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Kids Club, Kangnam - nightmare or OK?

 
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Hagwon Muppet



Joined: 18 Mar 2003

PostPosted: Mon Apr 07, 2003 6:08 am    Post subject: Kids Club, Kangnam - nightmare or OK? Reply with quote

Anybody got any stories good or bad to relate about Kids Club schools and the Kangnam (Samsung Station) branch in particular?
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Lost Seoul



Joined: 10 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Mon Apr 07, 2003 10:00 pm    Post subject: Kids Club Reply with quote

Here are some previous posts about the Kids Club hagwons:

Not sure if the Kangnam branch is mentioned but even if it isn't it may give you some idea of how the franchise is run in general. Ask for the EMail addresses of the other foreign teachers at the institute and ask them what its like. Ask many questions, seek many opinions, then, finally, trust your own instincts.

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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=109379
Posted By: trying to help
Date: Tuesday, 26 February 2002, at 9:06 a.m.
In Response To: Kids Club, Omega corp? (????)
Hi, I just received a copy of my contract with Kids Club. Needless to say I won't be going. Hours of work are 10 am to 7 pm split shifts, Monday to Saturday, with mandatory attendance at staff meetings which will be posted at the directors discretion. Sunday??? Accomodations are shared only. This is a head office contract...which school I would be going to is not mentioned. A little math indicates I'd be expected to put in at least 6 days @ 9 hours a day. Even with a break midshift these are grueling hours for 1.8 m won/month. Overtime at 17,000 won? I don't think so!!! I wouldnt be able to unwind long enough to even consider doing overtime. If your contract reads like this I wouldn't recommend you go. If you got a better offer, let me know please? Good luck! Smile Hope this helps
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=109178
Re: Kids Club, Omega corp?
Posted By: Matt [email protected]
Date: Monday, 25 February 2002, at 6:59 a.m.
In Response To: Kids Club, Omega corp? (????)
I just came back from working at Kid's Club in Jisan Dong, Taegu. The children are the best and I loved them all. The owners and the management are less than to be desired. The extra paperwork you do is ridiculous. We had to do monthly lesson plans, of course your normal daily plans that's expected, evaluations of about 70-75 kids every other month, plan a yearly play to be presented to the parents, now there are 40 min classes instead of 50 and you teach 8-10 classes a day. Oh most of this paperwork is to be done on your time at home so you really don't stop working. I don't know about the other Kid's Club schools other than the amount of classes you teach being the same because the recent change in class time is Kid's Club wide.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=112816
My new roommate's getting screwed royally!
Posted By: Feel bad for the guy
Date: Tuesday, 19 March 2002, at 5:08 a.m.
My new (two weeks) roommate is from the U.S. He had signed a recruiter's contract to work at a school in Seoul. When he arrived in Seoul (at the airport) he was met by someone who told him there had been a change in plans and that he would be working in a smaller city, for less money. The person gave him a bus ticket to *this* city (I won't say which one yet). As soon as he got here, he was told by the school owner that he wasn't what they were looking for (they had requested a young female). The school told him that his recruiter would have to find a new school for him to work at. THIS IS THE KICKER! The guy has to work at the school ILLEGALLY while his recruiter 1. finds a new school for him to work at and 2. finds a replacement for him at our school. The recruiter has been dragging his ass for two weeks now, all the while my poor roommate has been working illegally FULL-TIME. My school, which has made it clear that he is not ideal, said to my roommate that they'd like him to get another 30-day extension on his visa. In other words "we don't want you, but we need a caucasian face in the meantime. Please work illegally". I told my roommate to demand a contract or a ticket home. Is he entitled to the ticket? Or does he have to foot the bill himself?
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=112978
Re: My new roommate's getting screwed royally!
Posted By: Daniel Myers [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, 19 March 2002, at 9:49 p.m.
In Response To: Re: My new roommate's getting screwed royally! (It's a great opportunity for him)
Hey gang, I'm the new roomate. Here's the sit.: The recruiter's name is EDA in Los Angelas which my parents have reported to the BBB there. More importantly, the name of the damned institution is Kids Club School in Suncheon. My recruiter SEEMS at this point to be working on my side. I quit today and he's paying for the ticket back to the US. Unfortunately, I have to pay the bus fare to Seoul to go to the US Embassy to get money wired from my parents to pay for the "lost" return ticket fee, which the school refuses to release. They never established a bank account for me or paid me any wages, just oh so eleemonsynary "advances."-In any case, I leave tommorow and hopes of coming back to Korea. -Just not in this oubliette of a school.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=113272
Re: Kids Club Apkujong--Info Please
Posted By: say no
Date: Thursday, 21 March 2002, at 10:09 a.m.
I have a friend who works there..I wouldn't recommend the school..the foreigners are not treated well at all.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=109573
Re: Kids Club
Posted By: I worked at Kangdong Kids Club!
Date: Wednesday, 27 February 2002, at 7:28 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Kids Club (trying to help)
Stay as far away as you can from that Psycho school.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=116642
Re: kids club ????
Posted By: sara
Date: Thursday, 4 April 2002, at 9:14 p.m.
In Response To: kids club ???? (miana)
Miana,
Depending on which Kid's Club you're planning on working at, I would like to suggest that you ask if your vacations and holidays are paid as mine are not. I naturally assumed that they were since I am from the US.
I also find that the contracted hours of 32.5 per week is not really what I'm working. There is quite a bit of overtime and honestly, I have no free time to pursue any outside activities. I know that many people say you can save quite a bit of money in Korea and for the most part, that's true. However, I did not come here to save money as much as I came to teach and enjoy the experience. With the hours that I'm currently working (plus overtime and mandatory meetings which are not paid and all the extra paperwork/prep you have to do for classes--also not paid), I find that I'm completely drained and I have no energy to do anything but go home and collapse at the end of the day. It's a bummer. So if you do sign, I would ask them to stipulate in the contract exactly how many hours overtime and maybe request that they put in no more than "blank" overtime hours per month. I'd also ask if your holidays/vacations are paid or not.
Hope this helps.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=116869
Re: My new roommate's getting screwed royally!
Posted By: Daniel Myers [email protected]
Date: Friday, 5 April 2002, at 11:27 p.m.
In Response To: Re: My new roommate's getting screwed royally! (Daniel Myers)
Update on this situation: The recruiter EDA was and is on my side. I would particularly like to thank Mr. Scott Lee, my recruiter, for "getting tough," as he put it, on the school and getting them to foist back over my return ticket. I would recommend EDA, as a recruiter, to anyone seeking a job in Korea. They stayed on my side when the going got tough and are presently actively seeking new employment for me at a more responsible institution.
On the flip side of the coin, STAY AWAY FROM KIDS CLUB IN SUNCHON. All that my roomate wrote (in this thread) is more or less true.-It all boils down to money and lies about it. The classrooms are crowded in the morning with 4 year old toddlers many of whom can barely hold a pencil. The class size is about 20. So, when I arrived, 72 hours w/o sleep and was confronted with a screaming hullabaloo and kids wetting their new school uniforms I didn't know what to think. It was complete chaos. Oh also, each room has a camera watching over you and the kids which are displayed on monitors downstairs which lends an Orwellian feel to the whole thing. I will say that the afternoon classes with the older kids were smaller and more fulfilling. I actually became attached to some of these kids in my abortive 3 week stay.-But here's how the school treated me. After about a week, they told me they were really looking for a girl so they weren't going to get a visa for me or establish a bank account or pay me a salary. All the money I got from came from "advances" for which I more or less had to beg. I spent $700.00 of my own money while I was there and, believe me, I hardly lived extravagantly. -Hand-to-mouth is more like it.-Then, I called my recruiter and the school changed its story to, "Well, it's really not that were looking for a girl it's that Daniel is too "nice" and lacks "technique." They actually told me that I needed to me more "evil-minded." What they meant is that they needed a zookeeper, not an educator. Their final story was that I was goofing off (I guess that includes the two days that I worked overtime when other teachers were sick.) and that the school was losing students because of me. The fact was my classes were INCREASING in size on a daily basis. But, of course, they still wanted me to stay on and get a 30 day extension on my passport. Make any sense? Sure beats having to pay somebody a salary, doesn't it? It all boils down to money, the money they don't want to pay you. Nor am I the only one @ KC Sunchon in this sort of boat, just the worst case. My apartment mate who originally wrote about this is now gone for similar reasons. And the married couple who'd been working there a year quit over the school's refusing to pay them the wages agreed upon in their contract. That leaves two teachers, unless they've hoodwinked some other poor soul. Avoid this place like you would a pit of vipers.
Again, my apologies for any aspersions cast upon EDA and Scott Lee who did all they could for me including actually getting them to pay (some) money to me before I departed.
-Daniel Myers
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=116924
Re: Kids Club, Omega corp?
Posted By: I feel for you, brother!
Date: Saturday, 6 April 2002, at 7:13 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Kids Club, Omega corp? (Matt)
I had a similiar experience and after a few months I had enough. Many of the teachers had 9" nails stuck up their arses! Needless to say, despite the kids it wasn't a very happy place. There is no sense of HAHA among the teachers. The intensity is scarry that it led to a boiling over at meetings. Another problem, besides the useless paperwork, thankful I don't have anymore at another school, the meetings were a waste of time. They started sometimes 30 to 60 minutes late. In the beginning, they were called without any notice. That's another point, stay away from schools that are only a couple of years old. The straw that broke the camels back, shit on the toilet seat. Yes, the 5 year olds used to always shit on the toilet seats because they weren't properly trained. I had enough! I can go on and on and on!
Management is poorly run and very new to the business. When a student leaves even though you tried your best the management goes analretentive.
My current school has had lots of students come and go and it's no problem. I had observations and the supervisor was rude in giving feedback and embarrassed me in front of my students instead of waiting until after to tell me what was wrong in my teaching. I have my CELTA and I was a newbie at the time. Pleas be careful, some LCI schools are excellent bur, this one was a disaster. For the sake of being being anon. I am not listing the school on the account of legal repercussion. Pleas be careful. About the only good thing was the 7 year olds. They behavied very well and I enjoyed teaching them.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=116854
kids club experiences
Posted By: mikey [email protected]
Date: Friday, 5 April 2002, at 10:19 p.m.
In Response To: kids club - suncheon (greg)
Hello, I am currently a kids club teacher at a school in daegu. i was wondering if any other kids club teachers had similar experiences to mine, regarding payment of monthly wage, income tax, and overall treatment. i receive my monthly wage in cash, in an envelope, on payday. when i requested that my wage be put in my bank account my employers declined, replying that this method was more convenient. also, when i approached them about receiving my income tax back, they told me it wasnt possible. however, after i gave them the income tax refund form that my ECC friend received, they said that they'd see what they could do. There were also discrepancies in what income tax was taken out of my wage and what income tax was written down on the official wage reciept (difference of about 30-40,000 won each month). I did receive most of my income tax back, along with the white-outed/scanned copy of my friends ECC tax receipt form.
I believe that my school does not file tax properly, if at all, and i know that had i not compared my salary and taxes with other teachers I would have been unaware of their practices. I have found my employment with kids club less than satisfactory and I am inquiring about other teachers experiences with kids club, out of concern for the 'relationship' that kids club supposedly has with Ball State University. I know that kids club has in the past recruited many of its teachers from BSU and uses the universities emblem and name when sending out applications and newsletters to parents. I dont think that such a fraudulant hagwon deserves the right to link itself to american universities, nor use their korean-american connections to recruit future teachers from BSU students.
My employees fluctuate from denying any relationship with the university, to blatantly advertising its connection by sending out kindergarten graduation photos in BSU envelopes. I am planning to discuss my situation with current BSU administrators and I would appreciate any other information about kids club esl teachers' experiences. thank you, 'mikey'
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=120014
Re: LCI Kids Club - Kungnam -Before it's too late!
Posted By: mikey [email protected]
Date: Friday, 19 April 2002, at 10:43 p.m.
In Response To: LCI Kids Club - Kungnam -Before it's too late!help (purrful)
I currently work for an LCI kids club branch and have found my experience to be anything but desirable... long hours, disrespectful employers, poor salary, tax fraud, and unsatisfactory living conditions. i find the kids club hagwons to be one of the most horribly organized esl chains, who consistently place the concerns and wellbeing of their foreign teachers last. I'd run away from kids club if i were you....
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=121933
Re: LCI Kid's Club experiences?
Posted By: Sebastian [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, 1 May 2002, at 11:45 p.m.
In Response To: Re: LCI Kid's Club experiences? (Kiss It (__X__))
My Kids Club (Pusan) always paid me in cash, and debucted tax, but never ever gave me a tax receipt. I am fighting for the tax receipt. I think everyone who has ever worked for Kids Club knows they follow a lot of illegal practices that Immigration and the Taxation Office would loove to hear about. Avoid KIDS CLUB..try searching the internet for blacklists that have Kids Club listed....it's out there.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=121928
Re: Does anyone know about KidsClub
Posted By: Smithers [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, 1 May 2002, at 11:29 p.m.
In Response To: Does anyone know about KidsClub (Billy)
I don't know about that specific Kids Club, but the one in Saha Gu should be avoided. The director lies and cheats foreigners. Teacher turn-over rate is extremely high at this school...5 teachers thus far in less than a year have left this school.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=121931
Re: LCI Kids Club Language School
Posted By: Sebastian [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, 1 May 2002, at 11:40 p.m.
In Response To: LCI Kids Club Language School (jason billings)
Word to the wise - avoid LCI Kids Club...unless you want to be lied to, cheated, and treated like another dumb foreigner. I suggest searching the internet for specific school names before accepting any teaching job. Remember, there are legit Black Lists out there for teachers to check out.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=122331
Re: Does anyone know about KidsClub
Posted By: the truth [email protected]
Date: Saturday, 4 May 2002, at 7:00 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Does anyone know about KidsClub (Kiss It (__X__))
If anyone is considering a job offer from LCI Kids Club in Sunchon, please think otherwise. I have been working at the school, regretabaly, for 17 months and would say that the experience has been one that has opened my eyes to a world of pettiness, lies, stinginess and blatent lack of respect that I was previouslly unaware of. The school is only 17 months old and I have been there from the opening and know for certain that EVERY teacher that has come and gone through the school has been lied to, cheated and treated with no respect. The pay is terrible, the hours are longer than any other school and the organizational skills of the Korean staff are akin to a monkey fight at the zoo. Steer your job search elsewhere!
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=123107
Don't trust LCI KIDS CLUB directors!
Posted By: Sebastian [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, 7 May 2002, at 11:00 p.m.
Anyone considering accepting a position at LCI KIDS CLUB should read this warning:
The LCI KIDS CLUB I work at in Pusan is plagued with illegal business practices, such as:
1. Hiring illegal teachers.
2. Over taxing legal teachers, and deducting taxes from illegal teachers.
3. Not submitting your deducted taxes to the Korean Government
4. Not providing medical insurance! 0% coverage!
5. Massive copyright infringement on international publications.
I recently confronted the LCI KIDS CLUB in Pusan where I work because they were deducting 4.5% tax from my monthly pay (which is cash in an envelope). I had met with the Pusan Taxation Office and discovered the TAX RATE IS 3.3% so I demanded a refund from my school.
If you are paying more than 3.3%, or are unsure about the tax rate, contact your local Taxation Office (in person, as some speak english). Don't let your employer take you are a sucker!
I did get a refund of tax, and it was very easy (no Courts, no Police, no Labor Board)....the Taxation Office called my director and warned her to refund the extra 1.2% tax. This took less than 1 business day and I have my money back!
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LCI KIDS CLUB, AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE
Posted By: mikey [email protected]
Date: Thursday, 9 May 2002, at 12:07 a.m.
In Response To: Tell it to me like it is (John)
I am currently working in a LCI kids club in daegu. Not only are my employers disrespectful, condescending, and rude, they have tried to cheat me on taxes, do not even pay medical insurance, try to break agreements signed under contract, and are now hassling me about arrangements to fly home. My experience is not one that i could wish upon anyone else. I am trying to gather information about kids club franchise, hoping to blacklist them for good. hope this helps, mikey
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=123311
Re: Tell it to me like it is
Posted By: Does not matter
Date: Thursday, 9 May 2002, at 12:16 a.m.
In Response To: Tell it to me like it is (John)
I would'nt!!
The Kids Club there in Ulsan is very poorly organised and very unprofessional. Sure, the owner has some $$, but the manager would'nt know a proper English program from a hole in the ground. There are plenty of other great schools to work at in Ulsan, and it is still not that bad of a city to live in. I lived there for 3 years and worked a the same school, it has it ups and downs. The polution is the same no matter where you go in this country, still not as bad as Seoul!!
Good luck.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=123308
Re: LCI Kids Club Haeundae
Posted By: mikey [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, 8 May 2002, at 11:59 p.m.
Avoid lci kids club like the plague. it can only lead to peril. having working in a kids club for almost a year and researching others' experiences with the chain, I'm ready to blacklist them.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=123588
Re: LCI KIDS CLUB, AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE
Posted By: unhappy
Date: Friday, 10 May 2002, at 10:01 a.m.
In Response To: LCI KIDS CLUB, AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE (mikey)
I agree to work for them on the side. They shorted me 2 months on my pay for no reason and when I gave notice they randomly told me not to come back. They yelled at me for things I had told them I couldn't do when they hired me. It was terrible. They wouldn't back me up on anything. They wouldn't believe what I said about anything. As an illegal worker it really sucked. I would be wary. I won;t lie I ran when I had the chance. I would never go back. I work for a marginal school to begin with and LCI Kids club Deagu sucked more.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=123496
Re: LCI Kids Club Haeundae
Posted By: billy
Date: Thursday, 9 May 2002, at 8:59 p.m.
In Response To: Re: LCI Kids Club Haeundae (mikey)
I spoke to the director there, he is a cold hard person, and kids club has a bad rep.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=123528
Re: LCI Kids Club Haeundae
Posted By: Sebastian [email protected]
Date: Friday, 10 May 2002, at 12:34 a.m.
In Response To: Re: LCI Kids Club Haeundae (mikey)
I second that motion...based upon my experiences at Kids Club. I hereby nominate LCI Kids Club for the Blacklist.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=124689
Re: NEW TEACHER
Posted By: Sebastian [email protected]
Date: Thursday, 16 May 2002, at 10:11 p.m.
In Response To: NEW TEACHER (BRIAN DOWNS)
LCI Kids Club ~ avoid it like the plague. If you spend enough time reading and visiting eslcafe.com you will notice LCI gets mentioned a lot...and it's not in praise.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=130032
avoid LCI KIDS CLUBs
Posted By: benteacher [email protected]
Date: Saturday, 15 June 2002, at 12:03 a.m.
Just another notice to all prospective foreign ESL teachers to avoid LCI KIDS CLUBS...like the plague. There are other esl franchises with better pay, better hours, better conditions, and better employers. I have taught at an LCI Kids club branch in Daegu and I could NOT recommend my experience to anyone.
Thank you, ben
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=133458
AVOiD KIDS CLUB DAEGU SUSUNG-GU
Posted By: daegu susung-gu teacher
Date: Thursday, 4 July 2002, at 8:45 a.m.
It was recently admitted to me by my employers/accountant at LCI KIDS CLUB Daegu-Susung-gu, Korea that they do not file pension legally. Instead, they take out a lower than standard percentage of one's wage and keep it until a teachers departure (or until a teacher remembers to ask for it back.) They do not make payment into the national pension program because that would require the school to make a matching payment. I have also discovered that I have no legitimate medical coverage and I have substantial evidence to prove that my employers are also committing tax fraud.
Avoid LCI KIDS CLUBs ...like the plague.
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=132710133281
Needed: Personal Experiences with LCI Kids Club
Posted By: mikey [email protected]
Date: Sunday, 21 July 2002, at 7:44 a.m.
NEEDED:Personal LCI KIDS CLUB experiences
Hello, I just finished a year contract with an LCI Kids Club school in daegu, Susung-gu. At the completion of my contract I was given my monthly pay and severence pay, but my pension and income tax was given back to me without receipts. When i requested the official receipts so that I could send money home, my employers cornered me into a room and admitted that they do not legally file pension or income tax. They then tried to get me to admit that I had AGREED to such illegal practices at the very beginning of my contract, which I did not. The accountant does take out a less than standard percentage payment for pension, which is then held by my employers until completion of the contract. However, I do know that until this past year, no teacher at Susung-gu had ever received their pension or income tax back. (It was keep in my employers pockets.)
When I asked why they take out my money if they are not even going to file it, they explained that in case pension officials did check up on their accounting practices, at least there would be a small deduction in the books. By holding our money, they hope to deter teachers from breaking contracts early, and they also hope that the teachers are ignorant to Korean tax laws and will not know that they are elligible for refunds.
****What I would like are responses from other teachers who have been employed with LCI Kids Clubs.***
LCI Kids Club also likes to highlight its international teaching exchange program with Ball State University in Indiana. However, I am certain that no university would approve of the standards to which many of these Kids Clubs are run, and I know that no Ball State official is currently acting as a liason, overseeing the management or conduct of LCI Kids Clubs.
I will be meeting with Ball State officials in the next few weeks and I would like to share with them other teachers' experiences with LCI KIDS CLubs, concerning employers, management, curriculum, overall treatment and satisfaction with the experience. I have made complaints on the LCI website and have written emails to LCI KIDS CLUB officials, but I have been ignored repeatedly. It is now time to try an alternative method.
Thank you very much, 'mikey'
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710138310
WARNING TO ALL TEACHERS
Posted By: MR Y
Date: Tuesday, 13 August 2002, at 6:55 p.m.
This is a warning to all teachers PLEASE READ before coming to Korea or changing to a different school. Do not teach at any branch of Kids Club, could also be called CCC. This company is Deceptive, underhanded has an aweful curriculum and they will fire people for any reason they want. I've been here for 10 months now and I know what happens here with business, Kids Club is an aweful school and the recruiter is a lying selfish idiot who only cares abuot money. He will tell you anything to get you to sign a contract, once you do and he gets his fee from the school, he doesnt care anymore more.
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710138734
Re: LCI KIDS Club
Posted By: rebecca - [email protected]
Date: Thursday, 15 August 2002, at 8:35 p.m.
In Response To: KIDS CLUB KOREA (future newbie)
Hello, I recently completed a years contract at an LCI Kids club school in Daegu. My school did not provide any medical coverage, committed tax fraud, did not file pension legally, provided no teacher training, and became verbally harassive and threatening when questioned about their business practices. I could not recommend my experience with LCI Kids Club. I understand that every school is run and owned by different people, but LCI Kids Club headquarters does little to regulate its branches or ensure proper business standards. Employment with LCI Kids Club is a risky venture and not a risk I would ever take again.
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710138721
WARNING TO ALL TEACHERS
Posted By: mr Y
Date: Thursday, 15 August 2002, at 7:21 p.m.
ok guys, here's the update, kids club fun languages, CCC and Cherry Creek are all under the same recruiter, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE THE SAME HEAD OFFICE. They are getting a bad reputation here, and I want it too snowball until they are bankrupt. the situations are the same at all these schools, stay away from these schools.
I just felt it was necessary to inform you about some of the goings on at these hogwons:
- altering of contracts;
- late payment, not always in full
- extra prep like for teaching parents day (whatever this is)
- no payment of enforced over-time and sleepovers;
- half pay for "training" period (no training takes place - training period determined by them);
- seizing of plane tickets and sometimes passports;
- blackmailing teachers so you cant get release letters if you want to leave.
- firing without due cause simply because they don't like you and failing to pay for work or return ticket home (this did not happen to me, but several other employees);
- enforced accommodation bond and security deposit taken from salary without informing you of this (not in contract);
- house repairs taken from salary without permission.
- firing of employees just before their contract is completed so as to avoid paying the bonus and giving airfare
In addition there are the usual things such as no teaching program at all, no resources, continual lying (to you and parents), the management and the recruiter (david) constant classroom observation, and taking gifts given by parents (in particular at Christmas and Chusok). They also frequently enter your accomodation without telling you. These places are bad news, i'm serious people stay away from these schools, if you ignore these warnings, you will regret it and wished you listened to me, take it from someone who has experience here, please please stay away from these schools, I am officially blacklists these awful people. We all know how fast bad news travels, warn your friends, American, canadian, british, Ausi, new zealand, wherever you are from, DONT WORK AT THESE SCHOOLS...
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710139193
Re: KIDS CLUB KOREA - POHANG
Posted By: Kristy - [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, 20 August 2002, at 9:07 p.m.
In Response To: KIDS CLUB KOREA (future newbie)
Hello all;
I have a similar negative story regarding Kid's Club. Things were good at this school about a year ago but things have degenerated considerably. Both branches in Pohang are owned by the same stingy, deceptive owner, and two of my friends have suffered from ill heath (both mental and physical) from being horribly overworked and lied to regarding hours, contracts, and disorganized classes and teaching practises. They both had to leave early. Our boss has resorted to hiring teachers with fake degrees to save money (and also because word is finally getting around about this place). It's all about the money - me and a fellow teacher are seriously thinking about taking another contract before they try and dick us out of our severence pay and damage deposits. On the good side, we do get paid on time and the right amoubnt of tax is deducted from our paycheques (so far). Things are getting more intolerable and I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I would recommend avoiding Kid's Club LCI in any city anywhere until these people clean up their act.


Posted By: m-a <"mailto:[email protected]?subject=Re: Suwon Kid's Club">
Date: Wednesday, 2 October 2002, at 8:19 p.m.
In Response To: "http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710144667" (Suwon Girl)
i was hired to work at suji kids club, got here, and the next day, before i even went to the school, i was fired for being to "heavy". i was kicked out of my apartment and sent on my way!!! BE CAREFUL!!!!

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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710139761
Re: KIDS CLUB KOREA - POHANG
Posted By: Kristy - [email protected]
Date: Sunday, 25 August 2002, at 8:51 p.m.
In Response To: Re: KIDS CLUB KOREA - POHANG (matko)
Hey Matko;
Yep, Lim took over and she has made that school one of the worst places to work. She is very vindictive and just plain nasty. Two teaches at that school had to leave because she was either constantly abusing them verbally or dicking around with their contracts. Recently Mr. park has made some very foolish business decisions and we are all working realy hard to dig him out of the nice hole he's dug for himself. He was responsible for bringing a girl over with a forged degree, which he knows about. I'm just hoping that i can finish my contract without getting ripped off.
That's the news.
Kristy
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710140485
Re: KIDS CLUB-YONG-IN
Posted By: allan - [email protected]
Date: Thursday, 29 August 2002, at 5:57 a.m.
In Response To: Re: KIDS CLUB-YONG-IN (Kiss It (__X__))
im now working at kids club yongin. im leaving for 2 main reasons.
1: david from omega investments cheated me out of a plane ticket.. i was supposed to get a ticket in my contract, but i paid for it myself and was not reimbursed.
2: the school is going bankrupt.. they told us that the school is going under and then changed their minds and said they are doing fine. so all the staff is leaving.
you can have my job if you want it.
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710141435
Institutes Warned
Posted By: Alas Atlas
Date: Thursday, 5 September 2002, at 5:54 p.m.
There are some bad places to work in Korea. Many Korean employers will lie to you. Korean employers in universities and educational institutes will lie to you about your salary, benefits, and taxes. Foreigners can expect to be deceived and cheated. Koreans also deceive other Koreans very often. The evidence of the deceptive practices can be found in newspapers.
English Schools Fined
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said Thursday that it has investigated large-scale private English language institutes for children, which usually operate as national franchises. The commission said that after the investigation, it issued orders for the schools to correct their misleading advertisements.
Language schools hit with punitive measures included Wonderland, Swatton Language School, LCI Kids Club, ECC, and Kid's Herald. from the National news section of the Chosun Ilbo, September 5, 2002.
You can find the KFTC report at:
http://ftc.go.kr/english/htm1/index.htm.
(or http://ftc.go.kr/data/hwp/20020906am.hwp ).
The report is currently only written in Korean.
How do you get correct information about salaries, benefits, and taxes? You have to have a family member in the university or institute. Korean family members will be a little more honest to other family members. Do you have a Korean family member?
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710143634
DO NOT work for Kid's Club in Yeonsu-dong, Inchon
Posted By: Been There, Done That
Date: Monday, 23 September 2002, at 7:32 p.m.
This is advice for the new teachers that are being recruited: unless you want to spend a miserable year following one ridiculous rule after another, walking on egg shells that you will make one of the idiots in management angry (and you will then be repeatedly threatened with being fired and "kicked out of the country"- ha, ha)... There are much better alternatives to this absurd school which is being run into the ground by the "academic co-ordinator" (doesn't have an education degree and cannot teach without belittling the kids into submission, or other such unacceptable tactics- yelling, crowding their personal space by towering over them, etc.).
The schedule is terrible- 9am- 7:30pm (on average) with an hour break for lunch (unless you are completely submissive to one of the management types, you might get the entire morning off- no kindergarten- or not given any classes after 5pm). There are mothers' classes on Sat., as well. You might be given a title, such as "Drama Co-ordinator" (even though you know nothing about acting), "training supervisor", "general supervisor", blah, blah, blah...
Some of the more ridiculous rules are as follows: teachers are not allowed beverages in the classsroom (even though the polution in Inchon is notorious, and often some hot tea is the only salve for a sore throat); teachers are not allowed to leave their classrooms- you must stand at your door and call for a supervisor for help; you are not allowed to play any kind of games in the classroom (even for kindy classes); you are not allowed to use the bathroom during class, etc. The list continues!!!
The Wonderland down the street has a better reputation for treating the teachers with kindness, respect, dignity, and for allowing some modicum of personal freedom. This hogwan is losing teachers faster than they can recruit them (they have fired 1 teacher, and 2 other teachers have left since April- broken their contracts due to the poor working environment; 4 other teachers have refused to renew their contracts. 2 of those teachers are now very happy at other schools in Korea).
It's time the school realizes that the teachers are not the problem, but the academic co-ordinator, Rick Dubois, is the source of the problem. Before he arrived, the school was a relatively pleasant place to work. You were treated as an adult, at the very least. Also, he has done nothing to improve the enrollment, and the school is going downhill fast.


***AVOID KIDS CLUB, DAEGU***
Posted By: roughed up and cheated
Date: Friday, 11 October 2002, at 12:53 a.m.

To anyone considering a contract with this company....!
-They subletted my apartment to travellers while I was also living there.
-They added overtime to my schedule without pay
-They required I work most holiday days
-They took issue with me when I socialized late hours on work nights
-They refused to adjust my hours to eliminate overtime
So, I had a discussion with the owner to address these problems....to no avail.
Now...they are refusing to pay my last months salary.
This company seemed to be a flake from the start and I am now paying for not listening to my first instinct.


Korean Job Discussion Forum
Re: LCI Kids club Seoul
Posted By: Carson
Date: Thursday, 26 December 2002, at 10:45 p.m.
In Response To: "http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710156956" (Cori)

If you are talking about the LCI Kid's Club in Bangbae dong ,... STAY AWAY!!!!
Beware,.. the head teacher there, Matt the 'Lifer', has been there for about 3 or 4 years and will lie right to your face.
They have a number of foreign teachers but there turnover is pretty high as many teachers endup doing the midnoght dash on the school.
The school is actually dubbed 'Midnight LCI' for that reason.
the owners, MR. and Mrs. Oh are as greedy as owners as you'll ever meet.
STAY AWAY!!!!
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http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?p=11844#11844
Captain Obvious 2.0

Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 203

Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2003 4:21 am Post subject:



I just finished working a year at a Kids Club in Bucheon. No issues.


Every school is different. What specific school are you going to?

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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710161125
Korean Job Discussion Forum
Re: KIDS CLUB SUWON
Posted By: fredf
Date: Tuesday, 25 February 2003, at 6:23 p.m.
In Response To: KIDS CLUB SUWON (please.....)
there's two kids club companies in korea, you'll be better off staying away from both, LCI or the other one. I suggest you do a search on eslcafe on those schools, if you find anything good I'll be surprised. I hated my school and I left after 4 months because I couldnt take it anymore.
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710157256
Korean Job Discussion Forum
Re: LCI Kids club (mok-dong)Seoul
Posted By: toby teacher <[email protected]>
Date: Wednesday, 5 March 2003, at 10:10 a.m.
In Response To: Re: LCI Kids club Seoul (Lost Seoul)
RE: LCI Kidsclub/Yangchun-Gu,Mok-Dong,Seoul,www.mkidsclub.com;
This institution is dishonest and has left many of the teaching staff without a final full paycheck.
They have deducted huge amounts from the last months salary for pension cost's, even after monthly payments have been made.
Personally, I would not trust working for these people! They will try and swindle out every penny, leaving you with nothing.
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Marathe



Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: Spider Hole

PostPosted: Wed Apr 09, 2003 4:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

wow

and i thought my hakwon was bad cuz i had to sweep up after class.
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Harvard Material



Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2003 3:54 am    Post subject: Reputations... Reply with quote

I am surprised I haven't read any slp questions, or comments on this forum yet. Are they all closed down? Shocked
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Lost Seoul



Joined: 10 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2003 4:02 am    Post subject: Re: Reputations... Reply with quote

Harvard Material wrote:
I am surprised I haven't read any slp questions, or comments on this forum yet. Are they all closed down? Shocked


Go to:
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=938&highlight=slp
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Seth Gecko



Joined: 11 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2003 8:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Here are some previous posts about the Kids Club hagwons:

Not sure if the Kangnam branch is mentioned but even if it isn't it may give you some idea of how the franchise is run in general.


If you're trying to be helpful, perhaps you could divide your posts into the TWO different franchises that they are:
1. LCI Kids Club
2. Kids Club Funlanguages
They are two COMPLETLY different franchises. You may as well put lump the Junchul and Little America franchises together.

You may also wish to add the positive posts re: Kids Club (either franchise) that I have seen on the board .
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Lost Seoul



Joined: 10 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2003 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seth Gecko wrote:


You may also wish to add the positive posts re: Kids Club (either franchise) that I have seen on the board .


If you give can me the link were I can find these positive posts about Kids Club (either of them) I will be more than happy to add them to my list. The only positive one I have found so far is the one by Captain Obvious which you will find is already on my list. I want to add good reports, sadly, they seldom seem to appear people seem less willing to come on these ESL boards and praise a school.

I will try and split these posts into two now I'm aware but please be patient I provide this service in my spare time and I do have other things to do.
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