Let's Japan.org Debunking Eikaiwa and Ramblings in Japan

It's deja vu all over again. The first time, when Nova went under, it was a tragedy. When g.communication reneged on their promise to hire teachers, that was slap in the face. Now g.comm appears to be bleeding money. This is a farce.

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GEducation's president has announced that the company is haemorrhaging money and as such, effective immediately:

1. The number of instructors working must be slashed according to a 40/1 student to instructor formula (the 40F or 40 forumla). So, a school with 200 students will have 5 instructors. The remaining instructors will be switched to standby with 60% pay.

2. Instructors with seniority, teaching ability and Japanese proficiency will be those who remain in the branch (i.e. Those not going on standby). However, the Japanese branch managers were the ones asked to put forward the names of instructors who match the above mentioned criteria (they made the selection last week but weren't told why they were making the selection)

3. Each branch will now have a maximum of 400 students.

4. Branches currently open will be moved to a more affordable location within six months if such a place can be found near the vicinity of the current branch.

5. IAMs/AMs will become branch instructor supervisors (M or managers) replacing current ATs/BTs who will be demoted to regular instructors. Some branches will not have supervisors as a result.

6. FP/GMs are all out of the decision making loop.

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-Teachers being put on stand-by are being told at various times of the day. The staff are being saddled with the responsibility of telling them that they are not to show up for work, so God help those branches whose staff are low-level english speakers.

-The staff had a meeting with NOVA/G-Comm last night about the advertising push that's scheduled to begin this month, but many are hoping they address the issue of the teachers being put on stand-by, as some staff have promised to ask questions about it.

-The 1:40 ratio is an EC standard as far as I know, which could indicate that G-Comm has plans of using the EC model to mold the old NOVA schools. The first step was getting rid of all foreign management as EC has no foreign management to liaison between teachers and Japanese management.

-Those put on stand-by were told that once their branch, or a branch close to them, reaches 400 students, they will be called back to work. How long this will take is anyone's guess, if it happens at all.

-Those put on stand-by will recieve their regular pay on January 15th, but strarting with the first "stand-by" day, they will recieve 60% of their pay, but still on the 15th of each consecutive month. It was not stated how long they expect to keep teachers on stand-by, or if they are financially prepared to pay them for one month of stand-by or several months.

-Those teachers that were chosen to stay were selected based on their performance records, Japanese ability and seniority. This is because they will be used to temporarily help with the existing staff work (ie: answering the phone, student check -in, etc.) due to the staff shortage.

My suggestion for those put on stand-by: find another job, but don't tell NOVA/G-Comm. Collect two paychecks, but work only one job, and bleed them for what you can. I honestly don't think you'll be going back.

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MORE RUMBLINGS FROM THE FRONT:

-Instructors put on stand-by are being offered the opportunity to do Government Kids at full pay, instead of the 60% stand-by pay. Basically this is like an ALT job, where you might travel to a different junior high school school everyday, or even several different schools in one day.

-These drastic changes are due to G-Comm's hemorrhaging of funds. Basically, the foreign/original management was given several months to get everything on the right track. When they couldn't, G-Comm gave them their marching orders and gave control to the accountants to stop the bleeding. And what do accountants do first? They cut costs. And the first cost-cutting measure is always labor.

-There is a new list for the accomodations. Anyone who lives in a NOVA/G-Comm apartment should call accomodations (03-5524-2485) to see if your place is "safe". Rumor is that if there are at least two instructors in the apartment, you're probably o.k. But, you should not assume anything.

Incredible. Should the countdown to g.comm's demise begin or is this a sign that they are doomed to be a small school? There are so many things they've done wrong, it's unbelievable. Why keep the Nova "brand" and why promise to hire everyone back? Why even get into a declining industry?

G.comm also seems to have assumed students would return in droves once old Nova schools were given a new coat of paint and re-opened. As the carcass of Nova goes through the process, the students are last on the list of creditors to receive any money. I don't think they'll ever see a single yen of their lessons fees. If you were a student and lost everything you paid, would you take g.comm up on their offer to take discounted lessons? If you're an instructor, it's difficult to argue with satokoji's advice: if you're on stand-by find another job, collect two paychecks, get what you can, and then get out.