Job Discussion Forums

southofreality · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Tokyo

The good (?): NOVA has a sponsor by the name of G Communications.

The bad: They only plan to operate 30 schools initially with the ultimate goal of expanding to 200 schools.

The ugly: http://www.itsova.org/showthread.php?tid=28

For better or for worse...

drifter13 · Joined: 27 Mar 2007 Posts: 124 Location: Fujisawa

Hopefully they'll start letting go of teachers soon, so they can start collecting unemployment pay, because I doubt they are gonna need 3000 something foreign staff to run the 30 something schools. I honestly wish G-com luck, cause they are gonna be in an uphill battle, and they'll have to do everything in there power to seperate themselves from the Nova of old.

jademonkey · Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 180

30 schools? Wow, that's less than 900.

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

And if you read more abou the company, they are primarily running restaurants and karaoke, with English Circle being their small venture into English teaching. Look on Let's Japan for humourous explanations of their 'training' in how to say hello!

Mahik · Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 89

Honestly though, did many really expect that all or even most of the schools would be reopened? Even reopening 400 schools eventually seems pretty ambitious.

Surely they want to avoid Nova's model of opening schools just to get new students even if those schools are not profitable in the long run. It seems like a realistic goal. It would definitely cause concern if they wanted to reopen 400 schools and then get back up to 900, me thinks.

So who does that make the top Eikaiwa dog in Japan now? Aeon?

gaijin4life · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:20 am Post subject:

Although it's good (..maybe, depending on quality of new schools' ..) that ex-Nova students now may have places to study; it's very uncool that students who have already paid alot (in some cases) of money for lesson credits - have to pay again, - even though at a very reduced rate ... Confused

I know some ex-Nova students who paid a few hundred thousand yen for lessons - probably conned into doing so at start up and are in the positition of either walking away and possibly finding another school or teacher, or joining a G-comm school - after paying more money ... Confused

jademonkey · Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 180

Honestly, the students should not be forced to pay a single yen for their lessons; they've already been paid for. I know it's technically a different company (is it?) but still, that's a bit harsh.

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

Mahik · Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 89

Are you sure? A quick look at Wiki shows that ECC only has some 150 schools to Aeon's 300, and Geos' 500. I hadn't thought to look at wiki until a Nova search brought me to it.

It would seem like Geos would be #1 then in terms of schools/students. Does this mean "the Big Four" will refer to Geos, Aeon, ECC, and Berlitz? Or will they just start calling it "the Big Three"?