Job Discussion Forums

[Miyazaki]

Does anyone have any experience working at this school? I'm interested in possibly applying for a position there.

I'm looking for info on class sizes, classroom hours per-week, salary / vacation time / benefits, etc? Do they have good admin support, classroom equipment, library, teaching materials, etc.? Does the school offer free housing for teachers? Do teachers get to eat for free in the cafeteria? Do they have a gym / exercise facilities? How many teachers are in the deaprtment?

Thanks for any info on the place.

[kinshachi]

I have never worked there, but I have friends who have. I applied for a job there, but after hearing their experiences, I'm glad I didn't get it. Overall, the conditions are pretty typical for uni teaching - ie. decent salary, regular classes of about 20-40 students, etc. They don't provide housing, though, but will put you in touch with one of the local real estate agents that specialises in dealing with foreigners.
They have a pretty high turnover in teachers, which must be hard for them to maintain considering they require a PhD, just for teaching conversation. The real problem, as is often the case, is the guy in charge. He rules his department with an iron fist, requires all kinds of extra work, and has burned several teachers by refusing to pay wages after notice has been given. This last he justifies as 'breach of contract', but in one case, even when the required 4 months notice was given, it resulted in 4 months work without pay. The contract is pretty strict, and any 'breach' of this contract will be used against you.
I wish I could remember more details, but this was a year ago, so my memory is kind of hazy. Suffice to say, treat this place with extreme caution...

[Miyazaki]

Thanks for the info.

Do they have limitations on the number of contract renewals at this school?