Job Discussion Forums

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

Has anyone ever heard about this school? It's supposed to be in Istanbul.

tekirdag · Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 505

It's quite famous. And posh, i think. It has a website, if you google.

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

Enka stands for eniste kardsler. They are a huge civil engineering firm and also own Enka sports club which, like the school is in Besiktas. I worked with an American a while ago who had a friend working there. She was employed via the tesol conf in America. They pay very well but have enormous behaviour problems because posh means rich and spoilt as you know in Turkey.

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

Can you tell me more about what kind of behaviour problems? I sort of get a *nightmare* flashback about the first school I taught. Half of the kids in my class had either ADHD, difficult family situation, serious behaviour problems and needed counselling from a social worker. I've had kids who could not sit still for 3 min., kids who smashed windows, fights, a.s.o.
Is it like that or more like spoiled brats with lack of respect towards the teachers with an attitude that says "Hey, my dad makes shit loads of money, no gimme that grade"?

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

crumpy · Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 79 Location: Istanbul

Enka, in fact, have two schools ... one in Sakarya, but the main "posh" one is in Istinye, Istanbul. And that's the one I'm gonna tell you about here:

The starting salary there for native-speakers would be about $2000, but many of the foreign teachers there get $2500. What's more, they'll give you accommodation in the Emirgan area. Really good sports facilities at the school, but you'll have to pay something like $100 a month to use them.

From what teachers working there have told me, their students are no worse behaved than in any other private school in Turkey. Futhermore, when a school has foreign principals and vice-principals, as Enka does, then they can often more easily appreciate any difficulties, that foreign teachers might be going through.

As far as I know, they have just started their lycee. Many of those students will be be taking the International Baccalaureate Diploma. I think the school is also recognised by the IBO* in the primary school for the PYP (the Primary Years Programme). If, in the future, you intend working elsewhere in the world, then working at Enka would be a good career move, because virtually every international school principal in the world has heard of the IB.

* Old joke time : IBO - the North African tribe that chant Ibrahim Tatlises songs when they go into battle :-))

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

Thanks for the responses, they helped to get an idea what it is like.