Job Discussion Forums

[skunksounds]

I am headed to Bali at the end of September for a little rest and relaxation. I am going to hang out for a bit and then try and find a job somewhere around there. I've heard the competition can be pretty tough out there. Is there anyone on this forum who is actually living and teaching in Bali right now? My traveling buddy will only be there for a week or so, would be nice to know someone else around town.

Also, am I gonna need anything more than a visa, passport, and immunization record to get into the country? And if I have a connecting flight through China, does that mean I need a Yellow Fever vaccination as well?

Any information is much appreciated-
James

[malu]

You don't need an immunisation record, and you don't need a yellow fever jab unless you have been in a designated country where the disease is endemic - which China is not.

You will need to show evidence of a return or onward ticket, however.

[skunksounds]

Thanks for the info Malu. The immunization record is a relief. It was gonna get really expensive to do all those shots. By the referral of my doctor, I was able to cut a few of the more expensive ones out.

As far as a an onward ticket goes, I want to get the cheapest ticket out of there, just in case I don't end up needing (hopefully finding a job). I have heard of very cheap flights to Thailand. Any other suggestions?

Thanks again!

[rayman]

Singapore or KL are usually the cheapest options. Air Asia fly 1 way for less than Rp1 million (<US$100). But often their fares are non refundable.

[eddie honda]

get a full price REFUNDABLE single then cancel it

[newgabe]

You want to come to Bali and get a job as an English teacher? There are very few language schools in Bali and I can imagine the competition would be more than fierce! If there are any jobs going at all... what sorts of quals/experience do you have?

If you are interested in doing some volunteering though, I am involved in a small charity-type language school in Ubud. PM me and if you are this way and that sort of thing suits you, perhaps you could do a few months with us as part of your hanging out! We only do a few hours a week.

Also, what sort of visa do you intend to arrive on? If you land at the airport without a visa, they'll give you maximum 30 days ($US25). Not extendable unless you go way under the table. To get a 30 day one, or a Social Budaya that can extend up to 6 months (for about $60 a month via an agent- by far the easiest way) you need to get it outside the country anyway. Work visa (KITAS) much longer process.

[malu]

Newgabe, what's the latest about the 'Green School' in Ubud? I heard a story that the foundation (yayasan) behind the school was in deep financial trouble.

[rayman]

Hey malu, is this the school information you're seeking? Sent to me from a friend. It's the comments from 2 previous employees...

Comments: You may have already heard about GS. They have the best marketing department I've seen in my teaching career, which has brought in media from around the world - CNN, ABC, and NYT writer Thomas Freidman to name a few. In the name of balanced reporting, this honest review from an actual teacher is long overdue.

In reading this review, know that GS is a new school which has branded itself with what it views as a radical new take on education. Therefore, like any new school, it is liable to make many terrible mistakes. Keep in mind that this review is one teacher's personal opinion, an opinion shaped by what I perceive to be avoidable vs. inevitable errors on the part of the school management. I will do my best to stick to the facts.

GS started as the brain child of John and Cynthia Hardy, who found much success in the jewelry business. Despite knowing nothing about education, they sought to open a school with an environmental focus beyond anything the world has yet seen. To some degree, they succeeded. Check out the web site. Everything from classrooms to teacher housing is built from bamboo. Everyone uses compost toilets (except the current director). We do nature hikes around the campus, which is populated by gardens and livestock. It's like one long camping trip out here. To the many granola chomping educators (of which I am one) who are excited by the prospect of this school, this place looks like paradise. The reality is not so rosy as the web site (which you must admit is among the sleekest in the education world) would have you believe.

J-Hard and C-Hard, as they're known in the community, made several errors early in the school's founding. The most resounding of these errors were hiring a director with no experience in the education field, who in turn hired a principal with no principal experience. The designer of the supposedly "purpose built" campus (God rest his soul) was one of their jewelry designers and they hired their business manager to take on the business of the school. Like the director and principal, neither of those gentlemen had experience in the education field. Don't get me wrong, all these people are quite nice and well-intentioned. They just weren't completely suited to take on these roles, especially at a new school with a radical new concept - a concept which would become more blurred as time went on.

Teachers arrived last summer to find unfinished housing, unfurnished classrooms, and virtually no resources. Though we were all assured we would have a working curriculum from Alan Wagstaff, this never materialized. Panicked, one teacher immediately resigned and the rest threatened to follow suit before school even began. Administration met these threats with promises to fill in all the gaps by mid-October. This never happened. A number of teachers were still sleeping in tents, we still had no solid curriculum, and teaching materials were nil. This would be the first in a series of bamboozlings, perpetuated by closed-door management sessions, bait-and-switches, and an outright refusal to listen to even the simplest requests from educators with years of experience. By December, one third of the staff had resigned. By March, only one third of the original staff remained. Those of us who held on wanted to believe that if we only persevered long enough, a respectable school with everything the web site promised would take shape. We really worked at it. Our hope was renewed when Ron Stones, a man with 20+ years experience in his field, took over as our new director. But there were still surprises for us.

It would be difficult to list all the mishaps of year one. Supplies ordered that never arrived. Pieces of buildings suddenly collapsing. Parents enraged at the half-truths of the web site. Inoperable computers. Teachers working all year long with no visas. Shorted paychecks. Months without an established recycling program. No tangible ESL/ELL program. No playground, no library, no idea what to expect the next day. Unanswered questions that remain as such to this day. And still... no solid curriculum.

But the real humdinger was, without explanation, the director's ending of contracts for all but a few of the teachers who opted to persevere, to visualize that light at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel. It goes without saying that teachers here have speculated widely on his reasoning, but the fact remains we are all looking for new work next August. In the meantime, we will continue to teach here until June, and continue being the best at what we do.

To expand on the ratings a bit:

Academic integrity, effectiveness of admin: GS earns a 6 only because of the stellar teachers who have managed to be flexible and creative enough to work under these circumstances, and do a fine job of it. However, until the founders and director come to treat their faculty with respect and provide the needed resources, academic integrity will not improve.

Academic/disciplinary support: GS earns a 2 only because of the tireless efforts of Katy Wrede, our academic support specialist/vice-principal. Without her, GS would have crumbled before December. Teachers have come to rely on her for answers and assistance when none was to be found elsewhere. Wherever she goes next, they'll be lucky to have her.

Director's involvement/fair and equitable treatment: Aside from publicity events in which he asks for support from the community to keep GS alive (without pledging reciprocal support in turn), Ron Stones is practically invisible. He's never visited my classroom while in session and tended to turn a deaf ear to teachers.

Adequate materials: Unless it can be made from bamboo, don't count on it. Unlike a typical brick and mortar school which requires maintenance from time to time, GS requires maintenance on an hourly basis. Therefore, physical plant issues typically remain unresolved. You must get used to disappointment. Protesting will only exhaust you.

Local community: Bali is one of the friendliest places you could hope to live. This has been one of the few things to keep our morale high this year. The village in which GS is situated has been incredibly tolerant of the enormous disruptions to their daily life, such as increased traffic, the damming of their most holy river to build a "vortex generator" which has yet to go online, and an administration which has yet to do any credible outreach. To the ex-pat community, GS is something of a joke compared to the other schools on Bali; many of the supposedly "radical" ideas of the founders have been in practice at other international schools for years. What remains is a school philosophy so disjointed and esoteric, no one knows what we're shooting for anymore.

Cost of living: The dollar will take you further here than in many other countries. Technology can be expensive, but travel, food, cell phone minutes, and other expenses are cheap, cheap, cheap (or at least negotiable). However, because GS has no salary scale, teachers are all over the map in what they make each month. I'd say read your contract carefully, but the contracts are not legitimate, so hope for the best.

Housing: Oh my, the housing. Imagine yourself in a bamboo bungalow with no walls for nine months. Imagine compost toilets. Imagine mold and mildew on every surface from floor to ceiling. Imagine electricity, hot water, and internet coming and going when you need it most. Imagine wild life a part of your daily life. Imagine lice, louse, rats, and feral dogs giving birth on your bed sheets. Imagine a teacher collapsing through her shower floor, sustaining long-term spinal injuries, and being pressured to sign a letter of resignation which absolved the school of any liabilities. Imagine water which stirs up amoebic dysentery in a considerable percentage of teachers. Imagine that for 9+ months, nothing is done to improve these conditions despite consistent grievances filed by the residents. There's a reason they call this a pioneer school. You will live like Davy Crockett out here. That appealed to me nine months ago, and while there is still a certain quaintness that I'll always remember fondly, I currently spend my weekends in air-con hotel rooms.

Activities: This is Bali. You will never have a dull time here. Hiking, surfing, diving, culture, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, this truly is heaven on earth so long as you can survive the job.

Health care: Once again I say, oh my. The nearest clinic is 20 minutes away by car in Ubud. The trick is getting there if you have a serious injury or illness outside the hours of bemo (van) service. Even then, the clinic offers very limited and often unreliable, sometimes downright inept services. An hour down the road is another clinic in Kuta, which is only slightly better. I hear they hire legitimate doctors there. But if your 're having a really hard time, the coverage will fly you to an actual hospital in Singapore, even if the school administration does not approve it.

Visas, shipping, travel: As mentioned earlier, we have no work visas here. GS has pulled many official strings to keep us out of prison. Some teachers managed to fight for shipping compensation, but it is not promised on the most recent version of the contract. Air travel was covered to get out here, but teachers had to once again fight to get flights back home, even though these were promised during our interviews. As with all things here, teachers must be ready to fight.

Extracurricular: Seeing as how such activities were a back burner project this year, I'd say the load was pretty reasonable. Teachers who aren't stuck in the constant catch-up game have organized some really stellar after-school activities, given our limited resources.

Safety: Crime is practically nil, though you may get a motorbike helmet stolen if you leave it out at night. Violence is something that just doesn't happen here. Unfortunately, the shakiness of the buildings on campus have led to several injuries, thankfully none of which have involved students. Be mindful that the latest contract vows to dismiss teachers who have sustained injuries keeping them out of work for two weeks or more, without compensation, even while working in this dangerous environment, even under circumstances of gross negligence (this is part of that "pioneer spirit" they like to talk about).

On a final note, despite what you've just read through, GS has accomplished much in these last nine months - "Blood from the Stones," you could say. I'm thankful to not return next year, but I will miss many things about living and working here. The teachers have been amazing in the face of adversity, the campus is beautiful, and the quirks I experience every day here will no longer be a part of my life after June, which saddens me in a way. If you are an educator very fixed in your ways and are used to having ample resources on hand, this is not the place for you. Maybe in five years, but not now. The only kind of teacher who will manage to work here with sanity intact through these rough years of stabilization will be the teacher with tremendous flexibility, patience, and tolerance for broken promises. Even if this describes you, prepare to be enraged, frustrated, and unexpectedly under-prepared or under-equipped every single day. I hope the best for GS. As one colleague put it, at present GS can be summed up as "great idea, poor execution."



Comments: It should be noted, in addition to the previous comments, that Green School has routinely shorted many teachers on their monthly paychecks. Every month, we must review our bank records so as to ensure the right amount has been deposited. For me, the correct amount has never been deposited. Then we must contact our business manager by email, SMS, and telephone and hope he contacts us back in a timely manner. Then, we must prove that we are right (he never seems to be able to track his own transactions) with printouts of personal bank records. Finally, if he remembers, we receive the compensation funds. Next month, the cycle starts all over again. Surely, this time is better spent planning lessons. Just a word of advice for next year's teachers.

[malu]

That's the one.

The comments you have obtained are broadly in line with what I've heard elsewhere. 10/10 for marketing, 2/10 for substance. However, the rumours - and I stress that is all that they are - recently suggest that total financial collapse is imminent.

[skunksounds]

newgabe - I realize competition would be fierce here in Bali. That is why I am perfectly comfortable with moving further north into Java or elsewhere if it doesn't work out here. As it stands, I arrived in Bali on October 1st, and have 1 job prospect with EF Englishtown in Denpasar. But it is for an online position and is nothing concrete, as I still have to go and meet with the DOS in the next few days. I came in on a 60 day tourist visa, so that is what I have to work with. I am TEFL certified with extra certs in Business English and English for Young Learners, but that's about it. However, if things dont work out in DPS, I plan on heading up north. First to Ubud (to get some Ibu Oka if nothing else), and then further up to Lovina as I have heard there is a university town slightly north of Lovina that may have some potential work. If at all possible, I would love to meet up with you in Ubud and see what you have going on. Are you by chance a Hasher? As I was hoping to make it up for one of the runs sometime soon, though I will probably walk most of it due to an unfortunate scooter accident in Nusa Lembognan this last Saturday!

[newgabe]

So, you're here! I'll PM you with my phone number. It would be good to meet you anyway. University town near Lovina sounds like Singaraja. Nice enough place actually, you might pick up some private work there, though I haven't heard of any actual schools and you'd have to be a bit careful on a tourist visa. There are also very few Westerners there. I stayed for 3 days and didn't see another of me in the town, a few more on the beaches each side.

Cheers, see ya soon.
Gabe

[MrMrLuckyKhan]

good info

[newgabe]

Was nice to meet you Skunksounds. Pity I never ripped your ipod before you went!! (updates her iTunes for the next time...)

[skunksounds]

Thanks for all the hospitality Gabe! I will cherish my time spent in Ubud. Have a great Malaysian holiday and enjoy your retirement. Just from the week and a half I spent with you, I can tell you've earned it!!