Job Discussion Forums

[canaduck]

I have read the exhaustive forum pages of teachers who have been let down contractually, be it no work Visa, no compensation for flight or no medical insurance.

Now, can anyone tell me the schools in Turkey that are ethical in following through with their contractual agreements?

[moharem bey]

Does the deafening silence imply anything?

I've only been here a couple years and have only worked at two places, but here are my thoughts:

Language schools are notorious for not fully honoring contracts.

1. You probably won't be offered insurance, residence or work permit, so just forget about it.
2. You will be expected to work anytime the school is open. Schedules can change on a whim and you won't be consulted, sometimes you won't even be informed.
3. The "benefits" are usually dependent on you re-signing at the end of your (typically) one-year contract. I had to wait one month after signing a new contract to receive my bonus.
4. Airfare is not offered.
5. Expect to work split shifts everyday, maybe eleven hours on the weekends.
6. Expect only one full day off a week. Use this day to pay bills, do the shopping, do the laundry, and clean your house.

There are better places to work. With the proper qualifications you can work in universities, high schools, and some private schools. These jobs tend to offer better work environments. They are also harder to come by. After a year and a half here I got a job with a university for their English prep class. The environment, hours, and contract are much better than the language schools.

If you are serious about teaching in Turkey, I would recommend coming here and then finding employment. Check out the schools and language schools. Your gut feeling should tell you about the place. Speak to current teachers. Get a feel for Turkish students. Explore the city. Eat Kokore�. Learn some Turkish.

Most importantly, stick it out. Turks love loyalty. The longer you stay in their country, the more respect you will have earned. Network. The goods jobs are out there.

Best of luck.

[Wogan]

[Otterman Ollie]

I tried that once, not for the faint hearted, or if you're sober. The bit about language schools is true(aka dershanes). Try to land a gig in a private high school or uni, better organized generally better pay and conditions and the "contract" does have some value. The point about loyalty is a good one, but it only really applies if you have stayed and everyone else has gone.
Learn some turkish, but try to keep it for those special occassions OUTSİDE the workplace. So-called workmates will openly talk about you if they think you don't understand, its amazing what you hear them say about you when you are in the room.

[Otterman Ollie]

Sorry, I forgot to add, this list that you asked for, well the local British council office will have a list of schools in their area, but how ethical they are can only be judged when you have the name of someone who has worked at one of them.

[orhanveli]

oges.meb.gov.tr/oks/docs/ozel/İST-�ZEL%20OKULLAR%20LİSTESİ.xls
This is the best one I have found.