You are here

Home › Blogs › Shawn's blog

The Growing Unease Over Nova's School Closures

As mentioned in this post, Randy was out in Namba this morning waging a one-man protest. The Sankei Shimbun was there and this is what they wrote.

The Growing Unease Over Nova's School Closures

"I haven't heard anything." The Sankei Shimbun has learned that Japan's largest English conversation school, Nova, is looking to close some 200 schools, a move that has left its teachers and staff surprised and upset. It has been three months since the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ordered Nova to suspend part of its operations over its misleading statements and other actions when soliciting new students that were in violation of the Specified Commercial Transaction Law. News of the mass school closure is likely to further increase unease among students.

According to a woman who works for a trading company and takes lessons three times a week at the Tennoji honko school in Osaka, Nova told her not to worry despite of all the talk, and that it would become a better company. The women said that although she had enough points remaining for 20 lessons, she intended to use them up as quickly as possible and then quit because she didn't know what was going to happen to Nova.

Meanwhile, at head office, not far from the Tennoji honko, in a large room filled with pink Nova bunny merchandise, the mood is tense as staff members handle calls from the media. The first words out of public relations officer Yoshiyuki Kurabe's mouth are, "There are no plans for a press conference."

The reason why Nova has been forced to close some schools has to do with the fact that it's fallen behind in paying the rent and the massive rent bill for its approximately 900 schools threatens to put it out of business. Although Nova plans a massive round of restructuring, including closing high-rent schools in front of train stations in major cities, to reduce costs and improve its bottom line, according to one official, some salaries that were supposed to be paid at the end of July were delayed until August, and salaries to be paid in August were delayed until September. It appears that the salaries of some teachers, who were supposed to be paid on the 14th, have also been delayed.

Randy protesting outside NambaCanadian Randy Poehlman, who works at the Izumifuchu school in Izumi City, says he had heard of 200 to 300 schools being closed adding that Nova does not have the ability to pay the salary's of its staff and instructors.

According to one woman staff member, key employees are quitting one after another. "The remaining staff are fed up. With everything we've heard, I think the closures are a reality," she added apologetically.

Orginal article

生徒や講師に不安広がる　ＮＯＶＡ閉鎖問題

「何も聞いていない」－。英会話学校最大手のＮＯＶＡが、都市部を中心に２００校前後の閉鎖を検討していることが明らかになった２０日、同校の講師やスタッフらには驚きや動揺が広がった。生徒勧誘時の誇大表現などが特定商取引法違反にあたるとして、経済産業省から一部業務停止命令を受けてから約３カ月。大量閉鎖で今後、受講生の間にさらに不安が拡大しそうだ。

大阪市阿倍野区の天王寺本校に週３日通う貿易会社勤務の女性（３１）によると、ＮＯＶＡの社員から先月、「世間ではいろいろいわれているが、もっと良い会社にするので何も心配はいらない」と説明があったという。女性は「レッスンの残りポイントはあと２０回分ぐらいだが、６年間通って英語も上達したし、この先ＮＯＶＡがどうなるのか分からないので、新規購入はせず早めにポイント使い切って辞めるつもり」と話した。

　一方、なんば本校近くの同社統括本部（本社）では、推進２課（広報担当）の倉辺喜之次席が開口一番、「会見の予定は一切ありません」と話すなどピリピリムード。ピンク色の「ＮＯＶＡうさぎ」グッズが並ぶ大部屋では社員らが報道機関の電話対応などを行った。

ＮＯＶＡが教室の一部閉鎖を検討せざるを得ないのは、テナント料の支払いが滞っている物件が多く、約９００もの教室の膨大な家賃負担が事業継続の足かせとなるからだ。テナント料が高い都市中心部の駅前の教室を含む大規模リストラで運営コストを圧縮、業績の改善を狙うが、関係者によると、毎月２７日前後となる給与支払いの一部が７月分は８月１日まで、８月分も９月にそれぞれずれ込んだ。今月１４日に予定していた外国人講師への支払いも一部で遅れが出ているもようだ。

　和泉府中校（和泉市）のカナダ人講師、ランディ・ポールマンさん（２４）は「全国で２００～３００の店舗を閉鎖する話は以前から聞いていた。ＮＯＶＡに講師や社員の給与を支払う能力は残っていない」。

ある女性社員によると、中堅クラスを中心に社員が相次いで辞めているという。「残っているスタッフも限界。漏れ伝え聞く限りでは閉鎖は事実だと思う」と申し訳なさそうな様子だった。

Japan: 
nova
Eikaiwa: 
Naked Theft

Comments

Thanks for translating this Shawn. Good to know it's finally hit the Japanese media. It's time people knew about this. Then someone might do something about the situation!

good on that Randy dude, that took balls

Good on ya M8. That did take some steel kintama to get our there and protest. Hopefully it sets a standard that the foreign employees are not just sitting on their butts chatting up the boards but getting out and burning shoe leather letting the company know what they think, and getting public awareness up.

Good Job!

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT-
I DID WHAT I THOUGHT NEEDED DONE.
HOPEFULLY THINGS ARE MORE TRANSPARENT NOW.

To all Instructors and Trainers:

I am truly sorry to see such a company which dominated the Eikawa market for the longest time to have finally lost its last Usagi.

As for you guys, who are planning to stay in Japan, please do your best to apply for your unemployment insurance number by filling out a General Request.

2) If you are living in a Nova apartment, plan to look for another place to live pronto.

3) Double check your visa? Keep in mind, you do not want to overstay your visa or else you will face the consequences at immigration.

In short, there is no reason to get angry at the company we all had decided to work for this company for a short or long time however, there are always risks that we have to accept while working for a company. Look at it this way, this is a perfect case study to use if you are planning to teach level G students on your own.

Look forward not backward.

I wish everyone the best of luck!!

CONFIRMED REPORTS FROM KYUSHU AT.
HE WILL NOT BE PAID UNTIL TUESDAY. THIS IS 11 DAYS LATE- NOVA IS INSOLVENT. GET OUT NOW.

http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/09/20/do-you-work-for-nova-tpr-wan...

You may want to take a look.

Good luck to everybody.

What a loser that guy is with the placard!Why doesnt he quit now and find a better job?There is heaps of work if you are a qualified teacher.Unfortunately thats the problem in that most employees of Nova are not qualified and are bums.Im happy to see the company fold and all those dumb teachers sweating.They made their own beds and now they can sleep in them while they burn

And who are you? What makes your think you're so smart? Are you a "qualified" teacher? What does that even mean? Because I have met my fair share of idiots who have some bullshit TEFOL certification. You can get those online, if you really want to waste your time. Tell me that you have a masters degree in second language acquisition or something like that, and then we'll talk.

Only fools would waste time getting an online degree.Doesnt mean jack in your home country.My background and training is in Education and i have been a career teacher.If you are so frustrated with your position why dont you get out of it?Why take a job at Nova when so many web-sites make a living out of debating how crap it is?Im just saying if you make a decision and its wrong then accept the consequences.Its ok whining on and on about it but the answer is simple.Get out and find a better job!

Your training certainly isn't in reading comprehension......that's for sure....

I never said I didn't like my job. In fact, I love my job. I'm sad that it seems to be at an end.

I never said I had an online degree. I was actually saying that they're worthless and I don't think having one makes you a "qualified" teacher.

Oh... and one more thing....

"If you are so frustrated with your position why dont you get out of it?"

If you were referring to the "idiot with the placard" aka. Randy.... Well, he was frustrated with his position, and he did get out of it. He also went out and did something about his frustration by protesting. Who's whining?

I'm an australian and was just recently offered a position from Nova on the 17th of Sept, and still waiting for confirmation of acceptance for my partner. So pretty disheartening and scary news to hear.

It was a real show of support for Randy.He did it all by himself.Where were the other people who are sticking up for his opinion?
To the last poster Nova wont fold.In the worst case scenario i believe they will be bought out by a major business player so it will exist in one form or another.The only problem will be lack of options for working areas so you might have to travel further than you would like.
Walking around with a placard doesnt achieve anything especially when you are alone.Strength in numbers!

If I didn't live in Hokkaido, I would have been there.

Living in Hokkaido is an excuse!Come on now.We are talking about a life or death situation here.You realize the fate of Nova has repercussions for the fate of the Universe.Get off ya lazy arse!

I can understand the frustration Randy feels, but I'm not sure what his protest was designed to do. If his goal was to try and give Nova a black eye, then fair enough. But if it was designed to help teachers or stimulate Nova into paying their ATs then it seems a bit pointless. Raising public and corporate awareness is useless. Nova isn't trying to avoid paying these teachers. There's NO CASH. They can't pay them. They aren't closing the schools to restructure, they're trying to get their deposits back for the rent so they can scrape out a bit longer. No amount of protesting will get blood from a stone.

The clown who was labelling Nova teachers as losers really needs to get a grip and stop sucking his thumb. I have no idea why you're so bitter, dude, but dropping such a sweeping statement on such a vast number of people simply shows your pathetic nature, not others. Regardless of how you feel about the actions of Randy, he states his opinion with maturity and fact. You didn't even have the balls to include your name in your post! Do us a favour and go back to bitching at people on your favorite MMORP.

i am writing this because i am a nova AT in the tokyo area who has spent the past 24 hours sorting through all the crazy stuff on the web looking for information. i cant stay silent anymore. anyone with sense my advice to you is:

1. CHILL THE FU@K OUT!!!
screaming online, at your staff, or at you AAM will do nothing. we are all in the same boat.

2. if you are an AT...DONT'T QUIT!!!
if you want to get paid and dont want to take a large pay cut (especially those who have been here a while) don't quit. instead write an emergency leave request stating that either you will come back to work when you are paid or just lie and be vague and say you will go unpaid indefinitely. this way you are still an employee and can immediately get unemployment if (when) the company goes under. this also give you the chance to start weighing your options and trying to find another job. also your staff will be so thankful that you gave them warning. as an AT you know how hard it is to cover a topatsu. give them some warning

3. if you are a regular teacher, put in an emergency leave request starting next month.
i have read that NOVA was just short of getting the money for the salaries of the AT's so it is still possible that you might get paid next month (although unlikey) you have already been working and i am sure most regular teachers will continue to work until at least october 16th if the AT's dont get paid. by that time you would have wasted 2 weeks and will be stuck in the pack. take a proactive approach and see what you can do while you still have time. also, if you do it this way the staff can close your schedule and have some warning and will be really happy (or at least mine were)

the bottom line is that whether you are a regular teacher or an AT, if you quit you walk away with nothing, but if you take the emergency leave you are leaving the door open to come back and get your regular salary while preparing yourself for the inevitable. that is what i did today and my staff were grateful for my honesty and patience. everyone is piss at NOVA for not thinking ahead and acting irrationally. by quitting on a moments notice you are doing the same thing and leaving the others in the same position as you worse off. right now we are all we have. let's try to act like grownups and handle our business. that is my theory....ok now the hysterical asshole can rip it to shreds.

An interesting theory indeed. Everyone put in for emergency leave. That way there will be no teachers at all to teach, which means no students, no possible new signings, no new revenue. Brilliant. That will be sure to get the company through this rough patch. I understand you are trying to be somewhat professional about this, but glossing up your psuedo quitting by slapping an emergency leave label on it is exactly the action you are telling us to avoid.

Everyone on emergency leave is a potassium injection to a patient with kidney failure. You would be guaranteeing that nobody gets paid. Ever. How happy do you really think the staff will be when they have to close down every schedule because of emergency leave? How can the company possibly rebound from that? But at least they have warning. Yipee.

Just say it for what it is. You're walking out until you get paid. Its natural and I think the logical thing to do. But don't blame people for quitting and going to a job right away just because you want to hang on to keep your pay raises intact. People who leave now are getting the jump. You're encouraging a plan of action that will accomplish nothing but immediate cardiac arrest of the company and the payrolls. And create a sudden flood of teachers scrambling for jobs at the moment the Usagi dips beneath the waves.

And yet another scathing post without a name. At least make up a semi-clever alias to lend some weight to your words instead hiding behind the anonymous long suffering last bastion of reason facade.

Signed- A Somewhat Hysterical Asshole called Devon Whetstone

Good advice there in the last post.Nova will not fold.It will exist in one form or another even if they are bought out but...
Why would u wanna work for a company whose upper hierarchy are predominantly gay?Who wants to have spys constantly watching you?There is no trust or belief in the worker(they are not teachers just robots).The only reason people stay is because they dont have the guts to get out there and look for a job that matches them and they dont wanna work because they are no-good, lazy, no-hopers.

A fax went out to nova branches late tonight informing all of the possibility of a buy out by an American company......

yeah. Like the rumour of the merger with H.I.S, like the rumour of a European Bank becoming a majority shareholder, like the rumour of Roots investment company merging. All sparked by the same source no doubt. I'll believe it when I see it.

Hey im the hysterical asshole!Stop stealing my thunder.The fact is im BadoBingboobada.I dont put my name because it tires me out.Only an otaku like Randy could stand with that crappy sign he was holding.The photo is terrible.Taken from a low angle destroys any sense of power that he might have.I mean the fact he is holding a cardboard sign is intimidating enough but the effect is destroyed by the technique of the photographer.Also i can only see his nose and its hardly a Roman one is it.I would suggest a better demonstration is a mock sexual simulation between the pink bunny and Randy but the fact is this is too true to life.Lets face, you bunch of Novites have been copping it from behind for years.Gluttons for punishment!

this is why it took me a day in a half of sorting through all this crap to finally post something. devon you know what? YES, in theory if everyone takes emergency leave then the company will shut down and it will be over BUT i am not dealing with theory, nor do i care about anybody else in this company besides the friends i have already made. if you are in a bad situation sucks for you but i am worried about myself 1st. if you quit while you are looking for a job what difference does it make? but if you stay on and you cant find a job or you get paid and want to go back after you do (hoopefully while you still try to find another job) that is the most rational action. i could care less what happens company wide over the next month. i am worried about my check and my bottom line. i am trying to get private students right now and i hope i get paid on tuesday (but i SERIOUSLY doubt it). all i was trying to say is DONT BURN BRIDGES IF YOU DONT HAVE TO!

i cant believe i am writing a response to your crap. i am pretty sure that you are one of those bitter ass teachers with either no girlfriend or no boyfriend who comes into work everyday nagging about work and life in japan. maybe i am right, maybe i am wrong. personally i dont give a crap. all i know is that you are insecure enough to knock down my effort to help someone in the same position as me so i hope you end up under a bridge sleeping under some blue plastic.

stop knocking people who are trying to help and give REAL advice. i really dont think that solution is right for everyone but i am sure that some people will read it and say "thats a good idea. i think that would work for me." if that happens to one teacher then wasting my time stooping to your level to write a response will be worth it. i am actually upset with myself for writing this much to a person who i would probably make fun of if i met them in real life. anyway, i am done with writing posts forever. i have retired after 2 hours. thank you very devon. i hope you are proud of yourself. (you probably are)

oshiri pen-pen sucka!!

Don't get too upset DC. People vent on the web sites all the time. Just try not to take it too personally. Your suggestion was interesting. Who knows. Maybe it'll work. Devon just took things to the mega extreme. Good luck on Tuesday. I'm hoping for you guys.

In response to DC, congratulations for finally coming out of your cave.I know its difficult living off shellfish and scavenging through bins for a piece of food but i really appreciate your sterling attitude.The age of chivalry and buggery is still alive and well.You are a sensitive little pussywillow arent you?To think with a few choice words you have graced us with your presence.To even contemplate looking for another job is too hard for you isnt it?All that rumpy-pumpy with the gay ATS becomes addictive after awhile.I will say again that Nova will survive but if you continue to eat crap it begins to taste like chicken.

Is it necessary to call everyone gay? How childish can you be?

Fate of the universe... exactly! We should has all hopped a plane or train and been there locking arms with Randy and creating a human Nova chain with Usagi masks. This is our generations civil rights movement.

Seriously... If you love Japan than get privates and a new job. It is not that hard.

I do say good show ol' chap! Bravo indeed and a hootie doo too! a fine establishment like nova shall not be spat apon but revered as her majesty's ship slowly lowers into a sea of shameful debt. Captain's best ye Novatanic!

I would have been there but I was busy reading all this great gossip online. I also had other things to do like rub my hands together and laugh like this: bwah ha ha ha!

Yeah bro.... if it wasn't for the sign and that hot pic... the shroud of doubt and uncertainty would still be cast over Japaneses citizens eyes.

And GOOD WORK WITH THE CAPS LOCK...NIIIIOCE EMPHASIS!

I read that fax too. It seems a Mr. E. Presley will buy out the company.

I heard it was AVON and they have plans to turn the company around.

"i have been a career teacher"
So what are you now, a career loser?

I too have a degree in Education (and am about to start a Masters). Unlike you this doesn't give me an inflated sense of superiority that makes me feel entitled to make sweeping and unfounded judgements of people based on their nationality and/or employment.
Of course I do feel entitled to make sweeping judgements of people based on their anonymous posts on the internet. And my judgement is that you, sir, are a twat.

I did some rough sums... Novas monthly payroll would be about $20m US

I have 0 idea what their monthly rent is... millions more would be my expectation.

If they dont have enough money to pay salaries and rent and they have fallen behind on all kinds of payments this would mean that the company doing the buying would not only have to buy the percentage in stock (of which monkey bridge and others own and also take into consideration that PNB did buy a large chuck and tried to get some change occuring.. sold their stock for $2m less 2-3 weeks later)

I kind of digressed

So salaries at least $20m/month
rent more
debts mounting (cancelled contracts to be paid out)
advertising etc
they have SFA money now

so the buying company has to see value in the brand, has to see profitability is possible and would have to be able to absorb say 6 months to 1 year.... + the initial capital outlay
I reckon its a half billion dollar operation to turn the company around... and the company has almost zero goodwill at the moment... the only way to fix Nova is to buy it.. and re-launch it as something completely new.. a new brand, a new logo, a new image

I cant see it happening... but then again.. if I had half a billion to burn, maybe I would give it a shot

Yes, with Lord Phlegming, Captain Anders Bumkiss and Admiral Monkey nuts, everyone please join me in a moment's silence.

The plaintive cry of the bugler: boooo doo doo dooo doo doo

Keep them coming, funny man.

What is it with these anonymous know-it-alls? The forums are full of them.

"Only fools would waste time...." blah blah blah.

BTW, it is possible to do an online MA in applied linguistics as I have done - with a 2-week summer school - and get a very good university position in Japan. You have to work damn hard - indeed, harder than if you were studying as a full time student.

So, you're a "career teacher...."

Can you hear the shrug?

Tell the morons how it is!

What a sterling stand against the old foe!Lets make a stand against all those bum bandits that have corrupted the good and honest nature of our sinking ship.May the arse forever remain uncorrupted!

Sorry to hear about that. I hate to state the obvious, but just incase you still were thinking about coming, don't waste your time and money.

It is obvious that unless some very large cash injection magically lands on Sahashi's lap in the next couple of weeks the company will not be able to pay wages. They still haven't paid TIs for last month and staff salaries are due this week. If Nova doesn't pay instructors on the 15th next month it is pretty clear they are going to need to drag payment out for weeks again (if they can do it at all). That would mean the company is dead. The problem is that Nova will not call it a day, they will continue to operate hoping that instructors will keep coming to work. They will operate for as long as possible before just closing one day, leaving everyone without pay anyway. They need to close so that instructors can collect unemployment insurance and move on.

The question is, what are instructors going to do if Nova doesn't pay them this month? We really need to get organized and take a firm stand on it or it will drag out for weeks. My suggestion is that is that if we don't get paid on the 15th, everyone should come to work, clock on for the shift, then just sit around on strike. This would constitiue an illegal strike and give the company grounds to fire people who participate. That means that people who NEED unemployment insurance can apply for it immediately. If Nova don't fire people, they won't last long anyway because noone will be teaching lessons. The only drawback I can see is that we would need about 70% of instructors to be in on it to make it work.

I know it would really suck for the students. I genuinely feel for them. The fact is though that if we don't get paid, closure is only a week or two away anyway. The difference being we would have to work for free for that time before being told we aren't getting a pay check.

Any thoughts? If someone has a better idea I am all for it.

As an outside observer the situation is pretty clear. It would be amazing if your Head Teachers or whatever come back if they aren't paid by this Tuesday's deadline. If regular teachers aren't paid, you won't have to organize anything. People just won't show up. The company is done. These are just the death throes. The company will probably close the doors on the 15th. This isn't a fact or researched theory. just my opinion.

my boyfriend got an offer from Nova recently and he's still being in his country right now to wait his flight to Japan.
if they are closing the branches and losing students, also being late to pay salaries
to teachers, how come they are hiring new people? they say that it's for making better classes' availability, but less schools and more classes? it doesn't make sense to me.
please help me. if it's not a good idea to let him come to Japan to teach, I would need to suggest him.

I know that this bulletin is for native English speakers.. sorry about my rough English.

Its not a good idea for him to come to work at Nova. I suggest you tell him to look at this sight and others and research the situation. He will be walking into a world of hurt and needless stress. The Nova recruiters are shameless and must be souless to be able to sleep at night. I know a person who came here 7 days ago and was evicted from his Nova apartment 5 days later because Nova hadn't paid the rent.

thank you for your suggestion, Alex. I appreciate it.
he has a place to stay, so it won't be a problem.
my concern is not being paid and his work situation.
are you working for Nova right now??

if he is a new teacher, he is not getting paid. i am an AT and i loooking for a new job as we speak. tell him not to bother

Can be seen at:
http://eikaiwawiki.servebbs.com/images/1/1a/Novabranches.png

Quite a tumble in Sep/Oct.

LJ is currently using a spam filter, which may eat legitimate comments, particularly those containing URLs. If you are having trouble posting a comment, email LJ.

© Let's Japan.org 2000-2007


Copyright 2022 letsjapan.org