Job Discussion Forums

[java_gila]

I got info that EF Head Office will close schools from EF West Jakarta group (EF Meruya, Ef Kedoya and EF Lippo Karawaci) before the Christmas holiday. Anyone knows why?

What happened to teachers?

[malu]

If this is true, the only possible reason would be non-payment of franchise fees or some serious (read 'expensive') breach of franchise contract.

[laughing_magpie06]

If true the news is good. It also backs up my comments over the last year that this is a shonky operation. The worst organisation I have ever worked for in over 23 years in the workforce. Would love to see their owners stripped of their assets just to rub it in. But in Indonesia I know I am only dreaming.

[TEAM_PAPUA]

A truly sad day for the unemployed and poorly qualified with hopes of living & working in 'exotic' West Jakarta.

[Atoms for Peace]

Got an Indonesian friend to call one of the EF schools. They still want Rp50,000 for a placement test, and they want payment for 3 months in advance for a course...

Seem to be open then, but then EF Medan was taking money until the end wasn't it?

[jaksamania]

Huhhh... Doesn't surprise me. That group been targeted by the HO for years to be taken over and sell it to another investor for higher price. Simple business trick! Wanna bet???

[laughing_magpie06]

You know jaksamania, what goes around comes around. Now you asked me if I was fired from there and the answer is yes. But I believe myself and others who were there at that time were treated unfairly by the management. Another chap was fired only 3 weeks before me and not given any explanation why. He was only a few weeks past his probationary period so work that out. I was promised my job was safe by the DoS and then subjected to daily scrutiny the likes of which I have never been in any occupation before. In no other school which I have worked has anybody questioned the way I have done my job so yes, I again will say this is the worst business i have ever worked for. Also I was asked to start just after the new year and told I would have my airfare reimbursed. After I booked the ticket though the manager didn't like what i paid and said she couldn't pay me back in full. Too late I was already in Jakarta by that time. If they go under, good riddance.

[guruengerish]

Well, I know I have supported EF West JKT on a number of occassions, but I must recount an odd happening when I was with them.

I had been asked to work another year there, which I did, encouraged by a rise in pay and moved to a slighty better EF teacher's house.

About three-quarters of the way through my second contract, the Director/owner advised me that the rent for the house had risen considerably, and I would need to make a Rp500,000 contribution per month.

This was quite a surprise, and my neighbours told me that the house was not worth anything like that, apart from the EF contribution. All attempts to talk to the owner failed - the usual 'gone overseas pak'.

I didn't want to be too paranoid about the matter, but got the impression that it might be better for me to resign. If the school had asked me to leave, they would have had to pay out some money, but by me resigning, I had to pay a 'fine' of about a month's salary.

Strange that they took so long to discover that they didn't need me, but they did have a younger teacher ready to move in. I never did ask her if she had to pay some exorbitant rent.

[malu]

At the school I used to work for in Serpong the standard terms were free shared housing (2 staff sharing one house) or single housing so long as the FT paid a charge equivalent to half the rent plus a bit of maintenance... or so we thought.

A colleague was paying 500Ribu per month for a tiny house, thinking this was about half the market rent. She discovered from the neighbours that 500Ribu was actually the entire rent for that property.

[beefer]

[meteor]

I am with jaksamania. What mostly discussed at Jalan Jaksa turn into reality. I smell that it will be taken over by EF Swara Group. Sorry to the old powerless non-Chinese owner and the teachers. So let's put the bet on the table!

[guruengerish]

Meteor: "old, non-Chinese?"

Since when???

If so, then there's obviously been a change in ownership since I was there.

There used to be a creepy Javanese guy there, allegedly an 'Engineer" and part owner. He had contacts in the right places and incoming teachers didn't have to bother with Customs etc. He was there waiting.

[laughing_magpie06]

I thought the owner was chinese when I was there but never got to see him. He was a prety faceless entity. I saw his partner in crime, a guy named Miko, who you wouldn't trust if you caught on fire and needed someone to p... on you. Then there was the centre manager who was a receptionist who got a promotion-now I wonder how she got there cos she had nothing whatsoever between the ears. One thing that is common in all EF's I worked for-3 in total. They always blame the teachers when student numbers fall when it is more than likely the fault of the owners for not offering much in the first place.

[tukangojek]

SORRY, YOU'RE ALL WRONG. THE GROUP IS STILL OWNED BY SAME OWNERS. IN FACT THEY'RE MUSLIM JAVANESE AND HAVE STRONG CONTACTS WITH IMMIGRATION AND POLICE. ONLY VERY FEW NON-CHINESE CAN RUN EF IN INDO... SO, WHO WINS THE BET??

[guruengerish]

Wow, who is SHOUTING???

It's interesting to note that even third and fourth generation Indonesians call themselves Chinese, even tho their great grandparents migrated there so long ago.

So when does one cease to be Chinese and become Indonesian?

Just to be every so slightly pedantic here, DNA tests have shown that the Indonesian race goes waay back to the Chinese.