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HCT Pay Out in Full - Blog to Close!
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2buckets



Joined: 14 Dec 2010
Posts: 515
Location: Middle East

PostPosted: Thu Apr 03, 2014 3:25 pm    Post subject: HCT Pay Out in Full - Blog to Close! Reply with quote

A blog that has been critical of HCT will closing soon due to payout after years of trying.

Posted by Suede Oasis:

"Yes, I am extremely happy to report that HCT have paid out the sum of almost $40,000 to secure the closure of this blog. This sum represents the gratuities that were denied to three former employees who were dismissed on false charges.

As a result of the above settlement, this blog will be closing down very soon, in accordance with the promise made to the HCT senior management. Certain postings will also be removed from the Dave's ESL Cafe website.

I would like to give my thanks to all the supporters of this blog - and its detractors - for their time and attention over the past years. Together, we have managed to prove that persistence does indeed work, and that the choking fumes of negative (but true) publicity can be used to positive effect."

I guess the negative PR from that site and maybe this one is causing enough recruiting problems to get this monkey off their back.
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republocrat



Joined: 14 May 2010
Posts: 70
Location: Stuck in Traffic on Airport Road

PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmm ... did you notice the date of posting?

It was April 1!

(PS: click on my www button for a shortcut)
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Solar Strength



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can someone explain the 2 posts above?

It's not clear to me if this is a joke website or a real website or if the OP has misunderstood the website also.

HCT has taken a lot of heat in recent years for questionable practices and having dumb people in key positions.

So is this just a ruse or is the website serious or not?
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2buckets



Joined: 14 Dec 2010
Posts: 515
Location: Middle East

PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Frankly, I took this as legitimate.

I really have no idea. Been out of western culture so long, April fools never crossed my mind.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I'm sure all will be revealed in time.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The blog has been around for a long time and the person who writes it was a member here at one time. Not sure if he left or got banned. There are at least two hate blogs related to HCT. People have been fired over the accusation that they were the owners or posters... and most of them didn't have anything to do with either blog.

Anyway... whether the last post is accurate or an April fool's joke... who knows. I took it as accurate.

VS
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2buckets



Joined: 14 Dec 2010
Posts: 515
Location: Middle East

PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Banned!
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Solar Strength



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 1:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

veiledsentiments wrote:
People have been fired over the accusation that they were the owners or posters... and most of them didn't have anything to do with either blog.


Are you serious - that's crazy. Wow.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Afraid so... that was a major purge a few years back, and some of those cut had been interviewed about the blogs and accused of being a party to it.

VS
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2buckets



Joined: 14 Dec 2010
Posts: 515
Location: Middle East

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agree with VS.

There is/was a terror campaign by the management regarding any criticism of the management or the policies of the school. Emails on the school email address and possibly personal email accounts are/were monitored.

Informers and "agent provocateur" are not unheard of.

HCT has always had a low morale problem among the faculty from the "Western liberal democracies" because of these activities by the management. Faculty from the areas surrounding the Gulf and the subcontinent took it in stride as these conditions often exist throughout their societies.

I think that this very forum is blocked, of not blocked, definitely monitored.

Hence the adage:"Keep your mouth shut and put your money in the bank."

Hard to believe, but true.


Last edited by 2buckets on Sun Apr 06, 2014 5:06 pm; edited 1 time in total
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 4:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As far as I know it isn't blocked, but it is definitely monitored (by many employers actually) which is why I always advise anonymity here if one is interested in working in the Gulf. Even the most innocuous (to us) comment can be twisted and misinterpreted by employers.

VS
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adorabilly



Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 430
Location: Ras Al Khaimah

PostPosted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

2buckets wrote:
Agree with VS.

There is/was a terror campaign by the management regarding any criticism of the management or the policies of the school. Emails on the school email address and possibly personal email accounts are/were monitored.

Informers and "agent provocateur" are not unheard of.

HCT has always had a low morale problem among the faculty from the "Western liberal democracies" because of these activities by the management. Faculty from the areas surrounding the Gulf and the subcontinent took it in stride as these conditions often exist throughout their societies.

I think that this very forum is blocked, of not blocked, definitely monitored.

Hence the adage:"Keep your mouth shut and put your money in the bank."

Hard to believe, but true.


It isn't blocked, but it is heavily monitored. If the management can determine who is posting they blacklist them. If the person is a current employee, they often find that they have bad performance reviews, or blocked career advancement with HCT.

If they are trying to get on with HCT, well then they are blacklisted and never allowed to interview for a position. This happened with me.

I never spoke badly about HCT, nor about RAK. In fact the opposite is true. I often defended their management and RAK on Daves... well that good work, that helping hand turned out to be a way to get blacklisted. The local branch has been telling teachers they need to recruit extra teachers for years... Teachers who aren't me apparently.

so a word to the wise if you want to work at HCT, do not let them know you are on Daves.

Though the rumor mill is stating that by 2020 HCT wants ALL local instructors, so many of the positions held by western faculty are being phased out to locals (who may or may not be qualified for them).
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2buckets



Joined: 14 Dec 2010
Posts: 515
Location: Middle East

PostPosted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 2:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Local, (Emirati) teachers, unfortunately probably won't be qualified. If they are, next problem is getting them to work everyday, on time, then to class on time.

Salary demands will also be a problem in recruiting locals.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't see it happening anytime soon for the mentioned reasons, but also... are the Emirati women going to teach at the Men's Colleges? How many families would accept that?

VS
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adorabilly



Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 430
Location: Ras Al Khaimah

PostPosted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That I don't know.

But I do know that they are starting a 'mentoring' program and they intend to hire 170 locals as instructors across the 17 schools. They are talking about training up the locals to take over the classes by 2020.
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So, the question is - is that 20/20 vision or do they need a seeing-eye dog? Very Happy

Regards,
John
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