Topic: OLA (Oborom Language Academy)

[Uncle Che]

Another post rescued from the old forum:

OLA (Oborom Language Academy). To potential teachers be warned. This agency is not to be trusted. For teachers joining the Ramkhamhaeng and Chulla projects be careful. This agency will charge you for housing, will charge you 10% with-holding tax, will charge you for preperation work.
This agent will offer you a fixed rate and then pay by the hour. Any hours exceeding agreed hours will be payed at a lower rate. A new definition of overtime. This agent will sack you if you complain. I worked for 3 terms for them. Always promise a work-permit, but never provide. Collects 25% agent fee. Last month was a short month (exams and holidays) hours worked 49. Offered to pay 40 hours at standard rate and 9 hours at reduced over-time rate. Offer rejected, correct monies collected and then dismissed. Refused to provide statement of employment. Be warned!!!!

[Tricky Aspect]

Hi all,

just trawling through ajarn and found and old agency has popped up again (to my horror).
I hope things are better there now than they were 2 years ago. My girlfriend and I never got paid by these cowboys for a whole months work. Every week they told us to come back to the office to collect our pay and every week when we arrived we were told dont have the cash. W

[Tricky Aspect]

Sorry dont know what happened to the full post!!

The last part of the post said....

They would dump us at any public school they wanted and told us we had to work a full 27 hours. (lasted a month)
They provide NO material. NO support and would lie to you with that "land of smiles" look.
Please be careful with this agency.

thx

Tricky 

[kenkannif]

Same old same old there mate.

[Tricky Aspect]

LOL kenkannif !!!


You even warned us!!

He He

tricky

[Ronaldo]

Is it correct to assume that OLA International stands for:

OutLawAgency

[kenkannif]

LoL...why did you not heed my advice then ('cos I'm full of shite???)

Obrom Language Academy or something like that (the international bit on the end is just to sound good).

[jane_doe]

OLA is a lot of bollocks and should definitely be in the hall of shame!  People should be warned against them.

December last year, there were about 18-20 Filipinos who arrived in Udon Thani.  These Filipinos paid OLA 5,000 baht and were, in return, promised to be given a job.  Hence, they were sent to Udon Thani.  When they arrived here, lo and behold, no job for them, no job for all 18 [not sure of the exact figure] of them. 

Until now the money paid to Dr. Obrom has not been returned to the Filipinos.  Each time one of the conned Filipinos would call Dr. Obrom to ask for the money, Dr. Obrom would throw a fit and do a song and dance number yelling that Filipinos are ingrates and do not know how to be grateful.  Apparently, Dr. Obrom thinks that he has done them a huge favor by stealing their money and handing them empty promises.

A few months back I saw them advertise at ajarn and said they needed 82 teachers.  I could not help but give them a piece of my mind via email.  I did not get ay reply nor am I surprised that I did not get any.

[Uncle Che]

Thank you for posting, any more details are appreciated since this school belongs in the Hall of Shame and only needs a complaint + 30 days to enter.

[renol]

Thank ya all kindly for allowing me to post at your esteemed and honorable educational institution.

I was browsing around looking at teaching conditions in BKK and found these job offers. They seem to pay well, but are exclusively for Philipina teachers. It adds to my feelings that Farangs are looked down upon and treated harshly at my local international school and Philipinas obtain good and better working conditions. I wish Farangs could get their reputations as quality teachers back, teach the best English and obtain normal working conditions!

Philipinos can get a TEFL certificate and then obtain a work permit, lucky guys!

Power to TEFLWATCH.COM and god bless you all!

Jobs advertisement as follows:


GOOD Filipino NEWS

 
OLA International, to launch another project.   
 
OLA International is now opening opportunities for English teachers. A considerably large number of teachers are required to begin on the second semester of this school year to teach in Bangkok and around Thailand .  This requirement is open to all nationalities (native and non-native English speakers) that are qualified by education and experience. To meet the standards set by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Thailand , minimum of 60 hours (including internship) TEFL or TESOL Certificate has been made mandatory for the prospective teachers.
 
To be of help to those aspiring or prospective teachers, OLA International will start this TEFL Course jointly with ESI Language Centers , Singapore which is accredited from U.S.A. ..
 


 
This career development course will ensure you two things:  1.) More knowledge and skills needed to teach in Thailand . 2.) Job placement guarantee in Bangkok and around Thailand . 
 The TEFL cost is 18,500.00 Baht only.  Course fee includes cost of teaching (by Native Speakers from U.S.A. ) learning materials, and snacks.  Classes will be conducted every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. until course completion.

Walk in interview will begin on 26th – 29th of July, 2006 at OLA International office, 1895/39-40,


37/1 Phahonyothin Road , Bangkok
.  August 4 and 5, 2006 will be scheduled for general orientations of successful candidates. Training will commence 9th of August 2006.

 For more information, please contact or call ***** ( or email; >teacher-center.com     


For ajarn.com “Post a Job”

 OLA International is in need of many qualified English teachers from different nationalities. Native Speakers, Europeans, and Asians are all welcome.  We offer the salary of 30,000.00 Baht up to 40,000.00 Baht depending on the teachers’ qualifications and experiences.  We will provide TEFL Certificate to successful applicants before starting to teach-as mandated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Thailand . 

 You will be teaching 20-24 hours per week.  You will be entitled to: paid holidays, paid sick and official business leaves, accident insurance, have visa and work permit assisted, and 10 month renewable contract.

A full 2 months vacation. You lil' ripsnorter!

We will be accommodating; walk-in interviews and accepting resumes on 26th - 28th of July 2006 in the OLA International office; 1895/39-40, Soi




37/1 Phahonyothin Rd. , Bangkok
. If you are qualified, but still outside Thailand , you can send your resume online (no attachments) to >< or call ***** for appointment



Filipinos! You may visit >www.Teacher-Center.com<, click “Filipino center” link.

 

[NukeThemSlowly]

Renol, are you promoting OLA or are you joking about them?  I can't tell....

[Uncle Che]

It sounds like ***** is not respecting his/her fellow Filipinos. He/She is just another guy trying to make a buck off of the backs of Filipinos.

To meet the standards set by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Thailand , minimum of 60 hours (including internship) TEFL or TESOL Certificate has been made mandatory for the prospective teachers.

This is an utter line of BS and a lie to boot. You don't need a 60 hour TEFL Certificate, OLA is just using it as a pretext to get Filipinos over to Thailand and pay 18,500 baht. Oh yeah, we will hire you, but first you have to pay us for the training course. After you do the training course, we will pay you 30 to 40k per month.

You should not have to pay to get  job in Thailand.

[anyonefortennis]

OLA sure sounds like one to avoid, unfortunately it is companies like this that are keeping the EFL teachers salary at such a horrendously low figure.

I read, with some concern, about the TEFL International “Special Thailand Project”, they are recruiting 45 university students / recent graduates to do a 5 month teaching stint and a TESOL course.

At first glance this may seem a very honourable deed by TI, until you start to read the finer details, such as the $200 non-refundable deposit, the fact that you could end up anywhere in the country, and the fact that they are advertising the job as a “5 month adventure holiday”. Looking at the their advert I can’t figure out if the TESOL is free, or if they are spinning it by saying “we pay you $3000, and you get a TESOL Cert, once you have given us $1590 of the $3000 back”.

I know I have a reputation for bashing TEFL course providers, but this is not about course quality etc., this kind of “special project” is going to do very little to a) improve the reputation of western teachers in Thailand b) increase the present salary levels of TEFL professionals in Thailand. It will, however, be a nice little earner for TI no doubt.

It would also appear to create a conflict of interests with TI trainees who are not on the “special project”, they pay their money and do the course, but do they get a guaranteed 30K + housing a month?

So how different are TI and OLA? You pay your non-refundable deposit (on today’s exchange rate 7554 baht), and you have to do their course………..as for the rest we shall have to wait and see when the course / work starts.

Mods & Admin, I know that TEFL CP’s are outta bounds, but this is not about TI’s courses, so I would be grateful if we can discuss the virtues of the “special project” as if TI were an agency rather than a CP. 

I would be grateful to hear others comments (especially by those who, unlike myself, are unbiased), maybe my opinion is blurred by the fact that I detest TEFL CP’s, for reasons I cannot discuss on the forum. Are they doing a worthwhile project? Is there a world of difference between TI's "special project" and OLA dodgy scams? or is it TI’s new cash cow?

At the end of the day, to quote Uncle Che "you should not have to pay to get a job in Thailand".

[samvimes]

I think this project is very dubious from a commercial company. If it was from an NGO or a non profit making organisation then it would remove a lot of my doubts.

[Mods-Rockers]

Yes I have to agree, there is a fine line between being a CP and being an agency. It seems that, whilst TI may not be taking an agency fee for the placement they do get the profit from having a bum in the seat for the course, thus they make money from being an agency. I think here that we need further clarification on the issue befor a definitive statement can be made as to whether, in this case at least, TI is an agency or a CP.