Nice equivocating at the end:
“No matter what nation you’re teaching in, there are going to be things that we need to be thoughtful about,” he said. “Even in American classrooms, there are things you cannot discuss.”
“No matter what nation you’re teaching in, there are going to be things that we need to be thoughtful about,” he said. “Even in American classrooms, there are things you cannot discuss.”
Anyways, as a hired and paid employee of VIPkid, you are required to follow their rules, like it or not. Otherwise, you can leave and teach somewhere else.
As a western European-American who has spent time residing in various Asian countries along the China<->anti-China political spectrum as well as both blue and red parts of the US, I really don't see a problem with VIPkid prohibiting discussion of culturally and politically sensitive issues in their classrooms. That's just about respect.
If you feel so strongly/morally opposed to China's actions and history, VIPkid is the wrong forum, even if you are seeking to effect change. After all, we already are in the midst of another Cold War.
Every year there’s someone who goes on a mission to talk about Tiananmen, Nanjing, Taiwan, and other things. They don’t know that it isn’t that the kids need to be educated about their past by westerners, but that the kids are already exposed to that info but don’t care because they’re kids and just don’t care about things like that. They’re only in English class to memorize a few phrases to help confused tourists or prepare for a future in international work.
Additionally, learning a language isn't just memorizing phrases but also understanding the culture and values behind it. If you don't at the very least understand the US/UK perspective on tyranny, it will be nearly impossible to comprehend a lot of 20th century English literature. "Big brother" is a relatively common phrase that I don't think is possible to explain in an entirely Chinese government sanctioned way.
I'm not sure how relevant going over these issues specifically is for teaching English, but in my experience Chinese culture is extremely different from English culture and there are almost inevitably going to many conflicts.
This startup is for us citizens. Students should be taught English in the way it’s spoken in the states; not some China-ok’d version. Taking a step back, the whole idea of a Chinese company teaching English primarily for US citizens is smelly to begin with. Sounds like all future students should stay away.
Primary reason is probably entrance examination, no?
Respect for democracy in Taiwan? Respect for the innocent victims of the May 35th massacre?