Comments for TEFL School Reviews

Comment on YES (Yuwatoot Suksa) Thailand by ben2talk

ben2talk — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:04:03 +0000

So many Thai schools are going this way. I worked in 3 Kindergarten positions before. Generally I go to school one hour before teaching (in time for flag ceremony)at 7.50am and then leave school at either 3.30pm or at 4pm in my last position. 4pm makes for a much longer ending to the day (sitting around for two hours instead of just 90 minutes).

This school adds another hour – from 7.30 to 4.30 – and also expects people to stand on gate duty.

Before applying, they basically sent me an email telling me that I must first agree to be responsible to the co-ordinator, thai teacher and assistant, adjust my habits to fit the school’s requirements…

Wow, how many chiefs? Surely if I have a co-ordinator then I cannot be responsible also to the Assistants? Whenever conflicts arise, I am confident that I would always be the person who is wrong.

Desperate school – and far too inflexible in their thinking.

Comment on Rasami International School Thailand by Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:03:17 +0000

Yes, it does smell a bit there. I too worked there for a while and it was definitely smelly on more than one occasion. People who do not like smelly places should avoid working at Rasami International School and find a school which smells nice. I think smelly schools do have higher turnovers than ones that smell OK. which explains why the only staff who ever stay are the real stinky ones – the Head and his assistant!

Comment on Rasami International School Thailand by Supervisor from the old factory

Supervisor from the old factory — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:30:09 +0000

I worked there for a short while and it was OK, apart from being more than a bit smelly. Some days it got right up my nose, it did, and it is something I will remember for some time to come. Don’t go there unless you like smelly places. Things like that can have a lasting impact, with a kind of post bad smell syndrome affecting more people than you may think. It affects children too, so think twice before sending your offspring there, unless they are used to smelly places.

Comment on AEON Japan by Mark

Mark — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:37:01 +0000

Here here to everything said above. I have worked at a couple universities and for 2 other eikaiwas besides and AEON was a nightmare. There was a ton of unpaid overtime. It was not physically possible to do all they required within the given time, and I regularly worked 10+hour days. In the orientation we were told nothing of the sales pitches we would be held responsible for in the name of special classes, self-study material and “open Sundays”. Harassment and badgering by head teacher, office manager and favored NE teacher counterpart was so intimidating that the fellow before me lasted 5 just months, and the lady after me just one month and there had been a couple teachers who had pulled runners prior to this. Students were well aware that our school had a hard time hanging on to its teachers. The level of over the top animation they demanded was something like Sesame Street selling used cars; greed was the driver. The students were fine, but the company business is to get them to spend as much money as possible every chance possible, and foreign teachers are very expendable. Get it right or you’re gone, and they will try to squeeze blood out of your turnip. I finished my contracts and even got my bonus, and they didn’t chase me to the train station as I left, but their treatment of employees was ugly, brutal and probably illegal by American labor laws. ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER AEON.

Comment on Rasami International School Thailand by popeye

popeye — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:28:29 +0000

Was thinking of applying for post at Rasami “the sinking ship” but apparently the management are inept, neurotic and spiteful. A little birdy tells me that the paperwork is irrelevant, that the head hides behind his position and commands zero respect and that when staff realize there is a better world – they just do one.

Comment on YBM Education Korea by Your Loss

Your Loss — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:00:52 +0000

And they say Americans are rude…

Danny Kim of YBM is a poor representative of Korea!

YBM:

You Better Make sure you know what you’re getting into before signing a contract

YBM:

You Better not Masticate (masticate means chew, DKim)

Comment on The European Center Saudi Arabia by Tannhauser

Tannhauser — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:48:43 +0000

I work there and robustly defend the place because for all the poor attitude of the fat controllers at Riyadh HQ, the man on the front line Mr. A, is a decent chap and does the best job with little support and no thanks at all.

Often, the business is personalized and Mr. A takes a lot of flack from people. Alot of that is all over the internet.

What often doesn’t make the front pages however, are the stories of liars and cheats who take advantage of his good faith and generosity and do runners owing him and others loads of money.

The EC is small and quirky. It is not a branded outfit. It runs on a small budget and moves along thanks to the mostly good guys and the man driving forward the Panzerfaust.

You can live a spartan existence in Jubail and if you’re man enough you can survive the Saudi students who in spite of their gregarious nature are for the most part stroppy tossers.

The money is OK and you get paid more for time served or your qualifications. The housing is good in some places and pretty awful in others. The bad parts are often habited by rugged backpacker types and the nice places are where you meet the prissy hoity-toity types. There’s something for everyone!

Go on – give it a go… if you think you’re hard enough.

4 / 5

Comment on Hess Educational Organization Taiwan by Jon B

Jon B — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:46:55 +0000

UPDATE: Well, there is light at the end of the tunnel! I used to work for HESS, but I’m now working for a FAR better company here. A company where they communicate effectively and treat you with dignity and respect, and also where they pay WAY more than HESS! To give you an idea, HESS pay a miniscule $560NT per hour to start with, whereas the company I work for now pay $680NT per hour to start with, and they give you all kinds of additional cash bonuses every single month!! e.g. $2000NT attendance bonus!! and performance related bonuses per successful module of $5000NT!!!

DON’T WORK FOR HESS, THERE ARE MUCH BETTER OPTIONS AVAILABLE OUT THERE! SERIOUSLY, SAVE YOURSELF THE TIME AND EFFORT (AND POSSIBLE MISERY TOO)!!

Now that I’m not working for HESS I’m infinitely happier, and financially better off!

Comment on Kajonkietsuksa School Thailand by Pita

Pita — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:51:36 +0000

I have wanted to work for the school for some time. I have heard good and bad but then I have been teaching for 31 years. I have a degree in elementary education, certified all subjects grades 1-8, licensed in Texas, S. Korea, and Thailand. My room is my responsibility and I take it seriously. The only reason I did not consider a job offer there was the pay. You just can not live on the pay offered. If it wasn’t for the pay, I would be camped out on the door step for consideration. I like the vision of the school and the fact that they are serious about the children.

Comment on Assumption College Thailand by Pita

Pita — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:45:32 +0000

I have heard good things about Assumption. However, the problem that most of the foreign teachers have is the low pay. You can only survive on 35,000 a month. That has been the problem in the past with getting good teachers. I have a Degree in Education, certified and licensed Teacher in Texas, S. Korea and Thailand (Yes, I have it). My specialization is in English and Reading but I am certified to teach all subjects grades 1-8. I also have 31 years of teaching experience. I will not consider a job for less than 85,000 a month. Luckily, I make more than that. But I would consider Assumption if the money was right. I recommend the school for being a school.