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The GEOS Fallout Begins

If you saw the GEOS press conference on TV this evening, one thing was very conspicuous by its absence: Kusunoki wasn't there. In his place was Kazumi Suhara giving the bad news.

According to the Jiji Press, Kusunoki didn't attend because he wasn't prepared to file for bankruptcy while some of his executives were. A GEOS lawyer at the press conference said that due to divisions within the company, bankruptcy proceedings went ahead without the consensus of the board.

Oh to have been a fly on the wall at GEOS for the past few months...

With GEOS gone, here comes the fallout. Stop me if you've heard this one before:

The fate of Geos teachers, meanwhile, is uncertain, even though G.communication says it will try to hire them.

Brian Gilliland, who works about five hours a day three to four days a week teaching corporate customers for Geos, said he hasn't received his pay for the first half of April and hasn't heard from Geos whether he will get his salary.

"Last night I got a call around 9:30 and I was told my class tomorrow will be canceled," Gilliland, who has no other source of income, said. "This month, my classes finished, and I was ready for new classes. They said there are a bunch of classes starting in April, but I only had one class in April.

"Basically you can't teach here anymore. Salary is going down and there is no work," he said, adding that he is looking for a nonteaching job as he speaks Japanese.

The Yomiuri Shimbun also got into the act noting how the end came swiftly without the knowledge of the teachers or students. The article notes that the lights at the GEOS Umeda school in Osaka were off, which came as a surprise to a 54 year-old housewife who was shocked to learn of the bankruptcy and closure of the school. The staff had told her that everything was alright. She had paid 130 thousand yen in lessons for the rest of the year.

The doors at the Namba school were also closed. An American who had worked at GEOS for the past year and a half found out about the bankruptcy when he showed up for work only to find the school closed.

A young woman who had been going to the Namba school for the past five years had just paid 250 thousand yen in lesson fees. She doesn't know if she can get a refund or she she'll be able to transfer to another school, but she does know that she wants GEOS to contact her and tell her what's going on.

At the JR Sannomiya Higashiguchi school in Kobe, the windows have been papered over so no one can see in. A teacher posts a sign saying that the school is closed Wednesday and Thursday. A Japanese staff member says she knows nothing and wants to cry.

Although G.communication is allowing students to transfer to Nova schools, the closure of so many GEOS schools is going to be a sore point with many students. Can demands for refunds and lawsuits be far behind?

Japan: 
geos
Eikaiwa: 
Classroom Confidential

Comments

Thanks eye for an eye. I was sticking up for you until you cut my throat because you thought my topic has out lasted its welcome. By the way you could try using a few more full stops and breathe before you slag off the anglosaxon males working in Japan, living in Japan and reading this LJ fourm. You are on your own.
goodnight

0:04

Moron, THIS is a GEOS board and the thread you are on is about GEOS FALLOUT. You really have a sad life if all you can do is talk/ preach politics/ sociology on a GEOS board. The Internet is full of garbage message boards where you can argue like a baby for hours. I am sure they would appreciate your whining.

And I am sure certain people do not want to talk about GEOS NA because they know they ate screwed. I heard the same thing about that Uri Carnat dude last night from a buddy, so if the other poster can elaborate it would be great. My biddy is only a staff member but he has provided all kinds of stories about Uri Carnat. I have heard others on here too talk about how much of a control freak he is and how out of his element he had always been. How in the he'll did he get the VP title for North America? Oh, wait, this is corrupt GEOS we are talking about.

What are you talking about?

I never said your comments outlasted its welcome, what are you citing exactly?

Thread cop alert @00.20 still trying to control the LJ forum. your interpretation of fall out is yours, and just yours. we are still talking about the industry on a whole , which will actually bode us better than a whole lot of whiny crap about NA

Uri Carnat??? Ha, ha. He is my current school manager. I am writing that school you call a shithole. Well, it kind of is...

Yes, he is a douche and I have to suck up to him everyday just to keep the pay cheque rolling in. My only concern is now that the big ship has sunk, will I get paid anymore than 2 weeks from now. I have lined a job up for May, but it sure would be nice to not have any breaks in pay. Would really like to know when our final day is...

fair and understanding has a point that it is over and done and maybe we all should move on in a more productive manner.

That would be it, right there.

so how is agreeing with your sentiment (before about let's all move on) be cutting your throat?

0:25 do you ever stop whining? You are like a 13-year-old girl who tried to hard to show her "independence.". Grow up, move on and PLEASE stop whining about some odd person on here calling you out on your long rants and diatribes. Seriously, we get enough of that on CNN. You obviously are not doing a good job on getting people to your side. All you make me want to do is go against everything you say. Save your immature "activism" and "please look at me...listen to me...I need attention..." rants for another time and place. I am sure another couple Ibubrofen tablets and a little shut eye will do the trick. ;-)

this is what I was really referencing, in response to thread police.

Its like a nuclear war, there is fallout all over the place get over it and just go with the flow man. GEOS IS DEAD!!!!! (among other positive and plausible/sane comments you made-such as putting yourself in a positive life-style)

my intent was not questioning your relevance I never said your comments were irrelevant-your probably the most sane (multiple) poster on here so far. I was actually agreeing with this comment and further sentiments in a few other posts you have made over the past few hours.

I meant it in rebuttal to the person who was trying to enforce a GEOS only policy, what I meant specifically by that comment was that unless someone is out there really changing the world with a post then they can come and dictate discussion. and instead of focusing on on GEOS maybe we should move on in other more productive directions, and was (not so clearly I admit) inspired by that comment and actually agreeing with it.

if you took it as cyber-stabbing, sorry that was not the intent, I can not stress again I was agreeing with you.

I worked at a GEOS U.S. location up until late last year. While I never met Uri Carnat at GEOS Montreal. I did hear quite a lot through my manager (who also took off for greener pastures last year). To sum what I heard (I never actually me the guy), he is basically a Canadian version of Mr. K...just as short and with the same complex.

I feel for all the people still at GEOS NA schools. Their time coming fast when the doors will be locked and the managers and VP will be unreachable. Forget your last month's pay. But it is not like they haven't been warned enough, so I hope most ate taking off soon for other jobs.

Take care, everyone.

0:25

you are cyber-ranting the wrong poster.

secondly so do not read posts you do not like

BTW-not only you but all...

When did I mention my gender?

@00.37 so you self medicate, I understand that in your little pitty of a plight that you have to come here to talk and rant about NA, which have you not noticed that no on is actually replying to you,but of corse, you are use to tlking to yourself. with all those drugs in your system. Listen GEOS IS DEAD!!!!

I won't tell you who I am, but I will say that I am very familiar with this kind of situation (I've been through this before), as is my lawyer. Anyone who was dismissed from GEOS and worked there for at least 6 months is AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED TO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. Do NOT think you have to be at the mercy of G-Com to give you employment. G-Com employment and GEOS dismissal are two completely different things.

Because GEOS went bankrupt, they effectively dismissed you from employment. GEOS's bankruptcy lawyer is illegally withholding your rishokuhyou (official letter of release), thus ILLEGALLY keeping you from the benefits you are owed.

They know exactly what they are doing because they made an agreement with Nova to cheat teachers out of their due before. They also lied about how soon you would be getting 80% of your salary. It's not 6 months. It's 3 months.

I suggest you go to your local labor standards office first thing Monday morning to report it. You can find the lawyer's contact information in the packet of papers they gave you at the meeting. Insist that the labor standards office call up the lawyer to give you that form, it is the only way you can receive benefits.

Yes I understand and I agree with you that many of the posters on here are obsessed with Geos and their world is so small that all they have is this site to spark up their boring life.

You are off the hook we can continue ignoring all these Thread Cops

again not meant as a slight against you, not by a long shot.

We good?

Do NOT accept their 50,000 yen "loan." It will be treated as income and you will delay your unemployment insurance. Do NOT "quit." You will risk delaying your unemployment insurance by 90 days.

Get the form, submit it with your paystub, a couple of photographs, the unemployment benefits certificate they gave you when you started working for them (hopefully you have it, if not, focus on the form), and even a copy of your current contract as well as the letter they gave you stating you were dismissed (in English and Japanese) and your bankbook and submit them for payment within a 10 day time period.

Yes I agree with what you say but I misinterpreted what you had written, but most of what you write is 100 times more interesting than the ranters.
I need to sleep. goodnight. Will look for your posts!!

no I don't really stop whining. Immature activism..well until other people get out there and get involved I am one of the few people out there fighting for minimal standards and rights. so being (albeit- only a little) out there more than most people here in the greater Tokyo area at risk to my job fighting for this not to happen to you (plural) while you are also whining and just leaving it there (again plural, maybe not you specifically) so it may not give me a right but I think it gives me reason to whine here and there

You go out there (if not already) and try to help even on a small scale, even if only to advise a co-worker of how to handle their problems such as going where to make claims for unemployment (as the other poster did) improve the area around you then. If your not doing that, then you are in effect just whining too.

My staff are happy people, enjoying the work we do, I dont need to worry about unemployment nor do my staff because we are not a giant Eikawa, we are in a small country area but doing well with forward thinking. I dont want it to get any bigger than it is now because I am happy with it.

I think you hit it dead on with that one. Work for yourself, stay smaller and manageable. If only more people would follow that business model/inspiration. I believe when people speculate the smaller school may just survive due to this way of thinking.

First of all, to "eye for an eye", thank you for your perspective. You made some observations that I felt were right-on-target including those about the male eikaiwa teachers who are dating and/or have married Japanese women. There is no doubt in my mind that you have described a significant segment of that group. I have noted that even in this forum a number of men have boasted like newly post pubescent "machoettes" of their relationships with Japanese women. It does not take much imagination to see why they might have left their countries and come to Japan (hint: teaching English was not a priority). The so called "charisma man" was, I am willing to bet, not much in the glaring light of opinion among his countrymen (and countrywomen)

Secondly, much has been made the plight of teachers who now find themselves with little or no financial resources. I just do not get that. I lived and taught in Japan years ago, and managed to save a lot of money back then. There was no instability with the company that I worked for, yet I did not need a kick in the butt to put some money away for a rainy day. With all the speculation that preceded the GEOS bankruptcy you'd think that some of these teachers would have put some money aside, but no that seems not to have occurred for the most part. Actually, the "charisma man" moniker does not hold up to even a cursory analysis. These fellows are hardly charismatic - unless one considers rejects from Animal Housecharismatic. The aforementioned segment of the eikaiwa population can hardly be responsible for themselves let alone take on the responsibility of caring for a spouse or Japanese girlfriend. In the post war era following the collapse of Japan, many Japanese women married GI's (the conquering charisma men of the day) with great expectations about life in states. A few years into their new lives in the US, reality hit these women hard. The young men they had married, once so "charming" in uniform turn out to be mere mortals as civilians, under-educated and ill-prepared to support these "senso hana yome". In time, contemporary Japanese women will learn just like the senso hana yome learned.

Finally, to those who would be the thread police in here, note that the thread is titled The GEOS Fallout Begins. GEOS has fallen. We are not talking about GEOS per se. We are talking about the fallout and how eikaiwa ronin are going to deal with the post mortem era.

very good input on what is going on, even further illustrating it has all happened before and likely to happen again.

BTW I don't understand either (in a lot of cases, not all) why when this keeps happening people are not preparing if not at least making a plan b. we are talking about latter 20 somethings to middle-aged people-our age range should know better than that-otaku or not.

You're up late, eye for an eye. Get some sleep. Maybe it can all be figured out by light of day. ;-)

maybe so, seeing more posts giving legal advice.

First of all, to "eye for an eye", thank you for your perspective. You made some observations that I felt were right-on-target including those about the male eikaiwa teachers who are dating and/or have married Japanese women

I'm interested: which comments about male eikawa teachers that she made do you feel are accurate, and how exactly are they related to the fall of GEOS?

I can play this fun game too...

In the post war era following the collapse of Japan, many Japanese women married GI's (the conquering charisma men of the day) with great expectations about life in states. A few years into their new lives in the US, reality hit these women hard. The young men they had married, once so "charming" in uniform turn out to be mere mortals as civilians, under-educated and ill-prepared to support these "senso hana yome"

Many women-how many is that? 10%? 20%? I'll be willing to bet that many Japanese women married GI's, relocated to the US and had happy, fulfilling lives as well. What's your point? Do you even have one?

What you are failing to acknowledge is that there are probably just as many foreign men married to Japanese women via eikaiwa that are having happy, fulfilling lives raising families. You'd be better off trying to make your points without carrying so obvious an agenda. And as I also mentioned in an earlier post, the practical reality is if you are a foreign male who spends a significant period of time in Japan, the chances are you will marry a Japanese woman. Because in a country that has a 98.5% indigenous ethnic population, there isn't that much to choose from.

You and your sister-in-arms Eye For An Eye need to drop this and move on. Life's hard enough being an ex-pat in this country; no point in fretting about something that doesn't effect nor concern you.

just as much to do with GEOS as your question about how it relates to GEOS. Very productive involving a third party when your trying to dispute someone else-that's what we should be doing exactly.

page top says: Debunking Eikaiwa and Ramblings in Japan.

so all opinions and ramblings- mine, theirs, and yes even yours are somewhat relevant to the site. Hell even the person questioning the status of GEOS North America.

just as much to do with GEOS as your question about how it relates to GEOS. Very productive involving a third party when your trying to dispute someone else-that's what we should be doing exactly.

page top says: Debunking Eikaiwa and Ramblings in Japan.

so all opinions and ramblings- mine, theirs, and yes even yours are somewhat relevant to the site. Hell even the person questioning the status of GEOS North America.

Did classes run as normal on Friday? New students starting Monday?

Many women-how many is that? 10%? 20%? I'll be willing to bet that many Japanese women married GI's, relocated to the US and had happy, fulfilling lives as well. What's your point? Do you even have one?

You chose to post anonymously, so I cannot address you by name. I have noted, by the way, that in this the onset of the post GEOS era, more and more of us do use our user names here.

Anyway, for your edification (I am assuming you posed your questions because you sought edification), here is some information. First of all, the phenomenon of the Japanese War Bride ("senso hanayome" is the euphemism that is used in Japan) was indeed large enough to cause the US government to enact a law regulating the stream of Japanese women coming to the US in the post war era.

Numbers exceeded 45,000 in that period. See the "Terra Incognita on the Home Front" section of the following web page.
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/differences/v010/10.3simpson.html

As to the quality of their lives, it was often poignant. Several books have been written on the subject in both Japanese and English. A Norweigian film producer even produced a movie on the subject. Here is one current book on the topic of Senso Hanayome:

Japanese War Brides in America: An Oral History

I suspect that you understand why I wished to discuss the topic after eye for an eye brought it up. All too many men come to Japan not to teach, but to score, particularly those who were not scoring with the women back home. I am not surprised that they are not focused on teaching in the classroom once they arrive in Japan. Frankly, if I were a "nakodo", I would advise Japanese women to stay away from these types for much the same reasons I would not hire them to teach at my eikaiwa school (if I were in that business). Now, if you are my targeted population, then yes, this is directed at you. If not, and you are a fine upstanding citizen of the world and teacher as well, then this is not about you, so do not sweat it. And I wish you a pleasant life.

Sure there are guys out there who get married for foolish and naive reasons and get themselves and their dependants into trouble. They don't have many excuses: but neither do the naive women who married them. Both parties are to blame in this kind of scenario - and both should take responsibility and do what's best whether by ending the relationship or becoming more responsible and making things work.

I don't see an issue in the case of 2 equal countries. In many ways Japan is better off than the US and most don't have a desire to leave. This was different during WWII and before. I'd say it is comparable to the appeal of the US to many others during the 20th century. The country seems exciting, safe, and almost everyone is in better health and dresses nice. Some of this may change if Japan is truly on a major decline.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with desiring many partners anywhere so long as you're respectful of those you meet and you're not exploiting some situation to coerce those who would otherwise not be interested. I think the situation is different in developing south Asian countries where many want to escape to a developed country, or an industry has developed around sex tourism encouraging women (and girls and men and boys) to enter a dangerous line of work. Like I said, most people aren't looking to escape this country, they aren't jumping all over foreigners (unlike Thailand). There are highly populated, dense cities, and a tiny portion of the population can speak foreign languages and are interested in people or life outside Japan. That said, of course there are "womanizers" here and I think many Japanese women are aware of this and know places to avoid. Others may not be looking for a long term relationship either and could care less. Similar can be said about womanizers and women in other countries.

I quickly scanned the two sources you cited and found that the majority of what they spoke had to do with racism, not their husbands suddenly morphing into lazy good-for-nothings (but as I said, I only quickly scanned them-a more thorough reading may prove otherwise).

Having said that, your statements concerning "bad" male eikaiwa teachers still, and always will, remain flawed. I've said it before and I'll say it again: nobody is forcing Japanese women to date or marry foreign men. In fact, the reasons they do so are for far less pragmatic reasons than the ones cited in your sources. It's been suggested that eikaiwa foster and deliberately play up the foreign men "romance" angle as part of their strategy to increase enrollment (I'll find the sources for that later, as I'm a bit pressed for time right now.) And your claims that such an attitude is rooted in how it would effect classroom performance is moot; I worked with plenty of guys who were professional in their outlook and attitude towards the job (even at the eikaiwa level) and they had Japanese women making passes at them ALL THE TIME. The inital interest/initiation came from the women, not from the men.

What I find particularly odious about your claims was this:

All too many men come to Japan not to teach, but to score, particularly those who were not scoring with the women back home

Excuse me, but how the f*ck do you know what the level of sexual activity for any given foreign man is? What are you basing that on? I can tell you what it probably is: appearance and/or behavior, and probably more of the former than the latter. In other words, you are passing judgement on individuals based on nothing more than instinct. And what a lovely, contemptous view you have of humanity: those who are deemed "losers" shall always be "losers" no matter where they go or what they do, and how dare they try and rise above the station in life that you and the other "beautiful people" have consigned them to. If a person is unhappy or miserable with their life and does something to change it, is that a mortal sin because it goes against your carefully defined sense of order, of who is deserving of happiness and who is not? It must annoy you to no end knowing that the rules that define men and women back home are upended and do not apply here. That's because THIS AIN'T BACK HOME. It's Japan, and a whole different set of rules are used-whether you agree with them or not.

Male eikaiwa teacher, socially marginalized at home, finds a girlfriend in Japan = he's happy.
Female Japanese customer fulfills whatever need she has with a foreign man = she's happy.

He's happy, she's happy, everyone's happy-except you. "Targetted population"? I suspect that would be any bi-racial couple you happen to see, because if your posts are any indication, you'd immediately jump to conclusions about the man without ever knowing anything about him.

You wish me a happy life? Save your patronizing for someone else.

I suspect that would be any bi-racial couple you happen to see, because if your posts are any indication, you'd immediately jump to conclusions about the man without ever knowing anything about him.

This is one thing that irritated make back in the US. I never had trouble meeting women, but I and my partners were always treated with blatant suspicion when my gf wasn't white (not just Japanese, but that was the most awkward when around others). A white man dating an Asian in much of the US means the guy has a strange "Asian"/Japanese fetish, the man desires subservient women, the man can't get any from a "real" (non-Asian) woman, etc. You don't get that here. Maybe some of the parents are uncomfortable and some nationalists secretly dislike it, but you don't get this consistent suspicion from friends, coworkers, etc. that you find in similar relationships in the US. Of course there are some men like this, but I'm confident they're the exception, not the norm at least those in a developed country like Japan.

I don't think it is a very good idea to start jumping up and down the moment that a company goes bust and suggesting that the spouses of the husbands ditch them because of a stereotyped opinion about the average foriegn husband. People are under a lot of stress, and coming out with a lot of stuff like this doesn't help any.

If your marriage is already crap and your husband is a bum - well fine, maybe now is a good time to think about ditching him - if you can afford it. If that is not the case however, you should support him in his efforts to get back on track in every way that you can.

Most of the guys who go on about wanting to screw as many girls as possible in Japan (and that is by no means all of them) are young and single. They have no intention of getting married for some time and probably not to a Japanese person. The vast majority of eikaiwa teachers leave the country unmarried within two years and nearly all the types of people you are speaking about are among them. When these guys do eventually decide to settle down, they usually try to change their mindset. That is they commit themselves to a monogamous relationship. Unfortunately, things do not always work out. A lot of marriages fail, but that is not necessarily for lack of effort. It takes two to tango.

Only in a very small number of cases, I suspect, would someone get married and then cynically continue their previous lifestyle at the same time. I'm not saying it never happens and I do feel sorry for the wife of any man like that. Certainly for a woman in that position, the economic effects of such a husband losing their job would increase her hardship. However, your stereotype applies only to a minority. I've read of plenty of cases of Japanese wives ditching their husbands as soon as they lose their jobs. Why? because the only reason they stayed married to them was for their money. I'm not saying that this applies to the majority of Japanese wives either, but it is hardly an attitude to encoruage.

The economy is bad so all teaching jobs have taken a pay cut. Don't look for something paying more than GEOS it's too late. That would have been possible 2 years ago.
Unless you have a CELTA or a teaching qualification or a Masters to work at a University you won't get that dream salary you're searching for.
No one has posted any good mentions of G.Commu but lots about being screwed over contracts and being let go

http://www.courts.go.jp/tokyo-s/saiban/index.html

http://www.courts.go.jp/saitama/saiban/index.html

If you know someone who can wax Japanese Legalese with you...

The way it was told to me was that these sites (relevant info in Japanese only) have information on where you need to go and what to do to if you need to have a summons issued to get your unpaid salaries. (under around a million yen give or take i believe). Also from what I am told they do handle unpaid salary disputes as long as its within the small claims price range. I believe the cost to you would be about the ichiman-niman range.

Excellent points and very fine rebuttals to this stereotyped image of foreign men/Japanese women. Especially 11:53-couldn't have said it any better, and piercingly logical.

Unless you have a CELTA or a teaching qualification or a Masters to work at a University you won't get that dream salary you're searching for.

I'm afraid you are rather unaware as to just how dire it is in trying to have a (somewhat) professional career teaching in Japan is...

CELTA: It's a slight step up, a piece of paper that separates you from the herd but on it's own will not land you a "dream" salary anywhere. You'd need to have a combination of experience/other qualifications as well.

Teaching certification: Almost useless for finding a job with a higher-than-average salary. It is not a requirement to become an ALT; the public school system doesn't require one nor do you get placed in a higher pay grade if you in fact have one. Same goes for private schools in Japan. Check out the Ohayo Sensei website and see what the pay is for positions that ask for teaching qualifications; it is typically the same as other positions that don't require it.

Master's degrees: Basically useless for finding a job with a higher-than-average salary. Most universities offer the standard 3-year, full-time positions qualified foreigners usually get to those who have PhDs or are close to completing them. An MA in something language related will typically get you direct-hire contract work, and any other kind of MA will usually result in you getting the equivalent of dispatch work or subcontracted to outsourcing agencies. Again, check out Ohayo Sensei and see what universities are asking for in terms of qualifications-it's pretty disheartening; most people doing this over here have no chance at even coming close to what universities are asking for.

GEOS North America teachers and staff, time to pack your bags. A closure announcement will come soon. And you will lose your last few weeks to month pay, guaranteed. GEOS HO is banking on the "free teacher cash." Warn your students to demand refunds because some of them are about to lose a bundle. You have been warned. Little K, also known as Uri Carnat, is not going to save your asses. He is only gong to save his own. He is looking to get anyway and "get a PhD.". Ha, ha, too funny...probably one of those online jobbies. He already knows GEOS NA is going down but he will not tell teachers or staff until it happens. Let's just say I was privy to a meeting and some Skype calls. Weekend finally allows me to warn others without getting caught at work.

The Japanese receivers / administrators would ideally prefer to sell North America to pay some of the 750 million. However each day that goes by and NA students, agents and teachers and creditors will demand money and refunds. And all your key staff leave leading to more chaos and a downward spiral of chaos, loss of confidence and general panic. This means they have about 2-3 days to get a buyer - basically not enough time. That time is up - so I don't think they will have a buyer. Always possible - you never know, but not logical
Also I have consistently predicted that GEOS countries with no fee protection scheme will have had fees in advance sucked out so a new buyer would immediately have to come up with the cash, therefore these schools are unsaleable It looks like no manager has stepped forward to be as mad as the UK managers - although these people do seem to have had some profile in their own right. Also, even with a new brand, agents are going to put as much distance as possible between them and GEOS - guilt by association. Given that a buyer is really a new and untested player, why would you be confident in them? And this uncertainly increases the risk. Why do business with ex-GEOS when many other institutions can step in and match their huge commissions - an alternative established player with the same reward, and much less risk Only a fool with lots of money would purchase the scraps of GEOS.
Time will tell whether I am correct this time (I was wrong about UK - but they apparently had managed to hold some money back from head office)
With no buyer, terminally damaged name, infrastructure already buggered and almost certainly a clamour by all sorts of creditors...... NA can be expected to close very soon. And I mean less than one week from now
The previous post suggested insider information that exactly this will happen.
As the previous post suggested - any teacher remaining there should be looking out for number one right now - demanding money and not doing lessons until it is received.
If I was a staff member I would be seeking wages in advance. You will not be told the truth until it is too late

Strange silence from Ireland - Perhaps the Irish are not computer literate and don't know what a blog is?

interesting to see that the uk schools managed to hold some money back. you seem to know your stuff about everything going on.

are the uk schools that have been bought in debt and are they likely to survive?
(you mentioned that the uk managers were mad to buy them)

ATTENTION TEACHERS:

Due to the amount of media attention being placed on GEOS at the moment, you might encounter reporters or news crews outside of your school. We would ask that you either not answer their questions. We’re all trying to make the best out of it, so please help however you can.

教師各位：

テレビの報道などを受けて、テレビリポーターや記者などの報道関係者が学校のに来たり、質問を受ける事もあるかと思います。

生徒様への混乱を避ける為にも、質問に対しての答えは、差し控えていただければと思います。

出来るだけスムーズに、現状を落ち着かせていきたいと思いますので、現場での対応など、大変かとは思いますが、ご協力いただけますようお願いいたします。

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　お疲れ様です。

旧ジオス全社員の皆様におかれては、日々、生徒様・外部の皆様への対応など重責を追っていただきながらも真摯にご対応いただき、本当にありがとうございます。

只今、Q&Aの資料作成、各種事務手続きの詳細など、膨大な作業となっておりますが、来週から対応できるよう全力で本社スタッフ一同取り組んでおります。ご迷惑をおかけすることも多々でてきておりますが、対応は必ずしていきますので、宜しくお願いいたします。

　4/20に破産申請をし、4/23からのレッスン再開、そして本日も含め
生徒様・外部からのお問い合わせが続いております。
このような状況下において、4/26（月）弊社指定のMG指定休を、5/25（火）に振り替えていく事を決定しております。

急なお知らせとなりますが、全社員ご理解いただき、今私達ができることに対して最善を尽くしていきたいとおもいます。

　
【振替出勤日】 4月26日（月）

【振替休日日】 5月25日（火）
　　　　　　

　WEST営業本部　後藤
EAST営業本部　谷川

Um, I think we can expect to see all of the bigger companies restructuring this year exactly so as to avoid the fate of GEOS. It's no secret how tough things have become for language schools so I'd be more worried NOT to see some downsizing of back office staff and closing of unprofitable schools.

This would be very useful information indeed if you could give something more than gossip. No offence. What is your source?

It's eerily similar to NOVA's meltdown-even when the situation has been exposed for all the country to see via the media, GEOS seeks to control information to the point that could be described as deceptive. Such hubris; good thing they are gone.
This type of leverage might have been effective when they still had the power to threaten people's jobs, but that evaporated a few days ago. How is refusing to contribute to people's understanding of the situation "helping"?

Good riddance.

Exactly. However, those extra qualifications will help you if you decide to teach English in other countries. The problem for many English teachers in Japan is they don't have those certifications and are kind of stuck here or can look forward to worse situations in nearby countries. I'd say Japan is not a good country to build a solid ESL career.

Can't argue with that-other countries do place a lot more value on qualifications and training than Japan does.

Got news today from a friend out West - some students from a pair of certain GEOS (river by the sea) that closed went to the next closest G. Comm/NOVA for info on Friday and today. They were told the classes they wanted to take, at the times they wanted to take, were already full, but there were openings on other days/times. I heard of this happening all the time when G.Comm took over NOVA - how all the prime time classes were filled up fast so students with strict schedules were just out of luck.

As long as eikaiwa schools do not require a credentialed/certified real-world teacher to teach in their schools, Japan will continue nothing but a plethora unqualified people to offer the TESL world. Frankly, if I had taught a GEOS or Nova in Japan, I would be busy deleting that part of my resume.

There is an old adage, "You get what you paid for".

I agree with the gist of what you wrote because from my particular vantage point already seen it happen, HO's merged and staff packed in like your first apartment on a Friday night, salespeople disappeared, managers foreign and domestic gone-poof, teachers reduced to part-time, second/third year teachers being denied full-time, hiring-freezes, etc... I'm sure you know that if not lived it already.

What is more worrisome is the be careful for what you wish for factor. These companies trying to hang on is probably the perfect way maybe even blessing disguise (to them) to make it easier to give workers older than 35ish or that have longer-term interests and contribute to their communities and local economies (a more honest cultural exchange/experience) the shaft. in short-people more likely to make some waves, say what they want and ask for what is theirs.

I have no doubt in my paranoid mind for one second that these major eikaiwas get some type of government incentive for sponsoring shorter work-visas or maintaining a steady current in the reciprocal work-visa employment pool. (that was not meant to insult people who who are on any type of work visa-just the people foreign and domestic taking advantage of it at the expense of all teachers-no matter which type of stamp got you here)

Seems too much of a coincidence that we were given warnings of "You must be on one of the two recognized health insurances by April or you may be denied for visa" then at the midnight hour it got changed to basically to"naaah you don't have to have it we just suggest you get it-we was just sayin-that's all" then not hear much about it at all since then. Sounds to me like someone or some entity lobbied to the diet to get out of SH and UI responsibilities. My gut tells me it was not the adult entertainment industry.

It just seems to me everything is adding up to and equaling,
come here + work+pay into the system for a year- or two- or three=then get the fuck out.

Maybe this is what the unseen/unheard -they- want exactly-who knows. Regardless at this stage of the game, I don't think there is anything any eikaiwa company could ever say or do that would convince anyone they have teachers/students interest in mind any step of the way.

some students from a pair of certain GEOS (river by the sea) that closed went to the next closest G. Comm/NOVA for info on Friday and today. They were told the classes they wanted to take, at the times they wanted to take, were already full, but there were openings on other days/times. I heard of this happening all the time when G.Comm took over NOVA - how all the prime time classes were filled up fast so students with strict schedules were just out of luck.

Why would they get upset? GEOS suddenly collapses, dozens of locations are closed and the company that is going to take over the remainder is having trouble scheduling a sudden influx of new people? Honestly, were the customers expecting anything less than chaos and confusion right now in trying to book lessons at G.Com?

Sounds like another eikaiwa customer base that has gotten accustomed to having unrealistic expectations.

Since people have been interested in GEOS North America, I will update everyone on a few things:

1. Uri Carnat, acting head (after Mike left in NYC)/ marketing boy for Canada has been in semi-secret talks with Languages Canada, governing body for private language schools, about the "the possibilities"...Since late last year. Let's just say he hasn't told LC everything.

2. Canadian and American schools are currently on their own.

3. Several Canadian schools are barely paying their rent.

4. Probably no buyer since a) Special K bled the schools last year at least twice for cash, b) several schools defintely have no hope (Calgary, anyone?), and c) schools can get the students through Languages Canada placement policy.

5. Uri is a dipshit that micro-manages worse than Special K. He has no ability or interest in negotiating a sale. He will run it into the ground like his buddy Special K did.

6. No enrolments, agents have no more interest, not a strong brand...Bye, bye...

There is a possibility one or two schools might in part be bought by someone, but probably too late. Damaged goods.

As an insider, I will clarify something...

Uri Carnat, aka Head Honcho/ Napoleon, acting head of GEOS NA HAS 100% been on here multiple times and posted. What would you expect from a micromanager?

Unrealistic Expectations?

Nothing wrong with wanting to take lessons at a time that suits you that I can see. A lot of these Geos customers will look at the fact that they can't do that at GComm, look at the way they are being shafted for even more money and say bugger that - what's the point. Quite right, I'd say.

Out of this shithole come May. Never taught in Japan and never will. Canada school, but of course I cannot give location...I need a reference to get another job. Let's just say I did not "fulfill my contract or intentions", but whatever.. I have bigger an better things to do in education.

Apparently G-Comm signed an agreement with GEOS on the 14th April. In this agreement they agreed to take on all geos students and employ geos staff. I would like to see this agreement! Does anybody know where to get a copy? Or better still post a copy on the web.

Nothing wrong with wanting to take lessons at a time that suits you that I can see.

No, there's nothing wrong with it. However, in the chaos that is currently GEOS, customers need not wonder why they cannot recieve the service they are accustomed to. Even if G.Com is picking up the remaining schools, 90 or so of them are closing-where is G.Com supposed to teach these people? Out in the street? They probably don't have the staff, and probably not the facilities in many cases, to accommodate a sudden influx of thousands of new customers virtually overnight.

Bankruptcies of big companies in other developed nations have left their customer base high and dry (Enron anyone? World.com?) Why should G.Com react any differently?

Of course, you are right-the wisest course of action for disenchanted customers would be to find another eikaiwa altogether.

There is more drama coming with the mess that is GEOS.

Like what? Where?

Customers at GEOS schools that have closed are in fact getting the sharp end of the stick. Whilst their fellow students at schools that have not yet closed will probably in the meantime at least be able to continue with their existing schedules, customers that have to move over to GComm Nova schools will find themselves at the bottom of the pecking order in a system of booking that has students competing with one another for the most favoured lesson times, and GComm offeriring priority treatment packages to those willing to pay more.

It's a really nasty set up, this so-called 'free booking' system at GCom and clearly staff have been instructed not to give any special priority to incoming GEOS students: they are the skeapskates - the low payers and will stay that way until they learn the system and start to pay more: - not nice.

The economics here are pretty simple, slimy, and perfectly legal.

G.Comm took over NOVA dirt cheap, stripped everything to the craptastic minimum, and is making "a profit" when you look at it from that respect. Now the NOVA schools are not at full capacity and the teachers there definitely have time to teach more classes during the day. * Enter GEOS *

G.Comm takes over certain GEOS schools that extend G.Comm's reach into areas where GEOS has a stronghold of students and G.Comm doesn't have jack. Again, G.Comm gets GEOS at low LOW prices and a VERY poorly worded contract with plenty of leeway when it comes to students and employees. No matter what the contract says, G.Comm strips the existing GEOS schools to the craptastic minimum to make them profitable. Teachers leave? Who cares! Plenty of desperate people want a job now! And what's better, the new system will all be hourly contract teachers while the Japanese employees will remain full time.

And for the students whose GEOS school closed, well they turn to the NOVA schools that are probably no way near full capacity and take what they can get or head home. For those students whose GEOS didn't close, some of them get to enjoy a bunch of nice rousing games like "Where's my teacher?", "Who the F are you?", "Why are you changing my class again!?" and "Do you have a clue what the hell you are doing!?" for the next few weeks.

Leo Durocher, one of major league baseball's most competitive players and managers, gained a measure of fame with his words, "Nice guys finish last." If you own a business, it is incumbent upon you to make money, not lose it.

Leo Durocher, one of major league baseball's most competitive players and managers, gained a measure of fame with his words, "Nice guys finish last." If you own a business, it is incumbent upon you to make money, not lose it.

What Leo Durocher did not say is, "Nice guys should treat their employees with contempt and engage in labor practices that are illegal in order to make a buck like the rest of the a-holes out there already doing it."

Trying to run a profitable business is absolutely no excuse for eikaiwas big and small to engage in the plethora of well-documented illegal labor and contractural practices that they routinely do. The GU newsletter is littered with such examples. If you own a business, it is also incumbent upon you to follow the law, and not break it in the making of said profit.

Well, I am all for following the law. And your handle here is "Zero Sympathy"?

Nice guys finish last

Hmmm, would you call GEOS and NOVA "Nice guys"???

Would you say they haven't finished last???

The students from the closing schools have been told they can take lessons elsewhere, but those schools already have students and pretty full schedules. They were also given contracts to sign stating no refunds. There'll be a lot of private students that might not be able to book classes. For the GEOS teachers who didn't quit like us on Friday - watch your schedules G.com doesn't have the same work eithics about 29.5 hours. Some ex-NOVA teachers that were rehired at the schools that weren't closed were asked to transfer. G.com acted so quickly so you don't have time to think about your options.

I have now on my books 27Ex-Geos students that were Geos students untill last Tuesday, on top of that I have all the kids classes because they were on monthly contracts so easily to pick up after all the mucking around they have had since I quiton the 15/02 and finished on the 15th of last month. Man how did I know that!!.

My advice to teacehers if you can con your managers raid the contact lists and get the students for yoursrelf. cut the price to where it is affordable 1500 yen times 4-5-6 (whatever) students in one class is really good money at the moment, get the students to pay monthly and make it 4 times a month. If there are five days in that month when the lesson falls, then the last or the first day is a holiday. You can get envolopes that the students will already know this system. work it in with your new Job, work a little bit more (for Yourself) It ends up to be quite worth while.
Good luck. If you are intending to work for Gcon i would be taking the students for myself over the lonf term to recoup my losses.
GOODLUCK

If you were teaching at a school where most of the students' contracts were due to finish shortly after the switch over to Gcom, I would be inclined to think you had a good idea. The problem is, there was a mad rush to get people to sign up in the last few months, and a lot of students did just that. So there are a ton of students who have brand new contracts they haven't even started yet. How could you ask them to pay more money on top of what they've already lost to teach them privately. On top of that, WHERE would you teach those students? In a noisy cafe? a park? You cramped apartment? You idea seems good in writing, but pulling it off would be a logistical nightmare. Especially if you think it would be possible to balance a schedule at the school along with private lessons outside the school. Are you suggesting we invite the students into the classroom at the school and get them to pay us directly? If you have any ideas to support the logistical side of your suggestion, I'd like to see them.

I am in a country area so students travel quite far anyway to the school, as for contracts I dont know but the school has not had a teacher based there fo one month so wouldnt be suprised if many had not renewed. Kids were all monthly being taugt by different teacheres every week so the parents were happy to change and cheaper too.

You can rent rooms from community centers or ward offices by the hour or just look around there are places you can hire cheaply.

The monthly payment system will be fine for Japanese paying you directly they are used to this.

work your days off, fit in a student before or after you classes nothing is easy but if you work with the students they will work in with you. you just have to work hard to be free of the contraints of other companies in this country.

Students don't mind that the lessons are in a cafe. Geos lessons were 4000 to 10000 for one lesson. Students are happy with being charged 3000 to 6000 for a private lesson with a good teacher. It's cheaper and you get a one to one lesson. These lessons can be 60 to 90 minutes long. More value for money.

I know teachers who have started to do this after the fall out. 8:23 is correct. A lot of community centers have free space for you to use or you pay 300-500 yen. They have cafeterias or lunch rooms where residents and high school students go to study and eat lunch. There are tables and it's quiet.

I think the main point is, who, in good conscience, could ask students to pay more money for private lessons when they've already been given basically no choice but to continue studying on contracts they originally had with Geos? Since there's no possibility of getting their money back, I doubt many of them would take an offer of private lessons outside the school if it meant spending more money.

the problem is students who were at schools that closed are unable to take any more lessons. Some schools are in rural areas not near other NOVAs or they have been unable to book with the NOVAs near them. These students are not happy at all with GEOS. They are the ones that have decided to stick with their trusted teacher. Some students that were near the end of their contracts have decided to go with their teacher instead of the new G.comm.

I know students who have gone with their teacher. Their school is closed they can't take their remaining lessons. There are lots of schools closed.

I guess we're talking about two different groups of students then. Concerning students whose school has remained open, it may be more difficult to get students go along with a quitting teacher. Wouldn't you say so?

I would do group lessons as it works out at cheaper forthe students. I try to avoid man to man lessons as there are time when that student cancels leaving you out of pocket and no student plus it is tiring.
The kids lessons are the ones you want because they are easy to teach, usually enjoy it and it's only 50 min. You need space for this. Overall I think students are tired of being mucked around and if you can provide someting cheaper and better many might cut there loses and try with you. No contracts, no textbooks, no bullshit just English lessons. Don't do free con because it isn't a lesson. Plan lessons not that crap Geos stuff. Have lots of songs and actions for the little kids and before you know it you will be able to work for yourself part time. Yes it is hard work but it is better for you in the longrun.

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