One of the biggest problems facing teachers at BKC-IH Moscow right now is the lack of legal visa support.
In a new blog by a BKC-IH Moscow teacher called BKC-IH Moscow Sucks: BKC-IH Moscow Should Be Disaffiliated With IHWO (International House), the teacher writes about the following problems that teachers face while working at his school in Podolsk, Moscow.
1. Being forced to illegally work in Russia (a dangerous situation) because BKC Moscow does not have the legal right to currently employ foreigners if their visas expire. BKC IH Moscow instructs its teachers to get "business visas," which are being used by BKC teachers to teach English in Russia, which is strictly against the law - business visas cannot be used to teach. Teachers foot the bill for the visa runs to get these visas, compensated only a fraction of what it costs to leave the country and come back with an illegal visa.
2. Lack of proper ADOS support for the teacher's curriculum.
3. Lies told by the teacher's ADOS.
4. Teachers being told by BKC-IH Moscow to lie to Russian police about where they work. (We will post more about this on an upcoming blog post.)
5. A vindictive director who stopped buying water for the office and shut down internet connections at the school for no reason.
6. Lies told to the teacher by Wayne Rimmer, the director of studies at BKC-IH Moscow.
7. Being forced out of his apartment after being illegally dismissed by BKC-IH Moscow a few weeks ago.
8. Contract violations, emails that were not responded to, and a threat from BKC-IH Moscow's Director of Studies about never being able to work for IH again.
Read the full blog here.
We will update this blog later to explain the illegal visa situation that BKC-IH Moscow is currently subjecting its teachers to, the verbal abuse that teachers are subjected to, and the contract violations and other laws that BKC Moscow is currently breaking.
We wish this gentleman the best of luck in his future pursuits and his new blog about the unethical and illegal practices of BKC-International House Moscow.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
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I almost had taken a job at BKC back in September. However, after more than 11 years in TEFL I smelt a bad deal. Their contract for one, was almost 30 pages. A rule of thumb "the longer the contract, the worse the school". Especially considering that only contracts written in the official language of the country are legally binding.That was a big red flag. Also, all the negative comments all over the web is another big red flag. The fact that they are constantly hiring (just look over at Dave's ESL Cafe) is another huge read flag.
ReplyDeleteGranted most good schools don't advertise much for opennings(don't need to as they have no problems recruiting staff and better still, keeping them). Another reason you won't hear of good schools ( only the bad ones) on Forums are 2 reasons. First, people are much more vocal about bad experiences than good ones. Second, if you want your school to remain a good school, that pays well or at least fairly and the Director and Admin. honest and fair. The last thing you need is word out on the web that "hey I love my school", "I make nice wages, the conditions are great, yadda
, yadda, yadda..." What's sure to follow is a flood of applications and management getting a bigger upper hand and the rest that follows. Yes, I'm selfish and won't advertise where I am working(happily) for that reason. Sorry self preservation comes first.
I will say this, the best jobs are usually had by being on the ground, word of mouth. If your serious about the location, do your research first on the web and weed out the bad schools. Then if you are truly serious invest in a plane ticket and get on the ground for a few weeks and see for yourself. The other way is by referal of someone you know whose already there. Either way it's not that easy. The best jobs advertised on the net(if you know how to
distinguish the good from the bad all almost certainly flooded with
applications. Sorry again, but life as in TEFL, is not easy.
As far as IH London doing something? "Are you kidding me?" IH is a franchise, nothing more. Good schools take advantage of all their resources, training, even onsite inspections (really they do exist). The bad ones just use their name and logo along with their recruiting and that's it. My very easy answer to this is with a question, have you ever heard of a school losing it's IH affiliation due to anything other than not paying the yearly franchise fee?
As for how BKC still attracts teachers and why the sorry sods still work there. One, it's "MOSCOW" oooooo.... Either from inexperience or lack of imagination the place still draws scores of TEFLers, like Prague, and a few other ooooooo places with their insultingly pitiful below subsistance wages. As long as most accept these conditions, these conditions in these places will
continue to exist.
Do your homework, it's still a risk, but the key is to eliminate as much of the downside as you can, have an escape plan and cash and take the plunge or go back to the cubicle.As in lifethere are no guanantees....
The 11 year guy....
Enough said
Regarding the visa issue, BKC has done nothing wrong and is only acting upon what staff are being told by various ministries who themselves have no idea what's going on.
ReplyDeleteWorking on the business visa is illegal. However, no one is forced to stay and can leave should they feel working on a business visa unethical. Any teacher who moans about the conditons does have the choice of staying or going. Those who decide to remain must then accept the risks.
While some ADOS' may be incompetent, those who think they can do better - step up. There are many vacancies for the academic year.
BKC teacher, you say "BKC has nothing wrong" while you also say that "working on the business visa is illegal." That is a contradiction.
ReplyDeleteVisa blah blah. Aren't you getting people bored?The same discussion again and again and again. Blaming BKC for the current visa situation is stupid; I really don't see what company deliberately shoots itself in the foot to spite its employees.
ReplyDelete@ the 11 year guy: the inspections exist, the last one was in November 2008, the summary of the report was published on the teachers' forum. The 30 pages you read were the internal regulations, not the contract.
BKC-IH Moscow is the only McSchool left that is still having these visa problems. LL and EF got their shit together already. IR = contract in that it must be signed by both parties. You must be new.
ReplyDeleteEF may have found a way to invite new teachers for new contracts but I know many teachers are going back home. So, it looks like they don't have it totally together.
ReplyDeleteBTW, for those of you ESL noobs, it is illegal to be paid on a business visa, so if you're teaching English and picking up cash, you are breaking the law.
Oh and 30 pages of internal registration, contract or not, is also a joke. Big schools pay less. If you want a better paid job, look for a school that is big enough to have the connections to get visas but not much bigger than that.
Now, my question: Is BKC able to get new work visas in September or are they advertising a lie on eslcafe?
EF may have found a way to invite new teachers for new contracts but I know many teachers are going back home. So, it looks like they don't have it totally together.
ReplyDeleteBTW, for those of you ESL noobs, it is illegal to be paid on a business visa, so if you're teaching English and picking up cash, you are breaking the law.
Oh and 30 pages of internal registration, contract or not, is also a joke. Big schools pay less. If you want a better paid job, look for a school that is big enough to have the connections to get visas but not much bigger than that.
Now, my question: Is BKC able to get new work visas in September or are they advertising a lie on eslcafe?
None of us know other McTeachers from LL or EF. They all seem the same. But at least LL and EF teachers have the proper visas.
ReplyDeleteBKC is advertising a lie in all likelihood, but we cannot confirm this. They likely want applications from teachers as insurance policy just in case they receive their work permits and visas.
We've been bogged down recently but will update the blog on the visa and tax situation in upcoming posts.
'BTW, for those of you ESL noobs, it is illegal to be paid on a business visa, so if you're teaching English and picking up cash, you are breaking the law.'
ReplyDeleteyeah, right, and if you're doing private lessons on hard not declared cash you're abiding the law, right?
the notion of legality in Russia is an interesting one. ever wondered what the connection between the degree of legality and the sum on the payslip is?
???
ReplyDeleteAnonymous. I was clarifying that being paid by a Russian company in Russia on a Business Visa is illegal because people confuse Business Visas (which you can't make ian income on) and Work Visas (which you can).
Obviously, working under the table without an entrepreneur's license or a tax number obviously isn't legal. I wouldn't think that needs to be explained anymore than saying punching someone in the face is illegal. ;)
Anyway, I read the post again (including the comments) and fail to see how you connected logically to the subject. We aren't talking about working privately. We're talking about ESL companies.
Regardless, I still didn't understand what you mean here:
'ever wondered what the connection between the degree of legality and the sum on the payslip is? '
If you want to change the topic that's fine. Can you re-word your question though? I didn't follow you.
???
ReplyDeleteAnonymous. I was clarifying that being paid by a Russian company in Russia on a Business Visa is illegal because people confuse Business Visas (which you can't make an income on) and Work Visas (which you can).
Obviously, working under the table without an entrepreneur's license or a tax number obviously isn't legal. I wouldn't think that needs to be explained anymore than saying punching someone in the face is illegal. ;)
Anyway, I read the post again (including the comments) and fail to see how you connected logically to the subject. We aren't talking about working privately. We're talking about ESL companies.
Regardless, I still didn't understand what you mean here:
'ever wondered what the connection between the degree of legality and the sum on the payslip is? '
???
ReplyDeleteAnonymous. I was clarifying that being paid by a Russian company in Russia on a Business Visa is illegal because people confuse Business Visas (which you can't make an income on) and Work Visas (which you can).
Obviously, working under the table without an entrepreneur's license or a tax number obviously isn't legal. I wouldn't think that needs to be explained anymore than saying punching someone in the face is illegal. ;)
Anyway, I read the post again (including the comments) and fail to see how you connected logically to the subject. We aren't talking about working privately. We're talking about ESL companies.
Regardless, I still didn't understand what you mean here:
'ever wondered what the connection between the degree of legality and the sum on the payslip is? '
BKC-IH Moscow is being investigated by the authorities for the illegal business visa scam and tax fraud.
ReplyDeleteeslteacher, the comment you are responding to was reworded because the comment was probably made by a BKC teacher afraid of losing his job.
ReplyDelete