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TeacherTammy · Joined: 21 Apr 2009 Posts: 13 Location: Indonesia

I'm currently working in Bali & looking to move to Bandung in the next couple of weeks. I've been looking for work online but haven't found too many opportunities. After swearing I'd never work for an EF franchise, I now find myself pondering the idea. Most of the feedback I've found on here for the EF Bandung is positive, and I currently work with someone who worked there and quite enjoyed it. My question is this...there are 3 different locations in Bandung (Cipaganti, Banda, BKR)...are they all of the same quality? Or is one of them better than the others? Has anybody had any bad experiences at any of these specific schools?

(Please don't turn this into an EF bashing...I'm WELL aware of the horror stories)

Thanks for the help!

Chancellor · Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:53 pm Post subject: Re: EF Bandung

Elkythedogsperson · Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 1:47 pm Post subject:

The three EFs in Bandung are all the same franchise; same owners and administration. Very good and above board. Not like the other EF horror stories you hear. Pay is on time, conditions good, support excellent.

You probably won't get to pick a school; it depends where there are openings. BKR is the newest and smallest with only two ex-pat teachers out of five teachers total, and both of them are there for a year at least. The retention rate of teachers at EF Bandung is pretty high in respect to what I've seen in my tesol experiences elsewhere, so I don't know how many openings there are coming up. As for asking for a comparison of the school, ir's hard to say as I don't know of any ex-pat teachers who have taught at the different centers to compare on against another. Banda and Cipaganti are in more realtively suburban, green areas and are one-level flat centers, whereas BKR is in a more urban location and is a four-level building.

Chancellor, I only got here this winter but I'd say the garbage situation is totally different than what you described. I am living in the same neighborhood and it is very clean and well kept with regular garbage pickup daily. My main complaints are the smog and the noise of unmufflered motorcycles at all hours of the day.

Chancellor · Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:39 pm Post subject:

Mr. Sauce · Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 8 Location: Seattle, WA

I'll confirm what elkythedogsperson wrote...

I have worked at EF Bandung for the last two years, and I'm about to start my third. There's a reason for that. I love it here - the city and the school. I read a lot of horror stories about EF before I decided to take the chance, and I'm glad I did. EF Bandung is different from the rest.

But I'm biased... Wink

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

There have been a lot of threads on this forum in the past identifying problems with EF schools but I honestly can't remember any of the EF Bandung schools getting any flack. That doesn't mean that all is fine and dandy, but it is an encouraging omen.

The garbage problem in Bandung in 2006 was AWFUL with piles of rotting crap as big as a house but this was the result of an almighty administrative blunder combined with a lot of graft and it has, thankfully, been resolved long ago.

Chancellor · Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:32 pm Post subject:

Wilkor · Joined: 18 May 2008 Posts: 20 Location: Perth

Note, this is not first hand information.

However, two of my current students come from Bandung and have studied there for several years. They've both been very positive about the experience. So from the students' point of view it seems the schools are okay.