Job Discussion Forums

[tinahrose]

I wanted to put a message on the forums because I just noticed that Darussafaka is advertising in the International Job Boards again.

Beware - this is not a fun environment to work in! Every year the school loses the majority of it's Foreign teachers. The kids are poorly behaved, the administration is ridiculous. The head of the English Department will not help you!!!

Accomodation is provided on campus, but it's not pretty. Don't expect your appartment to be ready when you move in (this includes missing appliances/bedding, etc).

Foreign teachers are consistently paid late. And the school will "accidently" not pay out the full amount you're entitled to. You can also expect a serious run around before collecting money for airfare.

I'm Canadian and I spent one month teaching English to grades 4/5/6 at Darussafaka before I quit. I know two other teachers who were going to stay on for the duration of their contracts, but i continue to hear bad things about the school from them.

I spent 10 months teaching in Albania and loved it!!! I fled Darussafaka in a month.

PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!!!!!!!!

Feel free to contact me if you want more information.

[orhanveli]

Sounds like a fairly normal job to me The kids are orphans from Anatolia so I imagine they are a rowdy bunch. Is the pay good?
I remember showing up for for my first job at a famous private school near Darassufaka and they had forgotten to rent a flat for me and told me they weren't going to. That was real fun.

[Antepli Ejderha]

As somebody who works at the school I would like to post replies to both of the comments posted.

Orhan Veli, the kids are not orphans from Anatolia, the 800 plus students are all fatherless but not orphans. Approximately 35% are term boarders and come from outside the Marmara region but of last years 120 students this was reversed. The students take an entrance exam based on IQ and not knowledge.

They are not a "rowdy bunch" but a group of children coming from a different background, taking this into account they are more than okay and here you feel that you are making a difference.

Now to move onto the comments of Tinah Rose.

The kids are not poorly behaved, the middle school years in Grades 6-8 does have problems but as someone who has taught in other private schools in Turkey I can assure that the students are better behaved in general. In Grades 4 and 5 there are no problems, I taught those classes and if you are prepared the students are great, they are 9 or 10 years of age and need a wide variety of activities in a 40 minute lesson, this is normal for that age group. If I compare to other schools then they are so much better.

The accomodation is good, I am not sure what Ms. Rose expected, okay it is not the Ritz but it is better than basic. fully furnished, for example a new double bed was bought for not only her but all the foreign staff. Bedding was provided but not the top brands that Ms. Rose may have been used too I guess.

As a teacher who lasted less than a month how does she know teachers are consistently paid late? They are not, in fact they are paid earlier than all the Turkish staff and at the same time were paid a week early before the semester break. Regarding the airfare the teachers were paid after providing receipts in the following months pay packet.

Our school had taken all the steps needed to secure residence then work permits, there are no border runs for our teachers unlike many other schools. All of our teachers are working here legally.

The two other teachers you mention have both expressed a desire to stay at the school next year, perhaps one of us is misinformed?
The other foreign teachers here have also expressed a strong desire to continue.

There are other issues that I am sure Ms. Rose will raise here and I will happily respond to them.

I understand that she was unhappy at the school but perhaps she should look at her own attitude and behaviour before spouting off on a forum.

I advise her to proceed with caution.