Job Discussion Forums

[Ghost_Rider]

Has anyone else been scammed by this school? They scammed me out of over 4 million rupiahs and even will try to ruin your name. Also they will not cancel your papers if you chose not to work with them anymore.

[Yr of Living Dangerously]

The Centre Manager at EF Cengkareng tried to scam me. While it wasn't on the same scale as your experience, it does seem to be an ongoing issue with these schools.

The CM tried to cut my final salary by saying I had taken too many leave days. (She did it by counting the Friday and Saturday before I went on leave when I wasn't scheduled to teach anyway). She played hardball on it too, only relenting when I showed her my schedule for that month and suggested she ask the DOS to verify her story. I suppose it was good I had kept records of everything.

After that, I didn't feel like arguing that she had reduced by airfare reimbursement from $US687 to $US678. My DOS - a nice guy - was surprised, but couldn't really do anything to help; the CM is the only one with the power.

(Footnote: Then they made it difficult for me to collect my bonus. They were late paying it, then said I had to bring in $US30 change - and not an equivalent of Rp - because they could only get $US708 from their moneychanger. As if I had $US30 or could get it easily! Most banks and moneychangers only stock $US100. Fortunately, I could buy some $US from another teacher.)

[father Mackenzie]

That sounds like a one off to me. When I was there last year I had no bad experiences with any of the staff and the CM and the Dos treated me with respect, care and they were both very supportive during my teaching.
I think I can speak for the other teachers who were there at the time, 3 of them stayed on for a 2nd year out of a group of 10 native teachers so that must say something. I felt that we were all well looked after and helped where possible by the school.
The atmosphere inside the school was always fun and engaging and for me at no time was I made to feel the school was trying to scam me.
When I left the school to go home, everything was ready for me including the offer of the schools driver to take me to the airport.
In fact saying goodbye and moving on was really hard for me as there was a great sense of friendship and being so far from home, it was like a second family.
The CM, DoS and other teachers still email me and keep in contact and that is really a positive thing.

[Nabby Adams]

Forgive me Farther, but the fact that 7 out of the 10 teachers didn't stay on for only a second year says far more than the fact that 3 did.

It's also a fact though that doing your first year in an EF, even a bad one isn't that bad unless you're either very unlucky or the type to cause your own downfall.

[wannaBguru]

[malu]

Every time pak Gusti and his henchpersons manufacture a tale of happy smiling EF Swara staff it serves to bump the topic back to the top of the forum. The reposts that inevitably follow such creative writing also bump the topic back to the top.

Long may Swara continue to participate in its own downfall.