Job Discussion Forums

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

I think he meant the rent for the school buildings.

From what I understand, the thing that is killing Nova is a very large high interest debt from trying to expand too quickly.

The other schools are having trouble because of trying to keep up with Nova's usagi chan advertizing campaign. AEON spenr $3,000,000 to get Ewen Macgreggor for it 2002 advertising campaign plus millions of dollars on TV time. Celine Dion and Maria Carey were even more expensive.

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

ScottishMike · Joined: 21 Sep 2003 Posts: 45

Re: Nova quote"40 hours a week . . . is that in class time, or does that include peparation time?"

It includes "preparation time"

That time being 10 minutes between classes. Exclamation

As someone mentioned, it`s the way NOva runs the business that riles people.

eg. A school has 40 minutes of planning time for each of the three levels of kids classes they teach. Confused

Even if they have, say, 10 classes of each age group(age based, not ability), they get 40 minutes for each age group. Shocked

These are the courses parents are paying about 8000 yen per 40 minutes for, which are currently advertised with the slogan:

(Bilingual! Its not only a dream with NOVA KIDS), only in Japanese and english. Twisted Evil

Of course, it`s a business, but the overheads SHOULD not be that high, if they are, it`s poor management and the company doesn`t deserve to continue. If a teacher is paid 1800 yen for 40 minutes teaching 8 kids, who have paid 8000 yen each. Those are excessive overheads.

nomadder · Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2003 3:18 am Post subject:

I've heard of those who like the Nova system but I can't see how having no input into what's being taught and not knowing who will be in your classes till the last minute can be a good thing. Also you have to be there all the time waiting. Closest thing to a factory I know.

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

Nomadder hasn't even taught there, and on her own she came up with one of its nicknames - "The Lesson Factory."

Well, teaching at NOVA doesn't take a lot of skill, or active mental input on the part of the instructor. This, I believe, is the "easy" part of the job that many people allude to.