Topic: PANAYA PHATTANAKAN BILINGUAL SCHOOL

[snottgoblin]

Whilst trawling through the jobs offered on 'ajarn.com " I found to my suprise that the school I am currently working for is advertising for staff.

None of us are leaving and the school is not growing either.

However I note the hours of work have gone from 20 to 22 contact hours and a four day week is offered, the salary level has dropped by anything from 5000 to 10000 Baht. per month !! Evil

This school is charging around 40,000 baht a term for the E.P. They use volunteer teachers from one of Bangkoks agencies for
14000 BAHT A MONTH.

Having had a response from Uncle Che I am willing to name the school in question so here is the schools name
                                                       
                                                             "PANAYA PHATTANAKAN BILINGUAL SCHOOL" 

The adress is "Panaya Phattanakan Bilingual School Soi 40 Phattanakan Road Bangkok 10260.

The volunteer teachers at 14000Baht a monnth are supplied by   {j<o>OVERSEAS EDUCATION GROUP (O.E.G.) I possibly think they are not aware of the full facts regarding the schools fees and practices though.

Teachers are expected to supply their own board markers, paper for photo copies materials etc and work 2 hours a week for free to assist the weaker students !! .

The staff of  farangs who teach kindergarten are not to be trusted, that includes a South African and a New Zealander teacher
,two lady teachers are leaving however the two prathom teachers are fine guys, there is one kindergarten teacher who is a great guy a French Canadian .

So be warned paradise is not awhat you may percieve it to be.

[accurate reporting]

It's possibly a kite flying operation.? Testing the waters in anticipation of wage reductions for later contracts. Unfortunately there's still an over supply of teachers in Thailand and with many just wanting to finance further travel or they are on decent early retirement packages a lowish salary keeps them legal.
With ajarn.com probably having a sizable chunk of the job market I scanned their ads and most jobs in the provinces are 35,000 or less.? In Bangkok it seems 30,000 to 40,000 (at a push)? The uni's pay 27,000 and you have to do extra work to bring your salary up.? Most of the institutions in Che's poll pay 300 - 400 baht an hour - they were paying that six years ago.? Hell Nava when they were Shane (1997) were paying 29,000 starting - now it's 24,000 - 26,000. There are probably guys making 50,000 +++ in Bangkok but they're doing a 12 hour 6 day week.
Panaya are just playing the game. By the way is that the same school that Mr (*) V*** suppled teachers to?

[picturefish]

One teacher just got fired because he hasn't been able to show the Principal his passport for the two years he's been working there (he lost it on the bus, twice). The Principal finally had had enough of his excuses and got rid of him.

He told everybody who worked there that he had an M.Ed, that he was completing a PhD over the internet, that he was once the principal of an international school (he'd gone down to teaching this job for 40 a month because he had two pensions and wanted to relax).  He was once a member of the British army, British navy, Drug squad and terrorism unit . He'd previoulsy shot and kiled five people. He's lived in France and in Africa. He's fluent in Thai be doesn't ever speak it becuase he's shy. He is a chronic liar like I have never met before.

I know of five foreign teachers who have left the school blaming this guy as the reason why they left or were fired. I am one of the Kindergarten teachers here. He doesn't like me anymore because after he tried to discredit my teaching I confronted the principal and told her of the concerns all of the foriegn teachers had about the Head of English.   

 I think it's a good place to work. The only major gripe that foreign teachers have with the place is the lack of resources and the odd guy who is thankfully now gone. The school takes one or two inexperienced teachers a year from OEG and pays them 15,000 plus 5,000 housing on a six month contract. I think it's really the arrivals fault for not checking the going rate before they came.

I would advise anybody thinking of working at Panaya Patthanakarn to not be put off by the first post.

Mod Edit: Please try not to flame people in your posts.

[Uncle Che]

Thanks for the response Picturefish, please don't flame your fellow teachers. Your post raises a few points.

1. Why would a Pirncipal wait 2 years to see a passport? I guess this means that the school isn't providing visas and work permits? Normally passport are asked for very early on.

2.Didn't the school ask  to see his degree? It should have been easy to verify this claim.

3. You admit that the school is taking adavntage of the ignorance of new arrivals.

Reputable schools usually provide visas, work permits, check qualifications, and don't try to take advantage of new arrivals. . Are you saying that Panaya isn't a reputable school? Please set the record straight.

[picturefish]

Thanks for your reply. I do want to stay away from flaming fellow teachers, but then I think the burning started when I was described as not to be trusted.

In answer to your questions:
1. The other foreign teachers all have work permits and visas with all costs paid by the school. The person who wrote the first post never had a work permit. He told management that he had residence and this meant he didn't need one to work legally. I am no expert but I believe that this is complete rubbish.

2. My understanding is that the management wanted to see his degrees but they were "lost" on the bus when the passport was lost. He then said he couldn't replace the degrees because the institute he studied at is now defunct. The school asks the other foreign teachers to also supply transcripts and a letter from the university which verifies the degree.

3. All I can add to this matter is to say that the Thai management sorts out nearby accomodation for the teacher, helps with orientation into Thailand and invites those new arrivals on various day trips. I will say that IMO the school should pay these new arrivals more.

 

 
 

[sir mouse burgher]

Looking at the postings concerning Panaya School one wonders as to the quality of the academic staff employed there. Picturefish indeed seems to have dreadful problems with spelling and the correct usage of English too.Seems rather keen on promoting a somewhat dubious school and is fond of making extremely negative comments about other staff members.

There is it seems a great deal of assumption concerning the situation surrounding the school managers the staff and indeed all the conditions that apply to the place by Picturefish.Having lived in Thailand for a number of years I can say that there are indeed many retiree's who are somewhat flamboyant characters and if the age appears correct the claims may well be correct too. We should never criticise until the truth is known.

Picturefish you seem to have desires to manage the school or perhaps you already are by looking at the postings,Picturefish agrees that salary levels are low and also says '' APPLICANTS SHOULD RESEARCH THE SCHOOL " this is precisely what this forum stands for but Picturefish seems to declaim all that has already been posted,as such.

Picturefish should address the matter in a more professional manner than that which is being pursued now, it seems to me that Picturefish has a chip on the shoulder going by the adverse comments made.Comments like''HE DOESN'T LIKE ME ANYMORE AFTER I  WENT TO THE PRINCIPAL AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL THE FOREIGN TEACHERS" hardly the way to carry on when you are an alien in an alien land, surely the best way would have been to confront the individual in person.

 The actions that Picturefish took only served to display the disunity amongst the foreign staff and I believe that is why the conditions of employment are changing to the detriment of the new and I presume existing staff members leading to the explotation of labour.

In Thailand Farangs are regarded as pretty low life for many reasons,Picturefish be careful that the school owners/managers don't turn on you in the near or not too distant future.   

[ladyteacher]

I will tell you all about Panaya School. I worked there for 17 months, the first ten months as a teacher from O.E.G I got 14000.B. per month and a nasty little apartment for free, I moved out of that and paid my own rental difference, when my time finished and I started a new contract. I was promised a bonus of 15000.B when my original contract finished,I did not get it being told that I would get the 15000.B when I ended my second contract along with pay for the month of March (40000.B).
Well I have just finished and left, what did I get NOTHING  ,I lost  55000.B on top of that the woman Phenphan who is the school owner deducted 6000.B for my promised health insurance and work permit, both items were included in my original and second contract. The school STOLE 10000.B from me  the school owner is nothing but a cheap low class theif. I bought many of my own materials as did other teachers, had to provide my own photo copy paper and markers too.I was forced to alter the class reports for the kids as the parents expext 95 to 100% marks so they will keep the kids at the school.The new staff there now are all without degrees non native speakers of English who cannot spell, an American woman on 25000.B a month a South African guy on 35000.B a month both unqualified, two more O.E.G teachers coming at 14000.B a month, the Prathom staff I don't think will last long. There is one rather malicious person there who tells the owner eveything he is a totally nasty guy, the turnover of staff is the owners fault no one elses she has favourites and if you are not one life is hell. I really think the school is appalling cheating both parents and staff alike.My friend who left at the same time was treated badly too she was so upset they took no care of her at all and she was from O.E.G.
NO KEEP AWAY FROM THIS SCHOOL AND MOST OF ITS STAFF TOO.

[Mods-Rockers]

Now I am not normally a SPELLING or Grammar nazi, but I would remind ladyteacher of the old adage "People in glasshouses should not throw stones".

A few questions:
You say that you worked there for 17 months over two contracts, One via O.E.G. and then another privately arranged directly with the school. Yet you also say that conditions in the school are appalling. Why then did you sign the second contract? Did the conditions suddenly change after you had signed the new contract?
There is a legal system in this country, and thankfully one that is more than ever starting to treat Farang fairly. If from what you say nearly two months salary has been illegally deducted for what you are due, why have you not sought legal representation to recover said funds?

Notwithstanding the above points, the school does come over in a very bad light, one hopes that the owner/principle will come back with a rebuttal, and also that the O.E.G.
Is informed about how their provided staff are being treated.

[ladyteacher]

Sorry Mods -Rockers
                                     I see my errors I am a little upset at the moment please forgive me my errors . I signed a new contract as everything then was wonderful, it all went awry shortly after my second contract signing. I am of mixed parentage and am a Thai national as well as a bona fide U.K. citizen,however I have checked and as the woman has a contract that is worded in a clever fashion in law I do not stand an earthly chance if I institute an action through the courts also the woman claims high connections true or false I don't know .

The owner principal is not worried about  comments or staff leaving she often says "there are plenty of people out there who want a job".
She really is a spiteful vindictive bitter old lady of 70 who splits the staff by lie telling.

Chinese proverb " A divided house is easily broken''.

To go with that staff members who are sneaks and tale tellers out to make the best for themselves and you get Panaya School. The guy who was hounded out of the school was a first class teacher who helped eveyone one as much as possible, he also stood up for his staff but certain people stabbed him in the back as far as I know all his papers were all in order. He was treated like dirt as I was by the Thai and foreign staff.

[Mods-Rockers]

Thay all claim high connections, go and speak with the MOE in BKK and ask them how you stand, its also worth asking a lawyer. It has been noted that schools who do write these convoluted contract are being prosecuted more and more and are starting to lose. The fact that proceeding have been instigated often leads these school to settle out of court rather than risk a bigger loss of face by losing in court. You have little to lose by this and much to gain.

[admin]

This thread is now locked down. I really think anyone who reads this thread can have a pretty good idea of about the school. If you have something important you need to add to this thread, please pm me or any of the moderators and if it is new information, we can add it.

If you feel a deep desire to continue this discussion, take it to the Squared Circle.

[admin]

Information to add to this thread:
Someone claiming to be ladyteacher sent me a message asking me to remove the postings made by ladyteacher. I will not be doing that because I don't think there is enough information available to remove comments.

That said, I really think these two users, picturefish and snotgoblin, have an extreme problem getting along and I won't have nothing to do with it. I would suggest that anyone wanting to teach at Phanaya take everything with just a grain of salt, invesitgate on your own.

Personally, I wouldn't bother teaching at the school because I like to work with happy people.

[hero]

I don't know if I'm allowed to post here

Looks a little like end-of-term blues to me Obviously i have no idea if it's a good school or bad school and I have no idea who are good or bad teachers, or good or bad people.  However, i think we'd all (the jolly farang teachers that is!) get along better if we could show a little more professionalism and a little unity!

I understand everyone is a long way from home and we all find ourselves in the company of people unlike ourselves who maybe we wouldn't choose to spend time with were we not scraping a living in a third world country.  I just think we'll all be collectively better off when we start getting along (on a professional level of course!) with one another.

Maybe then we'll be taken seriously when we criticise bad schools

[admin]

All mods can post on this thread or any other locked thread.

I think you have hit the nail right on the head with that post, Hero. I think all parties would do well to read it a few times.

[MrQ]

It reminds us that it is not only the owners who make a school a bad place to work but the teachers as well.