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EF-Beykent University?
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Listener



Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 140
Location: Istanbul

PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent post.
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istanbul1000



Joined: 24 Oct 2009
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

But who is to blame for the mess? EF or Beykent? Did they know about the change in the law in advance? or are they just lazy? Are there any Beykent techers still working there who could answer this interesting question?
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svenhassel



Joined: 04 Aug 2006
Posts: 188
Location: Europe

PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 11:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The word on the street is, they knew about the change and ignored it until they were advised against breaking the law by lawyers.
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istanbul1000



Joined: 24 Oct 2009
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 12:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is EF still the best place to work in Istanbul?
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Listener



Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 140
Location: Istanbul

PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 6:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hear better things about British Side, but can't speak from experience.

Took a look at Oxford House College (new mgt, now in Beyoglu and Kadikoy) and they seem to be an up and comer.... hear they are paying on time and over 20tl/lesson to both Turks and foreigners (which I find very fair, good for them!)
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Ruffle the cat



Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Posts: 32
Location: different counties

PostPosted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 2:18 pm    Post subject: work permits with EF language school in Istanbul Reply with quote

When I worked at EF 2 years ago. They didn't get me a work permit (first time in 12 yrs of teaching without one) The excuse was they didn't have enough money in their account to transfer it to mine so I could prove I had enough money to get the permit.
The people who did get it were ones who had their own money in their bank accounts and went to get the permit themselves. Me I didn't want to bring that amount of money to Turkey.
Ofcourse they had promised to get the permit when they hired me, was working in another country and was legal there like all the countries I had worked in in the last 12 yrs/
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istanbul1000



Joined: 24 Oct 2009
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 12:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Has anyone in EF got a work permit?
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svenhassel



Joined: 04 Aug 2006
Posts: 188
Location: Europe

PostPosted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 6:49 am    Post subject: The plot thickens Reply with quote

Work permits are being arranged through a British company, apparently. As I understand it, Staff will be given permits as if they were working for this company and not EF. No explanation for this has been given. Beykent staff were told they would have these permits "next week", that was about three months ago.

So, no, nobody has a work permit but it is constantly in some kind of pipeline.

Also on the horizon, apparently everyone is going to get an international account, some have interpreted this to be an off shore account. Staff are waiting to hear why this is happening and why their wages cannot be paid into their existing Turkish accounts. No explanation has been given.

Communication between staff and management has weakened a little this year as meetings which were chairpersoned by EF management are now chairpersoned by teachers who are called level coordinators. Therefore information traffic tends to be one way, as in management release information as and when it becomes available and do not respond to questions.
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Harvey



Joined: 12 Dec 2009
Posts: 39

PostPosted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Listener wrote:
I hear better things about British Side, but can't speak from experience.

Took a look at Oxford House College (new mgt, now in Beyoglu and Kadikoy) and they seem to be an up and comer.... hear they are paying on time and over 20tl/lesson to both Turks and foreigners (which I find very fair, good for them!)


That is 8 pounds an hour -that is a joke.
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tarte tatin



Joined: 02 Mar 2007
Posts: 247
Location: Istanbul

PostPosted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am guessing that problems have occurred, payments into bank accounts being traceable and the payees having no work permits.

The bizarre thing at EF is that although work permits are not usually forthcoming, a member of EF staff accompanies new teachers to the emniyet to sort out their residence visas. I don't know how the emniyet doesn't work out that a constant flow of employees are escorted through the doors but work permits are not applied for.

On a related note, I read last year in Timeout Magazine that the Turkish government does not tax English teachers, does anyone know if this is true? Obviously illegal teachers can't be taxed, but are there any legal teachers out there paying tax?
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SAM31



Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 18
Location: ISTANBUL

PostPosted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

To be honest I don't think the Emniyet knows where their own arse is excuse me. They would be incapable of following anything at all.

I also think EF is probably still the best language school to work at even though work permits apparently aren't as forthcoming as they used to be- it likely comes down to cashflow- economic crisis has prob affected them too with companies not paying and such.

As to why private unis would contract out to a language school-?
A combination of money and time/ trouble- its cheaper (lang school salaries being cheaper than private uni ones) and they can probably get more hours out of them for the money, and as someone else said above- they don't have to bother with any permit guff, recruiting, getting rid of teachers, paid holidays, scheduling etc etc

Hopefully they'll sort themselves out...
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istanbul1000



Joined: 24 Oct 2009
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

But is it true that EF is the best organisation to work for?
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billy orr



Joined: 15 Jul 2009
Posts: 229

PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tarte tatin wrote:
On a related note, I read last year in Timeout Magazine that the Turkish government does not tax English teachers, does anyone know if this is true? Obviously illegal teachers can't be taxed, but are there any legal teachers out there paying tax?


Deductions from my pay are 1100TL in tax and 1560TL social security. There is also an employer's social security contribution of 900TL. The state gives itself more than it gives me!
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canadashirleyblue



Joined: 06 May 2007
Posts: 162

PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 2:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I worked (briefly) for EF at the Beykent primary site in October 2009. It was the worst experience of my life. I have taught for around 30 years.

5 of us were hired to work there beginning in late September. By the end of October all had gone. The smart ones (most of the 5) left immediately.

We were promised that our flights would be (partially) reimbursed. They didn't have to do this because the staff either left or were fired before the probationary period was up.

We had to lay out the equivalent of 4 months rent in advance ( 2 months deposit, the first month and an equivlent amount to the guy who found the flat).

I never got a work permit. I never had any gas (no hot water or cooking) in my flat because neither the landlord or EF was prepared to arrange it and I couldn't because of the work permit issue and I don't speak Turkish.

I have NEVER met such badly behaved children. This is a place where the inmates run the assylum. The kids play chase and fight and run through the halls at break and then just continue the same thing during the lesson. They are unteachable. The school doesn't care. They just like to collect the cash from the warm bums on the chairs. My subjective estimate is that around 5% of the kids were interested in learning. The staff were all having difficulty but of course, they don't want to say so because they need to keep their jobs.

On the positive side the school meals were good and the cleaning staff were excellent. The administration of this place is absolutely hopeless. If OFSTED were to visit they would have a coronary before they even got through the door because of safety issues regarding the buses and the lack of security.

If this is the best Istanbul has to offer my advice is to give it a pass.
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doner



Joined: 21 Jan 2010
Posts: 179

PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did you have to queue up in your own time at the Adem Celik Group of Companies offices to be shouted at while you got your money in cash in an envelope and sign a piece of paper that you were not allowed to leave?
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