Shawn's blog

Add this to the list of GEOS's woes: voluntary administration.

Eight English language schools operated in Australia by the GEOS group have gone into voluntary administration, leaving about 2300 foreign students unsure of their future.

Justin Walsh and Adam Nikitins of Ernst & Young have been appointed administrators to nine companies operating the schools in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Cairns.

Does the company make the man? Interac seems to think so. Just think of the adventure that awaits as you are transformed from an amoeba-like university graduate into an upright-walking sensei! Um, yeah...

h/t Fucked gaijin

Back in September, The Japan Times interviewed Susumu Ikegami, a spokesman for Geos, and asked him about the eikaiwa market. To no surprise, he said business was down but for some reason could not explain why.

Remember Fortress Japan? Back in 2008, they were caught stealing a page or two out of Nova's playbook with some underhanded sales tactics. The Kansai Consumer's Support Organization (KCSO) sued, and in 2009, Fortress Japan promised to change its ways and behave.

I'm late talking about this, but it's worth noting given Hoofin's recent comments on freechoice.jp and health insurance in Japan. After I was asked to take down a letter from a private insurance provider that I posted here, Hoofin went out and did some digging, and came up with a lot of interesting stuff.

At this time last year, with Nova gone, LJers in the forums were talking about how . A year to the day that thread was started, J-cast News ran a story on the rapid growth of eikaiwa lessons online. The article reads more like an advertisement than a piece of journalism as it only focuses on three very new online schools, so it's difficult to gauge the popularity or success of online eikaiwa.

An LJ reader sent me this letter from his insurance company regarding the new immigration guideline which appears to confirm that the stance on the guideline has been softened. As the letter points out, not being enrolled in a public health plan is insufficient grounds for declining a visa renewal application. It looks like a lot of instructors can breathe a sigh of relief.

As you are aware, immigration guidelines are set to be changed next April so that you will have to show proof of enrollment in shakai hoken or kokumin kenko hoken when you apply to renew your visa. This is a huge issue for eikaiwa instructors as most are not enrolled in either health plan and are faced with the possibility of having to make hefty back payments upon enrollment.

All you need to know about a day in the life of an eikaiwa instructor. This would hilarious if it weren't true.

TV news is reporting that Ichihashi has been caught in Osaka. According to the Asahi shimbun, Ichihashi was taken into custody by the Osaka Police after being spotted while trying to board a ferry in Suminoe-ku.

Asahi article

千葉県市川市で０７年３月、英会話講師の英国人女性リンゼイ・アン・ホーカーさん（当時２２）の遺体が見つかった事件で、市橋達也容疑者（３０）＝死体遺棄容疑で指名手配＝と見られる男の身柄が大阪市内で確保された。

大阪府警によると、発見場所は同市住之江区にある南港のフェリー乗り場付近。通行人から「似た男がいる」と通報があったという。同署員が駆けつけ、職務質問したところ市橋容疑者であることを認めたため、身柄を確保したという。住之江署で指紋の照合作業をしている。