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cb400 · Joined: 27 Sep 2010 Posts: 274 Location: Vientiane, Laos

This is a warning about this school and some of its policies that potential teachers should be aware of. This school is always looking for teachers, managers, supervisors and this constant turn over (even the management turns over as much as the teachers) should serve as a warning.

First off getting paid is a nightmare. The staff change almost on a weekly basis and it is impossible to know who exactly is in charge of the salary. Sometimes you deal with HR, sometimes you deal with accounting, yet the pay is never correct. CitySmart does seem extremely effective at coming up with ways not to pay you the correct amount. Teaching hours, rate of pay or days off always seem wrong and never in your favour. Also if you try to get an explanation why you salary is not correct, you are treated unprofessionally and as a bother to the school. You are not even given a pay slip with your pay...you are expected to 'trust them' even though the pay never equals up to your calculations or contract amounts.

Over my brief stint at this school, I was never paid the correct amount and the schools seems to have a policy if they put up a big enough fight...then you will give up trying. Also teachers are not having their contracts honored and the excuse is that the manager that they signed the contract with is no longer with the company...even though HR and the General Director approved the pay scale. Many teachers are missing several hundred dollars from their pays, and repeated attempts to get it paid are met with stonewalling and cheap excuses.

Right now this school is basically stealing money from the teachers and have no intention of paying the correct amounts. I really hope this warning prevents other teachers from getting ripped off.

*CitySmart Vietnam and Maple Bear International Kindergarten are owned by the same company and the upper management is the same. Same HR, accounting and General Director.

inhanoi · Joined: 22 Oct 2011 Posts: 165

What city?

cb400 · Joined: 27 Sep 2010 Posts: 274 Location: Vientiane, Laos

Saigon.

Though the upper management is the same in Hanoi and Saigon.

inhanoi · Joined: 22 Oct 2011 Posts: 165

Someone posted a nearly identical warning on a Hanoi-specific website yesterday. Word for word.

cb400 · Joined: 27 Sep 2010 Posts: 274 Location: Vientiane, Laos

Yes the warning applies for both. Same issues in Hanoi as its the same people running both of them.

inhanoi · Joined: 22 Oct 2011 Posts: 165

So you never taught at either of the two schools in Hanoi that you criticized (you have actually made two separate posts on the Hanoi website). If you have a bad experience at a KFC, does that mean they are all bad?

Beautiful Loser · Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 80

I'd believe it based on one appointment for an interview with them, in HCMC. I was supposed to meet with someone named "Meg" Luc. She didn't show up and reception acted like I was bothering them. She called later asking me why I couldn't find the place, when I had been there. She basically called me a liar. That was enough for me!

Do they own Fairyland, too? Laughing

I had a person who was with CitySmart before contact me on behalf of the land of the fairies. I think she absconded with their files on her way to Neverland. I told her it would take $40 an hour to work for a school named "Fairyland" and never heard from her again!

deessell2 · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Posts: 132 Location: Under the sun

inhanoi · Joined: 22 Oct 2011 Posts: 165

Actually, 'which' would be used if there were a limited number of options.

And yes, he has the right to post his opinion, but not about a place he's never set foot in. Oops, I ended my sentence with a preposition.

And generally we end our sentences with only one full stop, not two.

Andy123 · Joined: 24 Sep 2009 Posts: 206

I never did understand why most teachers never speak up regarding the cheating, stealing, abusive behavior, etc. of schools.

Good post cb400. You have undoubtedly saved many people their time, heartache and money.

Let us be honest here and admit that the above behavior is the norm in Viet Nam.

Worse yet are the foreigners that are employed to lie, cheat and steal from their fellow foreigners. They go about their work thinking that parasitic behavior is okay or if they do not do it someone else will. Many do not understand that an educator is supposed to have morals, ethics and standards. Oops.

Oh My God · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 273

Andy123 · Joined: 24 Sep 2009 Posts: 206

Oh My God,

I do not quite understand your post. As for my grammar, I would gladly appreciate your advice on how I could improve my post. This forum generally accepts the coloquial writing method.

Mr. Kalgukshi · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 6:15 am Post subject:

If you contributed to this thread being locked for obvious reasons above, you are reading a final warning.