The education departments in England and Scotland and the British Council have agreed a strategy for the support of the study of Mandarin Chinese through direct access to native speakers, school linking and collaborative activities. Qualified and experienced teachers from China are recruited to act as Chinese language assistants. Since 2001 the progamme has been supported by the HSBC Education Trust.
All schools, sixth form colleges and colleges of further education are eligible to apply for the services of a Chinese language assistant. Schools in Wales and Northern Ireland may apply for a Chinese assistant, but will need to cover additional costs on top of the salary (see below).
The host school must pay the assistant’s salary for a minimum of 10 months at rates set by the DCSF/SEED each year. In 2007-2008* the salary for 12 teaching hours per week is £819.50 per month, from which National Insurance contributions are deducted. Assistants working in the London area receive an extra cost of living allowance to offset higher accommodation and transport costs. Teachers from China are exempt from UK income tax. The 2008-2009 salary in Scotland is £980 per month.
(England and Scotland only) The Chinese assistants’ travel and visa costs are paid for through the British Council.
*The FLA allowance is linked to the teachers’ pay scales for England. The pay scales for 2008-09 are still subject to statutory consultation and parliamentary clearance. It is therefore likely that these will be confirmed in August/September. The rates shown below are based on 2007/2008.
January Information and request forms are sent out to institutions
end Feb/end March Completed request forms (England, Scotland) are returned to the British Council
March/April Requests are assessed and the number of assistants required is identified and relayed to the British Council in China
April Interviews and selections take place in China
May/June Host schools receive information about their assistants
June Mentor teachers briefing day
June Host schools (England) and Local Authorities (Scotland) make contact with their assistants and send the offer of employment letter and a copy of school’s prospectus.
September Assistants arrive at Heathrow and arrive at their host schools after an orientation meeting at the British Council in London
September The Chinese assistants will be met at Heathrow by representatives from the British Council and will attend a three-day induction course in London, which will cover all the essential administrative procedures and an introduction to the UK school system. At the end of the course, they will be taken to the station and should be met by a host teacher at their destination.
November Assistants will be invited to a one-day in-service training course at the British Council in London. Travel expenses are covered at no cost to the assistant or school (England and Scotland only).
February Assistants will be invited to a one-day training course ate the British Council in London. Travel expenses are covered at no cost to the assistant or school (England and Scotland only).
Schools in England wanting to employ a Chinese language assistant, should complete the Chinese assistant request form for England (MS Word)
Schools in Scotland wanting to employ a Chinese language assistant, should complete the Chinese assistant request form for Scotland (MS Word).
Schools in Wales and Northern Ireland should contact us on 020 7389 4955 or e-mail assistants@britishcouncil.org
Requests for the academic year 2007-2008 should be submitted as early as possible and at the latest by 31 March 2007 to the relevant British Council office. This is marked on the request form.
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