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captainmorgan
Joined: 28 Feb 2013
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 Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:06 am Post subject: Hagwon experiences |
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Hi,
I'm a newbie to this forum and a potential newbie to Korea. I have a job offer from Wonderland Language School in Anyang. I've read more than a couple of things about wonderland online which concern me.
Has anybody heard of this school or worked there? Any inside info would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Last edited by captainmorgan on Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:37 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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Friends don't let friends work at Wonderland.
The stories are mostly all true.
Wonderland has earned, over a LONG period of time, its solid reputation as one of the worst places to work.
You have been warned. Sign at your own risk.
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:18 pm Post subject: |
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Cap. Morgan, you will be wise to steer clear of Wonderland. You will find that, as Ttompatz has mentioned, probably one of the hagwons that has achieved their biggest notoriety in Korea as a school willing to undertake questionable activities. In other words, they are shite: no Health Care, Pension, working during lunch breaks (handing out food to the little kiddies), teaching non-stop for months on end without any proper holidays, etc.
If you want are wishing to increase your stress levels, then work for them. If you wish for an adventure with little stress, then work with a more reputable organisation (if you can find it). |
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MichaelAngelo1
Joined: 26 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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What would some of the more reputable organizations be? What about The Princeton Review?
Last edited by MichaelAngelo1 on Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:36 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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| MichaelAngelo1 wrote: |
| What would some of the more reputable organizations be? What about The Princeton Review? |
I don't read the Princeton. |
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MichaelAngelo1
Joined: 26 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Whistleblower wrote: |
| MichaelAngelo1 wrote: |
| What would some of the more reputable organizations be? What about The Princeton Review? |
I don't read the Princeton. |
What do you mean by that? I mean the organization, the princeton review korea. |
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newb
Joined: 27 Aug 2012
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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| You're better off working in China. |
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MichaelAngelo1
Joined: 26 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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| newb wrote: |
| You're better off working in China. |
Thank-you for the input, can you elaborate a bit? Why? Feel free to PM me  |
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EZE
Joined: 05 May 2012
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| Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 6:53 pm Post subject: Re: Hagwon experiences |
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| captainmorgan wrote: |
Hi,
I'm a newbie to this forum and a potential newbie to Korea. I have a job offer from Wonderland Language School in Anyang. I've read more than a couple of things about wonderland online which concern me.
Has anybody heard of this school or worked there? Any inside info would be appreciated.
Thanks! |
I worked there and pulled a midnight runner during my eighth month on April 11, 2012, two days after an Australian co-worker pulled a runner in his seventh month.
Everything Whistleblower said about Wonderland is spot on, and here are some more things specific to the Anyang branch:
Utilities shutoffs: They don't allow you to pay your own utility bills and get angry at you when you do. I arrived in August of 2011 and within days my gas was shut off. When my electricity bill arrived, I noticed it hadn't been paid since May so I went to the bank and paid it, which angered my boss. Meanwhile, my gas was off for several weeks. They deduct the amount of bills out of your pay, but they don't pay the bills for months, resulting in late fees. My gas got cut off again a few weeks before I pulled a runner because of them.
Airfare: This school wants you to pay for your airfare to Korea and says you'll get reimbursed on your first payday. Fortunately for me, I refused to do that so Wonderland paid for my flight to Korea upfront. A teacher who arrived in September 2011 didn't get reimbursed until December and a teacher who started in April 2011 still hadn't been reimbursed as of April 2012 with only two workdays left in his contract.
Trashed Apartment: This is the worst part. The apartment provided by Wonderland was trashed in very similar fashion to the one in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8RmWpwPiz4 The trash levels and insect problems are remarkably similar. In fairness to Wonderland, the Wonderland apartment's bathroom was much cleaner than the bathroom in that video, but still extremely dirty. But the Wonderland apartment had used condoms and other strange items mixed throughout the trash. I spent well over 100,000 won just in the first few days alone of my contract on cleaning supplies.
Great Kids: The students in the kindergarten, young age, and medium age classes are the best children. They were an absolute joy to teach.
Harrassment at the Airport: My boss is apparently angry the Australian and I pulled midnight runners, because whenever I pass through Incheon International Airport, I get detained and told my former boss at Wonderland reported me to the police for not paying unemployment insurance. Nothing ever results of it and I always end up getting to board my flight, but this is representative of the sociopathic behavior you can expect should you decide to sign that contract.
My blog Anyang Wonderland: The Midnight Runner Chronicles can be read at www.anyangwonderland.blogspot.com |
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EZE
Joined: 05 May 2012
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| Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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| One more thing... the school moved to a different location in December of 2011, so it's a 45 minute walk to work. If you take the bus instead, that will cost you 2.5% of your salary. I almost always walked, which was 1.5 hours roundtrip, meaning I would leave home at 8:30 in the morning and arrive home at 8:45 at night. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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| MichaelAngelo1 wrote: |
| What would some of the more reputable organizations be? |
There aren't any. Conditions are fairly standard across the board.
Every hagwon chain has disgruntled former workers with serious complaints at one time or another.
You take your chances. Its a case of weighing up the balance of advantages and disadvantages.
My school is similar in conditions to any other. But it provides great accomodation and can also be trusted to pay everything owed, on time. Thats to me makes up for the lack of time off. |
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captainmorgan
Joined: 28 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 1:08 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the advice guys.
I decided not to accept the job at Wonderland. |
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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| captainmorgan wrote: |
Thanks for all the advice guys.
I decided not to accept the job at Wonderland. |
And that is the best decision of your life. Well done Sir. |
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captainmorgan
Joined: 28 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Whistleblower!
Oh, and I'm a girl  |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:55 pm Post subject: Re: Hagwon experiences |
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| EZE wrote: |
| captainmorgan wrote: |
Hi,
I'm a newbie to this forum and a potential newbie to Korea. I have a job offer from Wonderland Language School in Anyang. I've read more than a couple of things about wonderland online which concern me.
Has anybody heard of this school or worked there? Any inside info would be appreciated.
Thanks! |
I worked there and pulled a midnight runner during my eighth month on April 11, 2012, two days after an Australian co-worker pulled a runner in his seventh month.
Everything Whistleblower said about Wonderland is spot on, and here are some more things specific to the Anyang branch:
Utilities shutoffs: They don't allow you to pay your own utility bills and get angry at you when you do. I arrived in August of 2011 and within days my gas was shut off. When my electricity bill arrived, I noticed it hadn't been paid since May so I went to the bank and paid it, which angered my boss. Meanwhile, my gas was off for several weeks. They deduct the amount of bills out of your pay, but they don't pay the bills for months, resulting in late fees. My gas got cut off again a few weeks before I pulled a runner because of them.
Airfare: This school wants you to pay for your airfare to Korea and says you'll get reimbursed on your first payday. Fortunately for me, I refused to do that so Wonderland paid for my flight to Korea upfront. A teacher who arrived in September 2011 didn't get reimbursed until December and a teacher who started in April 2011 still hadn't been reimbursed as of April 2012 with only two workdays left in his contract.
Trashed Apartment: This is the worst part. The apartment provided by Wonderland was trashed in very similar fashion to the one in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8RmWpwPiz4 The trash levels and insect problems are remarkably similar. In fairness to Wonderland, the Wonderland apartment's bathroom was much cleaner than the bathroom in that video, but still extremely dirty. But the Wonderland apartment had used condoms and other strange items mixed throughout the trash. I spent well over 100,000 won just in the first few days alone of my contract on cleaning supplies.
Great Kids: The students in the kindergarten, young age, and medium age classes are the best children. They were an absolute joy to teach.
Harrassment at the Airport: My boss is apparently angry the Australian and I pulled midnight runners, because whenever I pass through Incheon International Airport, I get detained and told my former boss at Wonderland reported me to the police for not paying unemployment insurance. Nothing ever results of it and I always end up getting to board my flight, but this is representative of the sociopathic behavior you can expect should you decide to sign that contract.
My blog Anyang Wonderland: The Midnight Runner Chronicles can be read at www.anyangwonderland.blogspot.com |
And then of course there's the negative side. |
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