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Filmstar
Joined: 13 Dec 2012 Posts: 21
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 6:36 am Post subject: 5 reasons NOT to WORK for the CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL VERONA |
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1. It's an old, decaying, decrepit building with old, decayed, decrepit resources (not to mention an old, decayed, decrepit owner.)
2. The Italian staff i.e secretaries etc are cold and unfriendly which is a disease that has spread from the totalitarian boss down.
3. They expected me to drive the most dangerous, shockingly unroadworthy cars you've ever seen, 30 year old fiat pandas, falling apart, indicators not working, no side mirrors etc. in chaotic Italian traffic.
4. When I refused to drive their cars and gave notice they tried to NOT PAY ME.
5. The female boss is Hitler incarnate.
Nuff said.
Verona is beautiful. Work there. But FIND ANOTHER SCHOOL!
Last edited by Filmstar on Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:58 am; edited 1 time in total |
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xapis
Joined: 13 Jan 2013 Posts: 2 Location: Italy
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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Hi,
I'd be interested to know when you worked at this school so I can put this in perspective and find out whether you are referring to current premises (I believe they have moved recently) and staff or ex buildings and staff!
Many thanks! |
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Filmstar
Joined: 13 Dec 2012 Posts: 21
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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I worked there over a year ago, so if they have new premises, great.
However, beware if it hasn't changed owners. If it's still owned by an Italian woman working for her mother, she is Hitler's lovechild, and will force you to drive crappy old life-threatening cars which I wouldn't be seen dead in (or probably would have been seen dead in had I agreed to drive one) and who will do everything in their power to make you work a grueling 30 contact hours per week and withhold your salary until they run out of excuses not to pay you.
Be warned.
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xapis
Joined: 13 Jan 2013 Posts: 2 Location: Italy
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Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 11:11 am Post subject: |
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Just to clarify, I deleted my previous question as there was some confusion about the name of the school, and my post referred to another school.
My previous post on this thread is now also irrelevant.... |
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mephi
Joined: 06 Apr 2013 Posts: 11
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Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2016 11:01 am Post subject: |
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Is there any update on this school?
They are advertising right now, and it would be an interesting city to live in for a while ....
Does anybody know the current situation there?
Thanks in advance for any advice. |
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siologen
Joined: 25 Oct 2016 Posts: 336
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2016 1:05 pm Post subject: re: cultural and societal problems |
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Quote: |
2. The Italian staff i.e secretaries etc are cold and unfriendly which is a disease that has spread from the totalitarian boss down.
3. They expected me to drive the most dangerous, shockingly unroadworthy cars you've ever seen, 30 year old fiat pandas, falling apart, indicators not working, no side mirrors etc. in chaotic Italian traffic.
4. When I refused to drive their cars and gave notice they tried to NOT PAY ME.
5. The female boss is Hitler incarnate. |
It is pretty shocking that in a country that is a member of the EU in 2016, a person should have to endure things like this. My sympathies are with you if this is what you are currently dealing with, or had to deal with in the past.
There can be nothing worse than a cold and unfriendly environment where you dread to set foot into each day to begin work. The traffic there seems to be insane, and probably much worse driving and road safety standards than many other EU countries I would wager? Trying not to pay is an intimidatory tactic used in many countries that used to be dictatorships, it's their way of letting you know who is the boss, but in countries that have been democracies much longer, this would be completely unacceptable.I think I would never teach EFL in Italy, or even visit there, I can honestly say I have heard or read nothing good about the place to endear it to me (personally!), nothing at all. I would say definitely avoid it as a place for teaching english, seems to be totally unrewarding and could leave one out of pocket, again, that is just me.
Good luck. |
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YellowMoon
Joined: 24 Nov 2016 Posts: 4
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Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2017 10:39 am Post subject: |
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Well what can I say, this is the second year I've been at the Cambridge School and to say those 5 points are harsh is an understatement:
1: Yes, the building is old but we're in the old Roman town so every single building is old in the area. As to the owner, she is an old lady, who founded the school more than 50 years ago and who gave me employment. Branding her as “decrepit” is just insulting.
2: Unless the secretaries were different five years ago, I find them quite friendly and helpful.
3: This in Northern Italy, traffic is not chaotic. The fleet of cars is reasonable and because of the increasing number of American teachers the school now has an automatic car, too. We don’t drive Ferraris but all the cars are MOTed and work fine.
4: Well, I can't refuse any work as I'm employed by the school and I agreed terms before signing, and that includes driving. I assume it is pretty normal that if a worker refuses to work they will not be paid (let alone losing their jobs, in every walk of life). Things are different for those teachers who work as freelancers but I chose to have a full-time contract which gives me paid holidays.
5: What can I say, unless we are talking about a different person, It is simply not true.
I would imagine the original poster had personal issues during her stay here because all this bitter criticism can't be explained otherwise.
Personally, I hope to be here next year as well. |
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