Topic: Sarasas Schools- All campuses

[samvimes]

The basic teaching method [sic] is to give the teacher and book and then tell him to go teach. Sometimes there is no book.

The upper grades, in which I taught, have had no person checking exams and have no one who knows what is going on in the classroom. Yes, they have Thai teachers to see that the farang is dressed properly and that his/her students are in the classroom, but this is all they know. Unfortunately, it's all they care about, as well, except that you get the paper work in on time. The salary at the school is acceptable. The campus is beautiful. However, there is no structural planning at all. Finally, what seems appealing, at first, the amount of freedom in the classroom, starts to weigh the teacher down, especially in the subject of English. One grade knows nary a sentence of what the other grades are teaching. Office seating is completely random and teachers are so busy they only have time to talk to each other at lunch. Of course, the turnover is so quick, that you rarely know even a quarter of the other teachers teaching your same subject.

Finally, beware of the paper work required for you to be at the school. They are slow getting you a copy of your contract. They are slow getting work permits (and it is much safer not to get one). When it comes to leaving, don't think you can just cancel you work permit and then go find another job. You can't. They must give you five or six documents to take with you. Many teachers must return again and again to get the documents they need to teach at a new school. Finding someone in the office after 9am in the morning can be a real task. I was completely and totally disappointed with the school. The students are mostly pleasant. The job just became an uncoordinated drudge.

[El Tel]

The basic teaching method [sic] is to give the teacher and book and then tell him to go teach.

So, what's the problem.
Any teacher worth his salt could find numerous ways to supplement the book.
You're a qualified teacher, work it out.

So the Admin are uncoordinated and slow with paperwork (TIT! ) and the teachers don't have time to talk to eachother. OMG!

If that's all you have to worry about then I think you've got off lightly.

My schedule conflicts with the only hot-looking Chinese-Thai teacher at my school so I don't have time to chat her up. I'm REALLY pissed now!

You say that the campus is beautiful, the money's okay and the students are pleasant.

Consider yourself lucky!

[Notanewbie]

I have worked at a number of places in Thailand, not all in the ESL teaching field, but I have done enough of it between jobs and to supplement other income to know more than a little about the industry. Some places are better than others, for sure. I once got caught between having some real work and took a job at one of the Sarasas schools (From what I have heard from other, they are all pretty much alike as far as treating teachers goes). Now, I don?t claim to be blameless in all of my troubles, I really wasn?t cut out for or interested in teaching kids, I thought I was only going to be there for a few months but it turned out I was there quite a bit longer than expected. Anyway, the job I had been promised didn?t materialize and by the time I found another job, considerable time had gone by. I had pretty much hated everyday working there, but again I was partially to blame for taking a job I know I didn?t fit in, but the school didn?t make things easy either. Everyone told me to do a flyer as the school never paid the last month?s pay for teachers leaving. I thought, that is unprofessional, and I would give notice and also talk to the British lackey working for the owners as head master or whatever the term was to get his promise that I would get all the pay that was due me. He promised me, and I left after the end of the school year so that none of the little kiddies would be put to any trouble, but guess what, the school tried to screw me. I did finally get nearly all my pay, but I had to act like a complete jerk and play dirty to get it. If you decide to work at any of the Sarasas schools, watch out.

[hero]

He promised me, and I left after the end of the school year so that none of the little kiddies would be put to any trouble, but guess what, the school tried to screw me. I did finally get nearly all my pay, but I had to act like a complete jerk and play dirty to get it. If you decide to work at any of the Sarasas schools, watch out.

I think this is the thing that annoys most of us.  From my own point of view, I can put up with unprofessional colleagues and managers, slightly dodgy conditions, ethics I don't agree with - but when they try and screw you for money when you try to leave in a professional manner is just plain wrong.  Everybody who considers taking a job at any school should be confident that the contract will be honoured and all payments will be made.

[Uncle Che]

Until schools start treating teachers professionally and until cases like these are a rare occurence, teachers will be justified to leave before the end of their contract or string along the school until they get all the money due them. I think every teacher should pause and think long and hard how important their final month salary and any bonuses are worth to them before giving notice. If it isn't that important, then go ahead and give notice. If it is, then maybe keep your leaving to yourself because no matter how good you think the school is, there is a legitimate chance that they will try to dick you over.

 

[Notanewbie]

UC,

I wouldn't tar all schools with the same brush. I had some minor incidents at other schools, but nothing worth making a public complaint over. There are always two sides to every story. The only school I have ever worked at in Thailand that tried to out and out screw me was this one Sarasas school. Overall, most schools I have worked with here have been more professional than the average ESL teachers working at the schools. Maybe the Sarasas schools no longer use this policy, but with over 100 foreign teachers and a 70 or 80% turnover rate per year, one can see the financial benefits of withholding the last months pay.

Cheers

[Uncle Che]

I agree, not all schools are the same and some are very professional, unfortunately, there are still enough of the bad schools to make teachers pause and think twice before they let the school know they are leaving. This is why we run this list, teachers can learn things recruiters and directors will not tell them. And hopefully as the list builds and grows, teachers can have a pretty good idea which schools might try to hurt them financially and which one will honor their contracts. When that happens, teachers will not have to tar all schools with the same brush.

[MrTam-di-dai-di]

I know of at least ten former Sarasas teachers, some of them friends of mine, who were deducted up to 20 000 for doing the professional thing and giving the specified notice before leaving.

This chain has a poor reputation among many of the teachers I know. 

[Mods-Rockers]

10 teachers mmm so why dont they get their shit into one sock and sue?

[hero]

The rumours I heard were something along the lines of  "You can't do anything because the owner of the Sarasas chain is very big in some very big circles!"

I didn't pay that much attention, but then I don't have any interest in Sarasas schools - except for wishing to "out" them as potentially Bangkok's most notoriously bad employers

It also is rumoured (although very possibly untrue) that they can get WPs as English teachers for non-native speakers - I thought this was impossible too   Maybe they are that well connected

But then I don't know anything - just rumours

[Mods-Rockers]

And those rumours have been started by the chinese owners, yes they have clout, they scared the admin of tsw 1 enough that he shut it down, but is that clout for real or just mouth and trousers.
personally i get the feeling that they would be more scared of going to court than anything else, too much dirty linen in public as it were, too many parents knowing the truth or at least the potential for parents to know the truth.
Remember they are chinese, they care only about the cash cow and would not risk that cow, we will never know until its tried, but my suspicion is that they would fold before it got to the courts and settle to keep it under wraps. Maybe they have already, you know the routine " we will pay you what we owe you plus a big bonus but you must keep quiet about it, so that we dont look bad"
Just a thought mind you.

[PETER THE GREAT]

HERO WROTE;

It also is rumoured (although very possibly untrue) that they can get WPs as English teachers for non-native speakers - I thought this was impossible too? ?Maybe they are that well connected

WELL, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT.

NUMEROUS NON NATIVE TEACHERS I KNOW? ARE OUTSTANDING TEACHERS.

THEY SPEAK ENGLISH VERY CLEARLY WHICH CANNOT BE SAID ABOUT MANY AMERICANS, OFCOURSE THE AUSSIES, BRITS, IRISH, WELSH, SCOTTISH? ETC. ETC. WHO SPEAK THEIR MOTHER LANGUAGE LIKE HAVING A SPEECH IMPEDIMENT. IN MANY CASES THEY CAN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND EACHOTHER.

BESIDES MOST OF THE 'NON NATIVES' HAVE AN OUTSTANDING GRAMMATICAL KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE THEY HAD TO STUDY THE LANGUAGE FOR YEARS IN STEAD OF LEARNING IT FROM
' MUM AND DAD'.
SPEAKING A LANGUAGE DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU ARE ALSO ABLE TO TEACH IT.
THE EXISTANCE OF (EG) FORMER BRITISH FACTORY WORKERS WITH KAUSAN ROAD DEGREES, TEACHER LICENSE AND WP PROVE THIS.

NOT HAVING THE HANDICAP OF ONLY MASTERING ONE LANGUAGE MOST NON NATIVES ARE MULTI LINGUAL,?



 

[hero]

No need to shout mate

I was not entering into the debate of whether Filipinos, Germans, Scandinavians etc. are good teachers or good ESL teachers - I was just pointing out that it seems to be impossible for most schools to get WPs for non-native speakers, whereas I have heard Sarasas can do it - by pulling a few strings.

I don't think this is the time or place to comment on the "native vs. non-native" debate, this is a "Teacher Power" board and we are all teachers here

Try not to jump to conclusions and be so confrontational - oh and mind the caps

[PETER THE GREAT]

DEAR HERO,

SO NOTED.

AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF TEACHING IN THAILAND I AM AWARE THAT NUMEROUS SCHOOLS ARE OBTAINING WPS FOR NATIVE AND NON NATIVE TEACHERS OF ENGLISH WITHOUT PULLING ANY STRINGS. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PRODUCING THE CORRECT PAPER WORK.

THE 'CAPS' ARE PURELY USED DUE TO LAZINESS.......

BEST REGARDS
PETER

[Uncle Che]

Non-natives have no problem getting work permits in Thailand as teachers. No strings need to be pulled. In Bangkok it might be a different story.

This is a Pro-teacher site and we welcome native and non-native teachers. While this forum is run by native English speakers, the site is owned by a non-native English speaker.

So Peter, take a chill pill and relax on it all. ok?