Job Discussion Forums

[cb400]

This is a warning for Cleverlearn Thu Duc as they are constantly looking for teachers. This place is a nightmare and should be avoided at all cost. Now Cleverlearn itself is a franchise so every school is run a bit different, they are just buying the name and some support from Cleverlearn, this warning just applies to the Thu Duc location.

After 7 years in Vietnam I must say this is the worst school I have even heard of, never mind worked at. Small list of reasons why teachers should avoid:

1. 4 teachers quit in one day causing pandemonium, now I understand why they quit but I do not agree how they did it (issues getting paid, scheduling and work permit). Just say that now they are severely understaffed and even more disorganized than before. Expect to get calls/sms/emails at 11pm to 1 am telling you to cover classes the next morning at 7:15 am. You will not get a schedule until a few hours before your classes, because most of the teachers are quitting or just not turning up for classes, making a schedule impossible.

2. Getting materials or even a book is impossible. The owners are too cheap to order books so they might copy one for you after a few weeks. In the week I taught there, I could not get even a copy of the book, an idea of where in the book I should start or even a correct schedule for my classes!

3. You will be farmed out to Vietnamese primary schools with absolutely no support or even a hint of guidance. I had the Vietnamese driver drop me off at my first school, 8 hours after I arrived from Canada ( got an email that night, we need you to cover classes at 7:15 am). No one told me where to go or who to see about my classes. You are left to wander around a hot primary school with 6 million children yelling 'hello, hello'.

4. They promise a free room to stay at for the first month. What they didn't mention it is in the owners house (knock, knock you have to cover classes now), a dirty bed, dirty underwear from the last occupant and not a lick or furniture, not ever curtains... oh and no door handles so you cant even lock it when you go out.

5. The school is a dump. Burned out lights, exposed cables everywhere, a computer lab with 15 year old computers most of which don't work. Classes look like shit and the walls are dirty. Even getting a board marker is impossible requiring a signature from the director.

6. Getting paid is a fight and a half. Some teachers are doing 30-32 hours a week, lots of overtime and have to fight to get paid for it. A big reason why 4 teachers quit in one day was the pay, yet it is still a problem and will always be a problem.

7. And the clincher. They director's wife who is your typical filthy rich Vietnamese who has never worked a day in her life, showing up and firing staff as she sees fit (though technically not involved in the school). While I was there the most senior Vietnamese teacher had been there a week and she had just fired the Academic Coordinator over a rumor she heard from the cleaner (turning out to be a bad translations of something said), she had also send a very unprofessional email to the head teacher of accusing her of starting the false rumor and CC'ed everyone into it. She then called a meeting (even though she doesn't hold any power her spineless husband of a director assured me before the meeting) fired the Academic Coordinator and accused her of many false disgusting things and then threaten to fire me because no teachers wanted to work at the school. Needless to say I enjoyed watching this show (meeting) and just walked out.

This is just my observations from my brief week at the school. Everything you ever heard bad about ESL schools can be found here. Now mix in the fact the school hasn't paid the franchise fees and the ongoing legal issues, I would strongly recommend staying away.

[Prof.Gringo]

Thanks for the info cb400. Yes, Neverlearn Thu Duc is a huge joke of a "school".

Watch out! EIV is now doing recruiting for them, with some new job ads on CL VN.

[cb400]

Last I heard the crazy wife of the director brought flowers to all the ex teachers asking them to return.

It didn't work, they left because of her in the first place.

[Prof.Gringo]

[Prof.Gringo]

[cb400]

you have the link? I have to see this. Cleverlearn is pulling the franchise from the owner as they haven't paid the franchise fee since they have opened. I just hope no one else gets stuck in this place.

[Prof.Gringo]

[cb400]

This school has now changed their name to: Hoc Thong Minh

Cleverlearn has pulled all franchise rights from the owner Mr Tuan and he has been forced to pull all logos, letterheads, programs etc.

He did say he can hire foreign teachers for 12$ an hour to recover some costs