Job Discussion Forums

[DIPTESOL]

If anyone's considering applying to Plus Education for summer school work, please read this. I worked there last year as DOS and would not consider returning. There were so many issues on the part of the company, so many I don't feel I could list them all. To name a few:

- coursebooks are copied and pasted pages from a selection of mainstream TEFL books, not cohesive or useful at all (fit for the rubbish bin).
- the H.O academic managers are ditzy and I had to cover up loads of their mistakes
- they don't employ welfare managers so kids often run riot and no one manages them. I was told first hand by campus facility staff that PLUS have a bad reputation for being disorganised and unprofessional
- teacher training sessions are compulsory but not paid (doesn't make sense at all).
- most of their students are Italian so classes are mainly monolingual
- the group leaders (from northern Italy in particular) are rude and petulant, they often return year after year as they're paid a hefty fee for bringing their students over. The group leaders don't do what they're paid to do, often going off for day trips and neglecting their duties. They see the summer school as a paid working holiday but don't do much work so the DOS has to clean up their mess.

I could go on but I really want to forget that place, I decided to write this as I've seen them advertise jobs recently. There are other, far better, summer schools out there who will give you a much more rewarding experience.

Please PM if you've got any questions, happy to help

[Captain Coddo]

Plus are no better or worse than most summer school employers. In fact, your description of Plus can be applied to 90% of them.

Best stay away from doing summer schools in the UK, especially the residential type that involve teaching kids. It is much better to try for a Uni offering summer courses to adults.

[Stuka]

[DIPTESOL]

[slapntickle]