc. I still wouldn’t tell my current employer where I am going (say from X private school to Y private school). But I do know quite a few teachers who have been shuffling around from one school to another every few years.
I imagine pay is a factor. However, most schools follow a structed payout system. Which is based on # of years (holding a license) combined with age. So usually there isn’t too much of a difference when it comes to direct pay from “A private school” VS. “B private school.” However where the BIG difference lies is not actually in the monthly salary, but usually the bonuses awarded.
Most schools in Japan give two bonuses per year (June / Dec.). The bigger and more prestigious schools (i.e. famous schools in the big cities) tend to offer higher multiples for the bonus. The elite private schools can offer 3-4x monthly salary per bonus! While the more rural smaller schools (if lucky) MAY offer 1.0x… However, if you don’t have a lot of teaching experience, it may be worth first going into the countryside, getting the school to help you get a license etc, then moving to the big city and reap that $$.
My school (private ES, Gakuen) follows the ‘unwritten’ rule that they can’t poach from within the same ward/city etc. if the teacher is Full time Seishain (Haken/Part Time are exempt).
Not for foreigners on contract in my experience. The admin in question may talk to each other about it though, definitely heard about that happening. In my area even intl & Jp private school admin talk sometimes ….