Footprints Recruiting

I am proudly of Aboriginal descent. I have been told that I won't get a job because I am not white or that I will be paid less because of this fact. Is this true? If so, why would you as a company perpetuate these beliefs and comply with these overly racist policies?

It is really important to know the facts. First. Footprints is an equal opportunity recruiting company. Our preferences are based on credentials and qualifications not sex, age or colour of skin. We espouse the values of diversity and equality. These qualities are good for learning, and it's important for students learning English to be exposed to the fullest spectrum of English cultures, and this is essential for building healthy communication around the world.

Discrimination in some of the countries we work in is an issue we deal with every day. The governing policies and the cultural awareness is very different than many Western countries. This is a very frustrating fact. We want to make sure that all teachers we represent are fully aware of all these factors before accepting a position and going to a country and situations that they might feel uncomfortable. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, sexual orientation or any other factor. We represent teachers from all walks of life and we will endeavour all means to find employment for all teachers accepted by our Recruiting Department.

Frankly, to succeed abroad, non-Caucasian teachers have to be tougher, smarter, more accepting, more tolerant of ignorance, kinder, more patient, more confident, comfortable with being perceived as different by many, and possess a greater deal of wisdom than those around them. It's not fair, but it is real.

As compassionate recruiters we follow these mandates:

It's good for a school to have as diverse a staff as possible.
All good educational institutions need to consider the fight against ignorance a top priority.
Discrimination because of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, or religion is wrong.
English is spoken by people of many different races and cultures. English is much bigger than that; with only teachers from this limited group, students are only exposed to a limited perspective and capacity of English.

We have a responsibility to all of our teachers to provide them with a comfortable, supportive, work environment that is free from bias or hate.

Asian countries are largely ignorant of non-Caucasian cultures and their people. Negative stereotypes abound in all mass media; from newspapers to western movies. Fortunately things are changing. The American election of President Obama has been a tremendous catalyst for change. You would be absolutely gobsmacked to witness this change. It is amazing and we are proud to witness these changes first hand. We are also proud of our position in this industry and a leader in equality and a promoter of all teachers.

The bottom line is that if a teacher meets our criterion, we will do our best to try to get that person a job. We are non-discriminatory. We are simply looking for individuals that are eager to explore another country and culture, that are sincere about the opportunity to teach, and that they have energy and enthusiasm that will allow them to be the most successful teacher possible.

I appreciate this response. The answers are straight-forward, and I feel I have a deeper understanding of what to expect as a non-Caucasian, potential ESL teacher abroad. Thank you!!!!!

I would also like to add that Footprints has one of the best track records in the industry in terms of placing visible minority candidates. Of the hundreds of non-white candidates we have placed abroad over the years, we have never had any non-white teacher come back to us and say that they felt they were a target of racial discrimination while teaching overseas.
In addition, we try to use our position in the industry as a catalyst for change - placing a diversity of great English teachers abroad helps to show that you don't have to be blond haired and blue eyed to excel as an educator abroad.

See, I was told the same thing. I'm african american and that freaked me out. But I was speaking to a friend of mine who's brother taught in SK for two years and he never had an issue.

Hello,

Many of the countries that we place teachers in are very homogeneous. While western societies have units in school regarding diversity, or events like Black History Month, festivals or parades celebrating the richness of each culture and ethnicity, and their contribution to the communities we live in, the countries that we place teachers with do not. They are predominantly Han Chinese, or Korean, and lessons in diversity are not a priority in their education systems because the classrooms are not diverse. As a result, children grow up without much exposure to different cultures and to people with different backgrounds than their own.

Unfortunately, this can result in negative stereotypes and misconceptions.

The good news is that these countries are becoming used to interacting with people of a variety of backgrounds, and while there may still be issues that arise, it has changed dramatically in just a few short years, and will continue to change in the future.

The simple truth is that people will be people no matter where you go. This means that you will run into some of the most wonderfully kind and welcoming people in your travels, and you may run into people who think in stereotypes and have misconceptions about others. In this sense, countries like South Korea and China are not that different from Western countries. The experience that people have when they go to Asia may differ simply due to the people they have had been fortunate enough to meet along the way.

-Footprints