Job Discussion Forums

[esbam2002]

I am writing to find out if anyone else has had problems with VATC or any franchise branch of VATC.

I had been working at the branch in Tan Phu and recently quit after they wanted me to �rubber stamp� my signature to student certifications, without me giving the written or speaking tests, nor did I get to see the tests and the results. Naturally, I refused to sign them for my own protection since if there is a problem I get questioned not the school, and I prefer to be able to justify why I signed a certification. Previously they tried to slip in students that I didn�t even have in a class as well. They actually got mad and near tried to force me to sign it, saying that �No I teach, but I don�t test� and that "VATC doesn't give fake grades." Like I am going to just take a Vietnamese on only their word, after being here 3 years.

This is just one issue, and the second is over taxes, which they were taking out, before they even had my tax ID number. Once I gave them my tax ID number I requested that they give me the pink tax receipt from the government, that goes to the teacher to show that the taxes were accepted, which they were never able to produce for me, stating �We will give you a financial sheet at the end of the fiscal year,� and basically refused to give me the pink tax sheets.

The last school that didn�t give me the pink sheet was taking the taxes out, but then pocketing the money back to them. Vietnamese there, VATC Tan Phu, even have claimed to me that even though they are making under the limit to be taxed that they are getting taxed by the school. Added to the cheapness of the school I talked to one foreign teacher, that is new to Vietnam and just started, and out of being curious, but not nosy, asked how much he was getting paid. He told me that he had not talked about pay with them yet, as his first two weeks teaching at the school were not paid, and this guy has near 10-12 hours a week. Another teacher, who only stayed a day, had the same thing as I lost classes to him since he was not paid and I would have been.

Anyone else having these problems with VATC?

[haller_79]

Worked at VATC for a year - not a good school. Never really had problems getting paid though, the tax seemed ok, other things I wasn't comfortable with but couldn't give a crap now.
I think it's fairly common knowledge in Vietnam ESL circles that VATC is not a good school and it wouldn't at all suprise me if they engage in some forms of malpractice BUT you say you've been there 3 years? I'm guessing that means you renewed at least 2 contracts with them? Sorry but I think your endorsement of them by re-signing contracts negates your complaints now.

[esbam2002]

No, I have been in Vietnam 3 years, and I was only at VATC 3 months. The "rubber stamping" of the certifications was where I had a showdown with the owner, who refused to allow me to at least speaking test the students, or even show me the tests, and by which I refused to sign any certifications for my own protection. Pretty much went home, by my choice, at that point....To my it was a low quality school, with extremely below average students English abilities, when compared to my students at Cleverlearn and IPS, who seemed to want backpackers and tourists to be daycare workers and not teachers.

[snollygoster]

VATC has been around a long time. Many years ago it was owned by a guy named Peter Pham, and he was a very generous and kind hearted individual.
He and VATC got into some hot water over tax some years back, through a misunderstanding of how to interpret the laws. (Well, lets face it, that would not be difficult).
Anyway, after a showdown between teachers, the Tax Dept and VATC the whole thing calmed down.

After some expansion, Peter sold VATC to a Singaporean outfit called Black Horse, and it went downhill fast after that. Joined the ranks of the "also ran" Viet other schools, spiralling down to a no better image than places like "Outer Space English School"- (The name says it all!).

A lot of the franchises are that only in name, and franchise owners are free to write their own laws, and generally err on the side that means the best financial deal for the franchise owner.

When Peter owned and ran VATC, it held a reasonably respectable place in the otherwise very poor industry chicken yard- After he sold it, it became, and apparently still is, made of the stuff the chickens in the chicken yard walk on.

[haller_79]

[esbam2002]

What I really like too, being sarcastic, is that they are working new teachers here, that don't know any better since all other schools only the demo class is unpaid, free for two weeks, putting them in all the classes, since they cost the VATC Tan Phu owners nothing, but still charging the students and parents 3-4 million VND a month to cover the cost of the native speaking teacher that they are working for free....I suddenly hear the "Dirt Cheap Gas and Cigarettes," TV ad in the US or at least St Louis, chicken going "cheap cheap."

[haller_79]

What nationality are these teachers generally?

[just noel]

I was at VATC in the Fall of 2005 when the dubious and fraudulent back tax was attemped by VATC because it owed the govt lots of taxes and was behind.

These were the days of the "Dr." and Ray.

Thankfully, they are gone, and VATC is basically running on a skeleton crew of dysfunction.

[esbam2002]

Well I am American, but I guess since I have been here 3 years, in Vietnam, they didn't try to make me work 2 weeks without pay, and I was paid from the start, but I would loose classes, cutting my pay, to new teachers that they were working for free. I actually complained the first time, and was told a new teacher, who only lasted a couple days, was free and I would have been paid, so he got the classes. That guy I am not sure what nationality he was, but I know he was a native speaker.

Another guy there, who I asked how much he was making, told me that he didn't know and he was told he would be paid after 2 weeks teaching. He is Australian and freshly new in the country.

[haller_79]

What a circus, the Australian is probably another ATA Tesol grad after a wife

[snollygoster]

What a circus, the Australian is probably another ATA Tesol grad after a wife

Ha ha! A very insightful comment, and when I think about it, not far off the mark!

[generalgiap]

[Andy123]

I never worked there but know a lot about them. In the old days they were the top dog.

Recently, they have had an influx of money from a Viet construction company and foreign multinational corps.. They are doing well in the Me Kong training workers for foreign companies.

The problem is they continue to run the business as they did in the past. They fail to realize that if what you were doing 7 years ago did not work, why would it work now?

There is a new VATC in the suburbs and it has not had one class over a year to the best of my knowledge.

I did some promotional work through a school that was affiliated with them and it was a complete joke.

The management is rude, dismissive and arrogant. There standard response to everything is �this is our procedure�. Well, if it working for you great. But the truth is it is not, Bait and switch is their business plan.

What companies would be so stupid as to invest in them? Apparently, they still can sucker some people.

[LettersAthruZ]

[esbam2002]