Job Discussion Forums

[thirstie]

Does anyone know anything about this org, better still, anyone worked for them.

On another note, where might I find some info about tsunami stuff in burma?

cheers all

[kid eh]

For all things Burma/Myanmar:
http://www.irrawaddy.org/

[jonathanramsay]

Hi Thirstie, this is my experience with Horizon International in Yangon. I should preface it by saying the city is pretty nice, and I like the Burmese I've met. Most of the teachers at the school are not Burmese, they are Turkish (nice guys mostly, but the principal... well, you can read for yourself).

On March 1st, 2005, I arrived in Yangon, Myanmar to teach at Horizon International for their 8 week Summer School Program. On April 1st, after 4 weeks of teaching, I was suspended indefinitely for "dishonest conduct towards my employer". I felt that this suspension was wrongful and punitive, and quit on the spot. I will keep this account strictly to the events which I have personally witnessed. My teaching was not discussed during any of the events which led up to my suspension, nor was my teaching ever discussed with me to the negative.

It began in the third week of the contract period when the principal of the school, Murat, told me that there was a mistake on the contract which had not been discussed prior to signing, and which favoured me (it was compensation for expenses incurred from purchasing our visa for Myanmar). I acquiesced at the time but later thought about it, and decided that it wasn't right for him to just expect me to absorb a mistake he had made.

Another teacher and I went in to talk to him. I wasn't planning to go with someone else, but we had the same concerns. The meeting was not conducted in a friendly manner, despite my efforts. When the meeting was over, however, I felt that he understood our point of view and was willing to accept it.

On Friday April 1st, Murat called a meeting, which I felt was handled in a professional, calm manner, and in which the issue was settled to my satisfaction. He asked us to sign a letter which stated the amount of compsensation we were asking for, and stating that a mistake was made which favoured us. I signed as I thought the issue was not worth further conflict, and that my point had been made and understood.

Also, in the third week of the contract one of the foreign teachers was told by the supervising teacher (An American Woman) that our emails were being read by the school. I didn't really believe it, but Murat assured me that this was untrue. In the meeting on Friday, April 1 he told all of us that he was uncomfortable with us looking at ESL job website at the school; He and our supervisor had decided that telling us the school was reading our emails was the best way to ask us to not do so. I understand that in a country like Myanmar my emails will be read by the government, but Murat had talked about trust quite a bit, and I really felt he had no reason to read our emails.

Following the meeting Murat pulled me aside and discussed the meeting with me. His major point was that the school is nothing without trust, and he has been waiting for a week for me to come to him and apologize for asking him to fulfill the contract (something which I feel I should have to apologize for). Because I hadn't done so, he told me, he then suspending me for "dishonest conduct towards my employer". This term dishonesty incensed me, and I got very angry and yelled at him and quit. I realize that I shouldn't have yelled.

After leaving the school that day I went back to ask for the letter I had signed regarding the visa fee (I did not feel comfortable with him having that paper while I had not recieved any money for it), and he refused to give it to me. We argued for 30 minutes (quite heatedly, which again I should not have done), and he still refused to give it to me without making me sign another piece of paper. I refused to take the money or sign another paper. I left without the paper.

I think from this email its clear my opinions. I tried to keep it as factual as possible. I also did not include events which I did not see, and things which did not directly involve me. If you would like to ask me further about this or Myanmar, my email is [email protected] or [email protected]