Workplace Harassment Awareness from a BC School District

Below is an informational newsletter sent to new teachers in a British Columbia school district. The purpose of this newsletter is to inform new teachers on workplace harassment, including how harassment is defined, and how to deal with it when it occurs. Each new teacher in the district is required to complete a quiz after reading this newsletter, designed to test their understanding and awareness of workplace harassment. 

It is important to note that not only is harassment not allowed in this school district, but it clearly states that harassment is a direct violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Labour Code, and the BC Human Rights Act. The administrators at Tianjin TEDA Maple Leaf International School are therefore criminal offenders due to their actions of harassment in the workplace. 

Another important point is that this newsletter states that "the employer has an obligation to its employees to provide harassment awareness training to all its employees at least once". Perhaps Maple Leaf can follow suit and provide its administrators and other employees with proper workplace harassment training. 

Education Canada Job Posting for Maple Leaf

We recently came across a very interesting job posting on educationcanada.com. Maple Leaf is expanding, so they are actively looking for principals to lead their new schools. What we found so interesting is the description of the duties of a Maple Leaf Principal. We wonder if this job description has always been the same, or if it has been revised to reflect many of the issues that have arisen at Maple Leaf Schools such as TTMLIS. We did not witness the following expectations being met by the administrative team at TTMLIS, including the Principal and the Superintendent of all Maple Leaf Schools. We hope that future administrators at Maple Leaf will meet the expectations listed below.


Here are the expected duties of a Maple Leaf Principal that were not fulfilled at TTMLIS:

 - Generally supervises the affairs and day-to-day operations of the School by ensuring the smooth management of the organization, operations and resources for a safe, efficient and effective learning environment:

 - Addresses current and potential issues in a timely manner.

 - Implements effective preventive and corrective discipline procedures with teachers and staff members to ensure that school rules and policies are upheld and maintained.

 - Provides initial orientation and ongoing training and guidance for Canadian teachers regarding their development of an understanding of and respect for Chinese lifestyle, traditions and cultural expectations, MLES policies and rules, the Chinese teachers and staff members.

 - Acts with integrity, fairness and in an ethical manner: - Demonstrates ethical and professional behavior with the MLES Board of Directors, administrators, teachers, students, parents and community.

 - Demonstrates the values, beliefs and attitudes that inspire others to higher levels of performance. - Demonstrates respect for divergent opinions.

 - Upholds and complies with all School policies.

 - Provides professional leadership by example in dress and appearance, conversation, behavior, deportment and respect for Maple Leaf International Schools’ requirements and Chinese traditions and cultural expectations.


Job posting found at: http://www.educationcanada.com/browse.phtml/browse.phtml?sid=bc&eid=562&jid=118931&a=jlp

Vancouver Sun Article: Sweeping New Rules for BC Offshore Schools

Sweeping New Rules for BC Offshore Schools Draw Praise, Caution by

Vancouver Sun Article: New Rules for Offshore Schools

After the abusive administrators at TTMLIS continuously harassed and threatened several teachers, they were reported to the Chinese Education Bureau, Foreign Affairs Bureau, Labor Bureau, American and Canadian Embassies, the BC ministry of Education, the Teacher Regulation Branch and the Vancouver Sun. Within the two months of their outspoken objections to the working conditions and making people aware of what is really going on at these schools, the BC ministry of Education has made sweeping changes in their policies for offshore schools, which were published this week. They are creating stricter regulations for the schools to abide by so they will be operating more appropriately including: providing safer schools, making the schools more accountable for following human rights laws, making sure they are actually teaching the BC curriculum, and allowing unannounced inspections by the education inspectors at anytime. These changes will improve the quality of education being provided to the students as well as the quality of life for the teachers.

Vancouver Sun Article: New Rules for Offshore Schools by

Vancouver Sun Article: Grade Inflation, Contract Violations

Below is the first article published in the Vancouver Sun on November 23rd, 2012, making people aware of the complaints by several Maple Leaf teachers. The teachers are BC certified, and American certified.

Teachers Allege Grade Inflation, Contract Violations by

taken from: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Teachers+allege+grade+inflation+contract+violations+certified+school+China/7603331/story.html

Vancouver Sun Article: More Teacher Complaints About BC Certified School in China

This article is a follow up to the first, addressing additional concerns from teachers who also contacted the Vancouver Sun in regards to poor business practices and sub par educational standards at Maple Leaf.

More Teacher Complaints About BC Certified School in China by

Taken from: http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/11/29/more-teacher-complaints-about-a-b-c-certified-school-in-china/

Vancouver Sun Article: BC Offshore School Stories Spark Heated Debate

Below is a Vancouver Sun article addressing additional concerns by past and present teachers at Maple Leaf. The article also quotes someone in support of Maple Leaf, who worked at the Dalian campus and has no association with the Tianjin campus, which is the school that is having the most issues and causing the most hubbub about the lack of educational standards at offshore schools.

BC Offshore School Stories Spark Heated DIscussion by

Taken from:http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/11/30/b-c-offshore-school-stories-spark-heated-discussion/