Job Discussion Forums

[Glenski]

Has anyone ever dealt with (or heard of) this agency? Wondering what their reputation is in Tokyo.

[injapantoday]

I worked for them 6 years ago. No problems whatsoever.

[Big John Stud]

Glenski wrote:

Has anyone ever dealt with (or heard of) this agency? Wondering what their reputation is in Tokyo.

I worked for Korakuen English Centre back in the mid 90s. Iwata was very old back then. If he is still the owner, no problem. He is honest and very honorable. He treated me very kindly!

[wangtesol]

This company, like a lot of outsourcing companies in Japan, use illegal contracts with the schools they farm you out to. So if you are sent out to a junior high school they are violating among other laws, Education Law, whereby the principal must be in control of all the teachers. But in the illegal contracts, the the company is in charge. So therefore, the school cannot tell you what to do. They cannot give you a schedule or even tell you to go to the classroom. Only the company can direct you.

Do you think that is a good school?

[Big John Stud]

wangtesol wrote:

This company, like a lot of outsourcing companies in Japan, use illegal contracts with the schools they farm you out to. So if you are sent out to a junior high school they are violating among other laws, Education Law, whereby the principal must be in control of all the teachers. But in the illegal contracts, the the company is in charge. So therefore, the school cannot tell you what to do. They cannot give you a schedule or even tell you to go to the classroom. Only the company can direct you. Do you think that is a good school?

I worked at a high school. I had fun there! I was in charge of what I taught and when. Wangteso is too up tight!
On completion of my contract, they gave me a bonus that I was not even expecting. Up to you!

[injapantoday]

I was hired by Korakuen and sent to a private junior/senior high school in July 1999. The school had total control over what I did. They even obtained a Japanese teaching certificate for me. I still work for this school but not through Korakuen.

[Big John Stud]

injapantoday wrote:

I was hired by Korakuen and sent to a private junior/senior high school in July 1999. The school had total control over what I did. They even obtained a Japanese teaching certificate for me. I still work for this school but not through Korakuen.

I know a few people who did the same thing. After a certain amount of time, the school has the option to hire the instructor. I had the option, but went on to do something different.

[wangtesol]

Korakuen, RCS, Interac, ECS, TRILS, Heart Corporation: these are all outsourcing companies which engage in business practices that should be exposed, not swept under the carpet.

Using illegal contracts is a fundamental problem. It gets to the very heart of whether we wish to live in a society that respects the rule of law or not. As well, it has direct effects on the day to day employment of teachers at these schools, both Japanese and non-Japanese. Do you think Japanese teachers are thrilled that their school is hiring illegally? It threatends their employment in the long-run as well.

If you want to consider yourself a tourist and not take your rights seriously then ya, just go the backpacker route and move onto the next job or country and let conditions deteriorate.

[injapantoday]

Just what exactly was illegal about my contract with Korakuen?

[Big John Stud]

wangtesol wrote:

Korakuen, RCS, Interac, ECS, TRILS, Heart Corporation: these are all outsourcing companies which engage in business practices that should be exposed, not swept under the carpet. Using illegal contracts is a fundamental problem. It gets to the very heart of whether we wish to live in a society that respects the rule of law or not. As well, it has direct effects on the day to day employment of teachers at these schools, both Japanese and non-Japanese. Do you think Japanese teachers are thrilled that their school is hiring illegally? It threatends their employment in the long-run as well. If you want to consider yourself a tourist and not take your rights seriously then ya, just go the backpacker route and move onto the next job or country and let conditions deteriorate.

Wangteso! Please don't take no offense! You are not being realistic! Not too many if any Board of Education hire ALT directly! Too costly! And they don't want to have to offer a perment position after 3 years.
If you could give me advice on how to get hired directly by a board of education, I will do it!!!!!!

[wangtesol]

In Febraury 2005 the Ministry of Education advised local boards of education to hire directly or use the JET programme.

Mr. Kawano (河野) of the Ministry of Education is the one who wrote the directive.
You can call him at 03 5253 4111 if you want to ask him any questions. Please applaud his efforts to eliminate illegal contracts between outsourcing companies and boards of education that put companies in charge of teachers rather than principals which is a violation of Education Law.

[Glenski]

I've never heard of Education Law. What does it say exactly, and where can one get a copy of it, preferably in English?

[injapantoday]

When I was hired my Korakeun I did not work at a public school I worked for a private jr/sr high school (No B of E). Is this a violation of this law you are talking about? I admit many outsourcing companies are crap and treat they teachers they hire unfairly. Korakuen, in my experience with them, did not.

[yamanote senbei]

[Big John Stud]

yamanote senbei wrote:

injapantoday wrote: The school had total control over what I did. That's exactly the problem. Companies like Korakuen don't have dispatch licences so the schools that teachers are dispatched legally don't have any control over the work that they do. All orders must come directly from the company. Team teaching is completely impossible because legally all communication from the JTEs must go through the company to the teacher. Everything. It's illegal and completely unworkable, but most teachers don't know and don't care.

Have you ever worked as an ALT? Because obviously you have no understand or knowledge on what an ALT that is hired by Korakuen or any other dispatch company does!
I work closely with most home teachers. Some are just not interested in learning English and so sit in class grading papers. I am involved with all kinds of after school activities as well as coach the judo club.
I fail to understand why you want to misslead anyone who reads this thread!