| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
|
 Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 3:01 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
I should add, here, that the above was posted by my girlfriend. You go, girl!  |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
puiwaihin
Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 91
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 5:34 pm Post subject: Re: re: review of EZ |
|
|
| squid wrote: |
| As a former EZ English School teacher, puiwaihin, you are being too nice giving an objective review of the school. |
Aren't I?
| Quote: |
| Screaming at the students isn't the only thing the boss is gifted for.... If he ever found out that I wasn't following the prescribed method of teaching he would yell at me in front of students and staff and try to humiliate me. He isn't above attacking his employees personally. He's told me to *beep* off before from some percieved slight against him. |
That part is bad enough for me. Hearing your experience has made me dislike the man even more. I'm now feeling quite lucky that I got out of my contract so early.
| Quote: |
| And on a last note about the contract apparently I'm not allowed to work in town for three years. And I also found out AFTER signing it that I'm the only one who has this in my contract. No one before me has had this and I don't know if anyone after me has had it. |
From what I can tell their contract is a work in progress. It's in my contract as well, but my contract was nullified by mutual agreement so I don't have to worry about that. I'm not sure about the legality of this clause and I think he'd find it very hard to enforce were he to pursue the matter.
| Quote: |
| I STRONGLY caution anyone who wants to work at EZ English School. Keep your heads clear, very, VERY clear. |
If I had read what you went through when I was job hunting I would never have considered the place. Let's hope this helps others stay out of a bad situation. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 5:33 am Post subject: Re: re: review of EZ |
|
|
| squid wrote: |
| And on a last note about the contract apparently I'm not allowed to work in town for three years...I don't even think that's legal. Does he think he can try to get rid of me for three years thinking I'll forget by then? |
I don't know of the exact situation in Taiwan regarding such a clause, but I can speak from experience with contracts back home.
This type of exclusivity clause is often legal, but needs to be reasonable to be legally enforceable. For example, a techie working at Microsoft may be legally prevented from undertaking work with a competitor on a similar program. The idea of course being that trade secrets shouldn't be leaked to competitors.
Suggesting that you can't work for three years in the same town would more than likely be unenforceable as it would be considered unreasonable. Besides which, your past employer would need to actively pursue you and I don't see that he would be able to provide enough grounds to get support from any authorities. The fact is that teaching English wouldn't be called a trade secret, and the method which EZ English is using to teach is not new, and not even their idea. I believe that Hua Laoshi was using this technique for years before EZ English picked up on it.
Employers usually put these kind of clauses into contracts to deter you, but they are pretty well unenforceable. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 5:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I agree. I don't think it's a reasonable clause. I think it was included as a scare tactic because a couple of their teachers opened schools in the neighbourhood. Squid will most likely ignore the clause (or else I may have to change my user name to something that doesn't include Taoyuan ). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
puiwaihin
Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 91
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 8:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
| TaoyuanSteve wrote: |
| I agree. I don't think it's a reasonable clause. I think it was included as a scare tactic because a couple of their teachers opened schools in the neighbourhood. Squid will most likely ignore the clause (or else I may have to change my user name to something that doesn't include Taoyuan ). |
Maybe taoyan  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 9:59 am Post subject: |
|
|
| 我們很討厭EZ美語 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
puiwaihin
Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 91
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 1:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| TaoyuanSteve wrote: |
| 我們很討厭EZ美語 |
沒錯﹗ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Taylor
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 384
Location: Texas/Taiwan
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 4:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Wow! This has turned into quite a thread!
Still wondering how many kids go to this place? How many are in an average class there?
Does this guy realize how much of an anally-retentive fanatic he is???
Taylor
Kaohsiung |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
squid
Joined: 13 Feb 2003
Posts: 10
Location: Taiwan
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 5:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Post deleted by author.
Last edited by squid on Fri Dec 08, 2006 5:21 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Aristotle
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1388
Location: Taiwan
|
| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 4:09 am Post subject: |
|
|
puiwaihin
Thanks for the review, I will put it on file.
For the record.
EZ English School with published address of
No. 83 Chung San N. Rd., 5F
Tao-yuan, Taiwan ROC.
http://www.ezenglishschool.com/index.html
If you want to know the name of the person or company in control of this school post the land line telephone number so that a more comprehensive search can be done through Taiwan's telephone services.
They are not registered under that name and the office address listed on their website was registered as a publishing company.
The only telephone number listed 306-452-8802 stated on the site as a US telephone number is in fact listed out of Saskatchewan, Canada and is no longer in use or is unlisted.
"The phone number "(306) 452-8802" is a Redvers, SK based phone number and the registered carrier is SaskTel. However, due to number portability, some numbers have been transferred to a new service provider other than the registered carrier."
Other Numbers (886) 03 336 1277 has been disconnected as has their number in Seattle (206 297 6911).
Research dated 2002 for "EZ English School and Summer Camp" in Touyuan indicates that they are operating in close cooperation with Ministry of Education officials of the Republic of China in Tao-yuan Taiwan. The Ministry of Education recently began ESL language programs in nearly all Junior High and Elementary Schools on Taiwan. Taiwanese students are given repetitive testing that requires vast amounts of memorization of text.
Schools like the EZ English School have access to the "test material" and use that information to write their curriculum. Thus the students memorize the answers to the test given in public schools that other students do not have access to ( a very good selling point).
You as a teacher are not allowed to deviate from the course material because only the course material at EZ English School is on their test at public school. Any additional material that may actually help the students to become proficient in English is pointless from the schools perspective.
The students don't need to know how to use or speak English to do well in their English classes, they only need to pass the test in public school with high grades.
The fact that most public school English teachers can not speak English is probably why the foreign staff is required to speak Chinese. The Chinese staff are more than likely the public school English teachers making some extra cash by extorting money from their students.
Work deposits and wage deductions like the ones clearly stated in the contract at EZ English school are prohibited under Taiwan's widely ignored and toothless labor laws. EZ English School is not a legally registered school and operate with direct local government support so they can and will, do pretty much anything they want with no repercussions of any kind.
On Taiwan there is no rule of law, only the rule of the most corrupt.
Welcome to Taiwan.
A. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Pop Fly
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
Posts: 429
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 8:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
Found an interesting rebuttal over at forumosa. Could it be that things aren't always as they seem?
| davidallan wrote: |
I've been teaching at EZ English for over two years, and I'd like to make a few comments to the users who've posted criticisms on this site and Dave's ESL Cafe.
To puiwaihin: You struck me as a very bright and nice person and I was sorry that the job didn't work out. Given the circumstances, what you've written is pretty fair and balanced. I agree with the positive points you make. Presumably these were what attracted you to the school in the first place. As for your opinion about the boss, I don't think anything I write is going to change that, so I won't even try. What I will say is that he and I have consistently got along well. And you do note that he gave you compensation for the inconvenience of having to find another job. Someone with your qualifications will, I'm sure, have no trouble finding an excellent job in the Taoyuan area. I wish you all the best.
To Taoyuan Steve: Since moving to Taoyuan you've been a vocal critic of EZ English. It's something you and I have discussed on quite a few occasions over the past couple of years. Before, I'd always felt that your criticisms had a constructive element. But now it has become a personal vendetta. The picture you paint is impossibly negative. Were it even half as bad as you say, I wouldn't be there, and neither would anyone else.
To squid: We worked together at EZ for two years and always got along very well. In fact, you got along well with everyone and left on good terms. Until I read your post, I had no idea you had such a deep resentment toward the school. Considering how you felt, you shouldn't have renewed your contract for a second year.
To Aristotle: EZ English is not affiliated with the Ministry of Education except for being a registered school as all legal buxibans are. The summer camp the school runs in the U.S. is, I believe, also registered with the Ministry. The school's curriculum isn't based on that of the public school system, and we don't prep students for their tests at school. The Chinese staff are not public school teachers. Your trace of the school's U.S. phone number led to Saskatchewan because you got the area code wrong (it's "360", not "306"). And the number (03) 336-1277 isn't disconnected. It's the number of the main Taoyuan location.
What's clear is that EZ English isn't a typical organization. To some who have worked there for years, it's a positive experience. Others disagree. This alone should be enough to arouse a certain curiosity in forum readers. People should check out the school for themselves and form their own judgments. One thing is certain: it isn't your average buxiban. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Aristotle
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1388
Location: Taiwan
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 9:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
Found an interesting rebuttal over at forumosa. Could it be that things aren't always as they seem?
davidallan wrote:
I've been teaching at EZ English for over two years, and I'd like to make a few comments to the users who've posted criticisms on this site
|
I wonder why he posted that on a website that is run by Taiwanese business people?
Very ignorant and not much backbone if you asked me. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Pop Fly
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
Posts: 429
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:46 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Aristotle wrote: |
| Quote: |
Found an interesting rebuttal over at forumosa. Could it be that things aren't always as they seem?
davidallan wrote:
I've been teaching at EZ English for over two years, and I'd like to make a few comments to the users who've posted criticisms on this site
|
I wonder why he posted that on a website that is run by Taiwanese business people?
Very ignorant and not much backbone if you asked me. |
What are you on about now A?
Please put down the pipe and step away from the crack.
The guy that "runs" that site is a Canadian. I am unaware of even 1 local admin or moderator.
Your post seems to me to be very ignorant and not much knowledge. If yoyu ask me. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 11:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Aristotle wrote: |
| Quote: |
Found an interesting rebuttal over at forumosa. Could it be that things aren't always as they seem?
davidallan wrote:
I've been teaching at EZ English for over two years, and I'd like to make a few comments to the users who've posted criticisms on this site
|
I wonder why he posted that on a website that is run by Taiwanese business people?
Very ignorant and not much backbone if you asked me. |
No matter where he posted it, he certainly answered your claims very well.
Basically, he seems to have shown that you had no idea what you were talking about. While that comes as no surprise to many, myself included, it really does warrant a response from you I would think.
Afterall, you took the time to make this negative post about this school, yet pretty much everything you said appears to have been proven to be false. I would think that an apology and clarification are in order. Or is it you that is lacking the backbone?
Then you go and claim that forumosa.com is Taiwanese owned and it appears that you are wrong on that front too.
You might want to actually check the information that you post, before you post it, or you run the risk of looking silly.
Oops, too late  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
puiwaihin
Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 91
|
| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 12:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Aristotle wrote: |
| Quote: |
Found an interesting rebuttal over at forumosa. Could it be that things aren't always as they seem?
davidallan wrote:
I've been teaching at EZ English for over two years, and I'd like to make a few comments to the users who've posted criticisms on this site
|
I wonder why he posted that on a website that is run by Taiwanese business people?
Very ignorant and not much backbone if you asked me. |
Actually, I think he posted there and will post here when he gets an account activated by Dave Sperling.
I don't think you should really criticize David for his remarks. He is planning to leave the school shortly for another job and his remarks are genuine. As with the other teachers and staff at the school, I felt that he was a nice guy. People who have had a positive experience with the school, and the boss, have a right to post their feelings just as much as those who have a negative impression of the school.
He isn't calling us all liars, he's just posting to let people know that not everyone who has worked there ends up hating the school or the boss.
I think that your attack on David is out of line. And while I wouldn't doubt that the curriculum is designed to give answers to questions frequently showing up on tests, I don't see any proof to that effect.
Civility should be answered with civility. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
