Job Discussion Forums

[englishgibson]

The emplopyer is the Century Education Group with its OK Nanning School business license now apparently located at 5 elephants square in Nanning, Guanxi.

This school has moved in the city a couple of times in past 4 years. When it was at Nanfung Dasha at Mindzu Dadao Avenue in Nanning it had numerous issues. Before I came there in April 2005, there had been about a dozen fts in and out and that in a spin of just about 6 months there.

Dissatisfaction was evident from both sides and that was the fts as well as customers, the students. I know of a couple of fts then that tried to file lawsuits against the employer. Also, some of clients/students told me there had been attempts of lawsuits by students. I never saw a trial or heard of one against the company however..tough in China to find out about that and fts visas also do not allow them to exactly hang around if they've got to deal with officialdom as "travellers".

During my 4 years with this employer (the longest serving ft there), I have experienced some real issues to look out for. Surely, I've changed the place somewhat as I am one of the biggest complainers..see the boards on, however the core of this rotten operation is still the same. One of these issues has been the OK School owner's, Michael's really poor knowledge of the business and the academic product which has directly affected my work and students' progress. Double teamed by the General Manager named Lucy, the girlfriend of Michael that speaks some English and that makes you feel like she understands you, this company can provide you with some really false expectations. You might end up thinking that you are the one who makes a difference, when that "difference" is predetermined by Michael and Lucy which is yet another serious issue to look out for.
Then, Students' achievements/scores for GPA to their unis and their applications and cover letters are "pasted and copied out of our writing" by the ch-management and that all to mislead the overseas uni recruiters and universities. In any case, whatever you do, may and will be copied there.

That brings me to the add on the boards where the employer advertises for an ft or fts.

http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/china/index.cgi?read=20367

This above current job advert is a "copy" of a previous one from April 2009 below

http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/china/index.cgi?read=20024


The April's advert was a result of my departure as I accomplished my 4th one-year contract there and it was posted by a British older man, Neil, the at that time "hopeful DoS" there. As he was completely out of the loop on the center's academic issues there last month, he decided to leave. His Chinese "Coordinator" Ran and her employers, mentioned above, have not only benefited out of his fine writing skills, but a lot more.

Now, if you look at the advert, you will not really see who your real employer is, but you should know that your work visa will be processed under the OK Nannig School that's got a really bad rapport in the city. If you come to the school in person (the GAC center is across town elsewhere), you'll find an interesting sign of Century Education Group at the reception there. Yes, they seem to be operating under a hell lot of names and then I can tell you that they're into a lot more too. First of all, the Century Education Group seems to be a really large educational institution in China and they advertise on forums even more. This employer's got another GAC center in Guangzhou too. In Nanning, they own a Dating Service as well...i had to teach Chinese females that looked for foreign partners too as it was a part of the company.

To sum up some of my views and experiences on this company above, they've got a lot of "products and academic products" with little support and a really poor management that picks the Chinese employees not by their knowledge, skills, or qualifications, but how loyal they can be to their clueless although ambitious employers. So, do not let the Chinese Coordinator Ran at the GAC Nanning center prove my point here as you may get caught in a one-year contractual agreement. There are a few recent cases of fts that have left the center breaking their contracts or getting fired and then have been unable to obtain a work permits later. The employer is a former army officer with no English knowledge although lots of connections.

Yes, there're many other rotten operations around to look out for. I am just pointing out one in particular to avoid any grievances or frustrations for prospective applicants there.

Cheers and beers to forums

[englishgibson]

more reasons to give you on the warning of this nanning GAC center and the GAC center this company owns in guangzhou too;

a sad reason is that students graduate, even if they fail or drop out of the program/courses. working in such classrooms is just counterproductive or even meaningless at times and it surely sends wrong messages to your students in classrooms. it's so difficult to keep the ones that don't drop out motivated and in the program there. recently, and with the help of the girl/academic coordinator that recruits (with the re-edited advert originally posted by neil in april) for this honorable job position, there have been students that've dropped out of the courses although successfully processed their uni applications there. not quite motivating for the current students of the center that're about to reconsider their participation in the GAC courses there as they all know their poor classmates (that either failed or did not finish) are about to board their planes abroad.

yet another reason not to join this GAC center (or the other one in guangzhou run just about the same way) is that the center's evaluation of foreign teachers depends a lot on this academic coordinator that's recruiting here. ran, as she calls herself, can use such fine "techniques" to "evaluate" you, you might never find out what "techniques". one technique she uses is that she asks some of her students her "own kind of questions about you" which is not uncommon in other centers, but the other technique is a standout. she tries really hard to pass on to her chinese administrative coworkers and superiors as much as she needs about her foreign teachers there. so, any perception about you might and will be created by RAN, the coordinator that coordinates so much.

that brings me to the reason why i left the place there. and never mind the practices of the center that sends poor students abroad (other centers do too). a month and a half before my 4th contract expiry, RAN told her (at that time mine too) employer that the GAC center's chinese administration staff members could not get along with me in the office. after my employer (michael) passed on the message to me and after i assured him that i would try to get along with those chinese administrative staff there, i asked them all at a meeting a few days later whether they had any problems with me and/or what the problems were. all three administration workers had said NO PROBLEM, WE LIKE YOU. the coordinator RAN (recruiting on here), was present at the meeting, although quite shocked i brought such an issue up there. NO PROBLEM COULD BECOME YOUR PROBLEM AT THE GAC NANNING CENTER AND THAT IN THE COORDINATOR RAN THERE.

most interestingly, after i announced, at 3 PM on 27th of march 2009, a month before my contract's expiry that i'd leave due to RAN'S behaviours, at 9 PM the same day i received a phone call from her and my former chinese coworker working at another center and for another employer. i was immediately offered a new job there. should i believe such coincidences? has RAN got paid for me??? RAN had a hard time cheating, when i worked there. and, i gave her a lot of hard time when she was dishonest or when she mismanage the courses. yes, she only carries out orders of her superiours, lucy and michael, and she'll do anything to keep her job there. keep that in mind too, if you take the postion there.

cheers and beers to coincidences as i have been told not to talk about the way i have come to my new position here

_____________________________________________________________
i count on my former employer's english language skills that may not allow them to read this post

[wangdaning]

Sounds like a hellofa place. I hope the new gig proves better. Almost makes me glad that the place I work has poor students complaining that they failed. Poor students that try are one thing, but poor, lazy students piss me off, especially when they think they can just skate through (by default, schools that let them really piss me off).

[englishgibson]

my new gig's even worse as there're very few students..blame the center's and GACs reputation as well as some of the fat lies they not only give to employees but also the paying parents.

these kids not only think but know they can skate through by default in a GAC center. so, some choose to only take their proficiency exams..trying for a zillion times to pass. and, once they pass that, they're on their way to their miseries abroad. especially the ones that get their chances to continue their "abroad foundation programs".

cheers and beers to a fine GAC program that's been destroyed by chinese GAC centers so much as well as cheers and beers to the ones that will not decide to join the GAC nanning that's destroyed its few good students with its sh*te management there....let the chinese facilitate it there

[englishgibson]

Watch out for this company!!!

Yes, now i am quite sure that they are a Century Education "group" http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=73471

This "group" has been heavily advertising and from my experience they've got a really high employee turnover.

The Nanning and Guangzhou centers are managed by one "lovely" female, a girlfriend of the "boss" that speaks no English, knows little in the field of biz, although gives orders..and, he was an army general before..not that fts will feel it (have to march or anything like that)

This below job advert for both, the Nanning and Guangzhou centers comes after the previous one on the top.
http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/china/index.cgi?read=20505

Never mind the inconsistancies in their advertising for the posts to mislead the applicants and never mind the fact that both, Guangzhou and Nanning centers, are under the same kinda licence and subscribed to the same kinda program AS GAC CENTERS, the irony is that the varieties of names they advertise with. The Nanning center is the GAC center at Guanxi Universitie for Nationalities and its foreign employees contractual agreement offers are greatly inconsistant. Watch out!!!

With regards to the ACT prep program which isn't the same as the GAC one, Nanning center has not carried it out as fts have complained about it and as the GAC head office has taken the center's licence down temporarily (a few months ago) there. How come the Guangzhou center can provide the ACT prep course and be called ACT prep center when their actual licence is under the head office of the GAC in Shanghai OK, non of my biz really as I am not with them anymore, but for all of ya others to watch out for.

From my experience, the Nanning center's "co-ordinator", that has initially advertised on here, "co-ordinates" a hell lot more than you'd expect this "lil girl" to co-ordinate. They even gave a job title of a DOS to some unfortunate fts before. All three of them have been "well co-ordinated" by the "lil girl" who gets orders from "above". (remember the "lovely manager and her general boyfriend ) This girl will do anything to keep her job and everything to GET YOU OUT if you question her.

This company and its centers in either Nanning or Guangzhou (Haikou that folded too) give a bad rap to the already damaged reputation of the franchisors. And be aware of this company as they might have a hell lot more centers than we think. Beijing's centers come to mind as they are most likely under some different names too.

out of the last advert