Job Discussion Forums

[pencilead]

How much are these highschool programs paying?

[WD40]

Previous information was just gossip - it seems 5 or 6 have resigned from Pi foundation - still high for such a difficult place to enter

[Mine's a pint]

Your discussion here has been speculative and misses the mark of what is happening at the PI completely.

[WD40]

You say I miss the mark completely, what do you mean exactly?

[WD40]

The Pi has 165 'interested' students, many of them do not fit the minimum entry requirements and they need 350!! Is this a reflection of the education market and poor management of foundation perhaps? I was talikng to a bunch of Pi teachers at the airport and they were very critical of foundation management and teaching materials. They were very positive about the teachers though, saying that most of them were very dedicated and flexible.

[WD40]

Friends at the Pi tell me that only about 20 students have confirmed places in Foundation for next semester. I think teachers should start looking elsewhere before difficult decisions are made for them

[Mine's a pint]

Once again, you're speculating on what you know nothing about. That's what I mean, exactly.

[WD40]

Sorry about speculating, it seems by your response that you work at the PI. Is the situation Ok then. There are no concerns about the numbers of students or were the 'friends' I spoke to just winding me up!!

[Mine's a pint]

Most PI faculty are in the grips with worry for reasons that would not serve me well to mention here. The most recent student intake stood, a few days ago, at about 200 for the men, and 86 for the women.

Your friends weren't winding you up. The rumour mill just keeps on keepin' on.

[WD40]

286 sounds enough for foundation. What is there to worry about? It might mean smaller classes and so better service to the students

[Mine's a pint]

Bad press in the recent past created a lot of anxiety. These numbers are fine. They may very well be higher as the quota wanted is higher. But sensibly, it has been said that smaller class sizes and a few free hands will allow further development, particularly in the Foundation English programme.

[WD40]

What kind of bad press did the PI receive?

[Mine's a pint]

The talk is that it had to do with promises made to new students last year which were gradually taken away during their first semester - housing, meals etc.. Many students left. I'm not sure if the one led to the other. That's the way it seems to have been interpreted by some faculty anyway.

It might be expected that fewer students would be attracted by that sort of thing when/if word got out. Numbers were really low at the beginning of the summer, but have increased recently.

But the real knowledge about all this lies with student services and they don't talk too much. No doubt though, things have been quite different from the previous 6 years.

[WD40]

What will you do if the numbers of students don't materialize - will the PI start letting teachers go or will they just keep them on allowing for materials development etc..

[Mine's a pint]

Naturally, the Foundation management line is the second point that you made. But the panic and gossip are focussed on the first. No one is sure how Foundation really is viewed by the larger managerial forces. For me, I bailed out in August, not because of these issues. I think I'd simply had enough.

It's a good job, I loved it and had some excellent tasks other than teaching to do during my time there. In fact, it's the best job I've ever had. There is a excellent working atmosphere, good teachers and a fair number of dedicated students.