Open Thread: GEOS Discussion

Who is the official head of GEOS NA since Mike left in NYC? It is not Nobuko in NYC. Has Uri in Montreal taken the title? The shot him down many times before, but with a sudden vacuum since Mike left to a competitor, he might be acting as the "big" guy. This might explain why he is on a little tip outside of Montreal...Being summoned to the court of the imperial Special K for "big problem" announcement?

Ah, nicer to see someone in the know.

Where exactly is Uri?

"Board"? Explain.

What do you mean explain? "board" like message board. I know technically it's a "blog." and if that's what you mean, then take a hike, Get a life, you Cock.
If that was a genuine question, sorry what do you mean?

Picking up on 1:33's comments. GEOS NA economics have me scratching my head in wonderment. Look at GEOS NY. Now contracted to one NY site. Seems to be on just over 7,000 square feet and rent is sitting on $50 a square foot. Rental outgoing would be $6700 a week. Factor in student fees at, say, $290 a week, and GEOS NY management are looking at income from 23 students just to cover the rent. Go figure the sense in that equation. I suppose they know what they are doing.

Q. Why dosen't Uri get upset by Mr K's video rants?
A. Because they go over his head!!

Apologies if this sounds cynical, but does your school only have two staff? A manager and one teacher?

What does the manager do the whole day (besides fill in spreadsheets)?

Too bad some GEOS locations are barely making rent payments (see GEOS NY for basic example and AUS loans)...And creditors are NOT being paid on time or AT ALL in come cases.

GEOS Will survive a little while longer...But the end is near...Stay tuned.

Well that's all we've got time for for this month, looks like GEOS Teachers got paid so they can all breathe a huge sigh of relief and get out for some celebratory beers, while the naysayers and bloodhounds retire to lick their wounds for a few more weeks.

Hope you can join us again next month, until then, take care of yourselves, Hanami season's upon us so if you're out in the park, sing a little song for all those GEOS Teachers that got paid why don't ya. Have a good April and see you again on the 30th for another exciting installment of "GEOS Payday - will they or won't they?"

Until then, ciao!

Should have read above...You have to love the GEOS managers who get on here and get giddy over the obvious (payday, etc.) Maybe a little too much time on their hands now that students enrollment is crap at their schools. (...posts get cut off again for some reason)

Nicholas Ryan wrote this letter to The Australian newspaper on 30/1/10. Read, remember, predict.

Dear Editor: Inside GEOS meltdown
St Mark’s International College, Perth

On Friday afternoon I was teaching a relief class for another teacher when I called a late break. The students were tired and I was worried that I was working them too hard. I walked into the staffroom and got myself a coffee but decided to return to the classroom and get the last 20 minutes of the session organised. All of my students were standing at the door as I went to go back in. The ADOS walked over and said tell everyone to go to the gym and please go there too. I said “is this what I think it is?” but she didn’t answer. I walked down to the gym with another teacher and when I got there the school receptionist, a tiny quite young woman was standing there clutching a folder – she said “I can’t stop shaking” so just I put my arm around her and said – “you’ll be ok”.

All of the students – only one-third of those actually enrolled because it was Friday afternoon – went into the gym – they could tell from the teacher’s faces that it wasn’t good news but really had not the faintest idea of what it could be. They are from many different countries in the world, probably the mean age is twenty-five and they are here to study English, then move on to study something else and make their mark on the world. Nationalities include Japanese, Korean, Brazilian, Columbian, Turkish, Swiss, to name a few. They are for the most part optimistic, enthusiastic, excited to be joining this new global era, wide-eyed and often quite shy and vulnerable. Many work part-time as kitchen hands, cleaners and wait staff in order to pay for their study.
Inside the gym, two representatives from Ernst and Young stood up on the platform and one of then told them simply that they were closing the school, effective immediately. They were unable to say if it would be reopened. They handed out a letter which said that the final decision of whether to reopen the school would be made no later than 5pm the next Monday but for now everyone should leave the premises. They were unable to give details about money – but it was suggested that only the students on a full student visa could hope for some redress.
The students were shocked and incredulous. Many of them had problems understanding what was going on because of language, and were asking for explanations and translations. As they were instructed to go back to the classrooms and collect their things, they mood quickly gave way to anger among some of them. I think they would have been angrier if they had not had the carrot of 5pm Monday held under their noses, and perhaps that’s why Ernst and Young put it there. None of us teachers believed there was the slightest chance of reopening. The spokesman had also mentioned that there were possibilities of finishing out classes already paid for if they were on student visas, which none of my students were on. We felt completely stranded – some teachers were apologising to students and others were crying. I saw one young Korean boy sitting alone completely bewildered I went up to him and apologised and he hugged me. All of them understood that it was not our doing but they were trying to ask us what to do. I never used the phrases “I don’t know” and “I’m very sorry” with a greater sense of impotence.
Noticeably absent from this fracas were the director of studies (on a week’s holiday), the new principal, who was at a GEOS meeting in Sydney, the senior teacher who had left the previous Friday. The former principal and vice principal had both submitted their resignations and left before Christmas. The accountant had also recently disappeared.
Back in the staffroom it was an invasion of briefcases – men were swarming around the office equipment and opening up drawers and laptops. We hunched together in a small group and were summarily “stood down” and given two hours to get everything out of the building and surrender our keys. We were told not to expect to be paid for the last week’s work and then we started packing.
We carried boxes of papers past students who were still sitting around in bewildered groups and said goodbye at the gates. We had been called to the meeting at around 2.05. Most of us were gone by 3.20. I can only assume that similar brutal scenarios had already been carried out at the other eight GEOS schools across the country, as Perth is three hours behind most of the other states.
This is a disaster for the ESL industry in Australia, but never mind that for now, what about for the young people who have travelled across the world to study here? Students should be asking why our school kept taking money off them and accepting them into their courses when there was no guarantee that the courses would still be running in a few weeks time. Where is the justice? Our long standing managers had managed to sail – or should I say slink - out of the school on their golden parachutes leaving these young people to fend for themselves in a foreign country, minus a good deal of their money. What will the Australian government do to assist these people who have been treated with such incredible disdain?
Nichola Ryan

... and you know the real sad thing - Special K will not have lost any sleep over this....
anyway... I'll leave you with Mr Kocks favorite phrase "Reach for the Goal!!" What a dick.

Or is that "Reach for the Gaol!!!"?

Extract from GEOS Ottawa web site:

In Canada, we have schools from the East coast to the West coast. Beyond North America, GEOS is located throughout the world in countries such as: Costa Rica, New Zealand, England, Ireland, South Africa, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Thailand. Wherever you wish to study, there's a good chance GEOS will be there! Want more information? Try one of these links:

GEOS schools in North America
GEOS schools in Europe
GEOS Schools in New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa
GEOS schools in Taiwan
GEOS schools in Korea
GEOS schools in Japan

Does Ottawa still believe that GEOS NZ and GEOS Cape Town are still on the GEOS map?

PS Ottawa, I would love to study in Sydney...is there a good chance that GEOS will be there?

Quite a moving account of the end of St Marks GEOS Perth. Now that GEOS is paying regularly again, and Australia is now two months past.... What would her reaction be if GEOS just carries on and never repays the $10 million? GEOS Australia just forgotten... Never existed. It is a dilemma, because to exact vengeance she will ensure thousands of other staff and students walk into the same Friday scenarios around the world.

Sure, a Web site isn't everything...But if you have seen some of the garbage they have had and still have, it really doesn't reflect well on them...or maybe just shows how screwed up they really are.

Either way, the flurry of updates probably is in vain and more to do with Uri Carnat trying to show he is "making changes." Someone needs to send him to business school to update him on what real change means...

So true. Anyone with a business education would just shutter at the complete idiocy and imbecilic ways of the typical GEOS manager. No wonder morons with philosophy degrees and/ or no business acumen find GEOS the greatest thing since sliced bread.

It's not just Geos but Japanese business practices in general that make anyone in the know shudder. The myth about Japanese business practices being great is complete bollocks. A tarded dog could run a company better than most Japanese people. They are just too caught up in japanese business culture and consideration of repuatation to be effective business people. The bubble economy would have happened in any country recovering from post war destruction where people work like mindless drones. Had nothing to do with Japanese business practice.

So where should one look for sound business models outside of textbooks?

Maybe the Web site changes are due to the huge drop in Web site traffic, page views, and anything similar GEOS Canadian sites have had to deal with...Both before and after the recent Australian crisis...

Insider? Maybe... ;-)

Well, GEOS Vancouver page view stats have dropped 50% this month and 70% last 3 months...Every Web site indicator is down huge, as is all other GEOS Canada sites. New site changes will not bring that up.

well, I am out in May and thankful for it. I deal with a Napoleon all the time and it is time to move on. GEOS is not for me, but let's just say I knew that from day one. I will take my education degree and find a real school that actually educates people.

Don't worry, lots of other people in my position have left recently as many of you have pointed out. And we constantly turn over teachers at my branch, with another one just recently.

Good bye and good riddance.

To be fair to Special K's number 2, all colleges do try and offer work experience as a marketing tool. Nothing wrong in this. Many agents request schools to offer work experience. However, the question is, can they 'guarantee' the work experience whether paid or unpaid?

Claims of 255 students? If this were true Montreal school would be very profitable indeed! This means they have 21.25 students per class?

Maybe the 'broom closet' holds more than we think!

I believe they just forgot the word 'know' and from what I've seen on this board words get cut a lot during the posting process.

If you can't figure that out then maybe we should be questioning your English.

Probably not. I'm still waiting for the BIG announcement three or four Fridays ago. You know, the one that was going to definitely, without a doubt, signal the end of GEOS NA forever. Meh.

working from a GEOS Tokyo basement desk

.....wrong. My grandma's basement desk actually.

GEOS troll alert. Someone is on here. Montreal, maybe.
Ignore all "big announcement" postings on here unless there is direct evidence made at the time. A buddy of mine at a GEOS Canada school who works the front desk has been giving me weekly updates. Told me that GEOS managers in Canada (and staff) know about this board and have been trying to stir the pot...Ignore them; they obviously have nothing to do.

GEOS is going down, but it will slither along probably through summer. However, come September...

Rumour has it, GEOS Australia collapsed, leaving hundreds of teachers with no pay or jobs, students ripped off of their tuition, and shame for GEOS. And that was after GEOS called out other "rumours", denying everything in a December letter to agents, etc. Oh, wait, that wasn't rumour!

Rumour also had it that NZ was still part of GEOS until it was confirmed that it was sold. It was also 'wild speculation' that GEOS Cape Town was alive and well, until we finally learnt the Manager upped and left to start a new college two buildings away leaving a 'locked GEOS Cape Town building' with a lease in tact and the landlord wondering how he is going to get his rent

Must have been a rumour the email from the Regional Coordinator on 21 December to GEOS Perth staff, other GEOS Australia Managers, Managers in NZ, cc to GEOS Head Office stating "We are not going down -GEOS is not bankrupt, GEOS is not for sale'

So the NA websites that still claim to have schools in Cape Town and New Zealand are correct and we are not??????

Noone has yet denied the new 'hot rumour' about Europe.

Maybe the GEOS NA manager needs I explain why certain Canadian schools could barely pay their rents last year...Or why creditors have not been paid on time or at all. Or why Languages Canada has had to call the head office in Montreal to see if things are okay... ;-)

Maybe it is time for some more inside info just to get things really going. ;-)

Correction, meant to say December for the letter...

Some tidbits...

GEOS Montreal is STILL looking for an Academic Director.

Bunch of teachers left at GEOS Toronto...They actually advertise that they prefer teachers with "some experience"! Really? Experince? No way!

More coming... ;-)

What is the announcement for GEOS NA?

Looks like GEOS NA is working overtime, especially in Canada, to revamp it's Web sites and make it look like they have comprehensive programs. A bunch of Canadian school sites underwent heavy changes over the last few days. Kind of odd right before the Easter holiday weekend, don't you think? This would support a sudden, mad rush to try to sell the schools. Like taking your junk car and repainting and detailing it for sale.

Can you provide more details to confirm Tuesdays announcement?

Sure...

What? - Announcement.
When? - Tuesday April 6th.
Who? - NA Directors
Why? - To announce something BIG.

That ok for you?

No, not good enough. ;-)

Will it deal with a) school closure, b) school sale, or c) personnel/ position announcement.

Until we have more, it just sounds like those other "announcements" that never came about.

I find it interesting that the one claiming to know of a "big announcement" can never really give anything concrete. It is an anonymous board, so please provide what will be announced or as close as possible. Otherwise people will not belive you, including me.

I find it interesting that the one

It's The One to you.

Well, the 9th would make it a Friday. Friday announcements usually mean a big closure. A Tuesday announcement might mean some schools closing (NA) while maybe the rest put up for sale but still operate. I am also skeptical, so hope the big anncmt poster can offer a little more on NA.

Anyone notice that GEOS Calgary's has been left untouched by the rent changes and hasn't been updated in a long time? Say bye to Calgary. Even the shitty GEOS Ottawa site just got revamped huge the other day. Toronto is still horrible.

As I have said before, GEOS may well fail. I couldn't give a damn if it did. However, there are many among the masses in this little enclave who presume themselves to be harbingers of doom but are egregiously unqualified and malinformed. Come on. Most of you here are teachers, right? Then spend a little more time getting facts rather than wasting people's time with with fanciful conclusions. Somehow I recall the legions of people who gathered atop the mountain expecting an Armageddon that never came.

I am ex staff. Last year on the Gold Coast I had the pleasure of meeting Mr K's daughter (no idea what her name is) who was proud of the fact that she was the 'events coordinator for Playboy' and did not hesistate to mention this to all and sundry. Is she as delusional as her father? She made it quite clear that she was taking time off to help run the company. This 15.13 is FACT.

Yes, I 'gotta laugh'...when you have clowns running a company you have a circus. GEOS is a circus and the 'big tent' is coming down.

Can anyone shed some more light on the daughter???

Yes that's the one, but you have been far too kind in your description of her!

I'd be very surprised if they actually managed to find a buyer for GEOS Europe.

The places make very little money during the winter season(the running costs for the premises in Eastbourne must be phenomenal). Combine this with falling student numbers, the state of the world economy and changes to visa regulations and it doesn't look like a good economic investment.

I'm quite sure the schools will see out the summer but beyond that is anyone's guess.

"Gotta Laugh
As I have said before, GEOS may well fail. I couldn't give a damn if it did. However, there are many among the masses in this little enclave who presume themselves to be harbingers of doom but are egregiously unqualified and malinformed. Come on. Most of you here are teachers, right? Then spend a little more time getting facts rather than wasting people's time with with fanciful conclusions. Somehow I recall the legions of people who gathered atop the mountain expecting an Armageddon that never came.
"

FACE facts... the only entity that will 'profit' from GEOS's doom are the clowns left at the remains of what was once the UNION!!! One last chance for Cartlet and the THUGS to get their name in the papers??? Once last big surge in union dues paying stooges??? Someone is working DAY and NIGHT to put nails into this coffin and light the incense here in Japan. They all know very well that what happens overseas means squat here. They are just throwing a little gasoline on the fire to be the first to yell FIRE! FIRE!!

Something tells me you are a lot more than just a casual observer. The tone of your post!!!

Speaking of facts, I sure did not see many in your post (if at all). Could get into the details, but this really says it all:
“They all know very well that what happens overseas means squat here.”

Oooh! So it does not make any difference at all? Even if you accept the ridiculous lies that Geos Japan has no financial stake in the overseas schools, can you really seriously say that Geos schools overseas going bankrupt, closing etc. will not have anything to do with Geos image in Japan??!?! They partially dodged the bullet on Australia (but it had to have hurt regardless). Do you really think they will be able to keep doing that when more schools fail (the agents were certainly watching even if the Japanese media did not pay much attention)?

You are just being ridiculous. With people like you in the company, no wonder it is having problems.

I am still looking for Ms. Rita Chen of GEOS NA, out of Montreal. She seems to have gone missing recently. No more propaganda letters to GEOS agents about how rosy and perfect things are. Hmmmm...