The KIDDIE Grand Nursery school in SriRachA
Area near BangPra (ChonBuri)
Posted on
October
9, 2014 by
phatheya
At the end of my first teaching-engagement after only 1 month
and difficulties to get the full agreed salary of only 12000 Baht I
proposed the following information to her:
Dear’villagers!
To-day I will have to in-form you ab-out
a’business with-in your’area
and its dubious practises. Iam’student for
Thai-language and’started
to practice my’teaching-skills at The
KIDDIE GrandNursery-school.
I have met Khun Nut by random in
SriRacha, when she
advertised’new position forEnglish-teacher at
her’place.
Straight I applied for that’job and’two
weeks later I could
start’at September 20th.
I found the’place
very nice developed and every-one was’friendly to me/at
the beginning. At
the’job-inter’view I asked for the usual 20-25000
salary‘foreign
teacher would get per
month here in Thai-land on’kinderGarten-level.
She pleased me to come’little bit down and finally
we agreed on just 15-17000 during’probation-time of 3 months.
For me it was just a good start’to gain’experience
and may-be some-thing’could develop out of it. We
were al’ready talking about a future one year contract.
You might even have seen me some-times in the’morning
walking
to this’place.
After one week I was al’ready deducted to
the usual Filipino-teacher salary
of only 12000 Baht
(promising’me not to deduct’further more)
be-cause’she could see’that Iam not
a real teacher yet, as she said’
but I could see that she wasnt able yet to generate
that’money for all of the staff: probably
5-6000 for Bum – the’helper, about 8000 for Fah – the
Thai’teacher and then 12 for me;would be together approximately
25000 THB but the in-come through
the’customers is’just
6000 per child.
I counted’maximum 13 children’per month but
that’s’the total amount.
Three’have been out-sourced: one of them be-cause of
a very well known scam’of about 20 Million Baht by her’mother
towards an-other child parents, the other’was
a’boy, who al’ways cried and
then Gay had to leave’be-cause
he’complained ab-out Khun Nat’s violence
towards the’children.
I have seen it’my-self and’was
shocked’ it really
hurt’to see that but’cudnt do or say much about it; it looks
like’she some-times loses’control’and’hurts the’children
by slapping them
on the’mouth or
even’uses’items like’books to through
them on
their’heads! It happened rarely I
have to admit but it
happens. She’told’me that we
use’force
here’to educate
the’children.
I under-stand’that
the’children need to be
put in-to’right direction but
I dont believe’these practices are correct;
especially towards such youngsters aged just 14 months to 3 years
old..
I wonder’what the’parents would say‘or’do’when
they could see it? An-other’praxis is’separating the’children:
Unwanted children like Atom, who she sees as a disabled child
with’down-syndrom;will be left al’one at an-other room and
no-body really takes care of him, as the’parents
don’t pay enough’any-way / as she
said’ There are certain parents, who appear to be rich with 5
different Mercedes’each’day or a BMW
worth 20 million Baht
etc’ which impresses her so much’that their kids must be
treated specially and the others aren’t so important’ The only
one foreign child Henry is’very important’but she al’so asked
me to leave
him’and’play
wi’the other Thai-kids
instead, as he can
speakEnglish’any-way.
I have actually never seen more
than 5 children
attending’at one time. Thus you can calculate 30000 in-come. As
there are al’so expenses’it is’very obvious that she cant pay
me’and there is’actually no-thing’about’poor skills or what
so ever. I never got the’feeling that they would be really
interested in me’working for them. Bum was al’ways smiling
brightly but some-times I could see her real face-expression too.
Fah wasnt really smiling any-more and I assumed some’envy
be-cause of’salary? Even though’there was not
much’communication between us, we still got along’ I knew that
they were talking about me
al’th’time and’the two’women would
report’any-thing
I do’ even wrong
assumptions. But I didnt care’as
long as Khun Nat would talk with me about the’issues;
unfortunately this’very important’constructive
communication-tool was al’so
missing.
She never liked to confront the’problems, even I asked her for
doing so but’little minor things like
having a’nap at’noon’or
shaving my’beard’be-came suddenly’important issues. Ive got
next to no’support
from her or’the’staff for doing my’job’well
and’improving my’skills;
‘
had to teach’two hours blocks in
the’morning and at the
after-noon.
I did my’own research on
the’inter’net.
One time my’teaching-praxis was totally revoked
by her and this’in’front of the’customer (children and
parent) that was very unprofessional
behavior!
I did my’best I could’but’needed
some’directions to’perform’better
and the’support of Fah’getting the’childrens attention.
One’time on a’mon-day I just sat down on
the’matt’ and’waited’what will happen: the’children
played for themselves and Fah didnt send them to’me’ither.
At least it was good for’experience, to’know:
that I really have to go for them.
But in a’team you need to work to-get-her and
we’need each-other‘support;this’was
totally missing.
Only one time Nut arranged a good set-up
for’teaching’ so that I knew how to do it and’last fri-day;
when I performed at
my’best’ Fah then
joined’and supported’for a’good show entertaining the
kiddies’that
they were still singing the’songs
when I was leaving the’class-room! That was a great feeling
of’success and’that I was on the right track al’ready;just
need’to continue this’way. But Nat was’strange’this’day
as she didn’t
talk’or’responded’to’me at
all and she had some’phone-calls’talking about hot-mail
and’virus etc. The’mood was very strange’and I could
sense’there was some-thing in
the’air.
Then I was asked to do some other’stuff at
the’computer. I al’ways’needed some’time to get familiar
with it but Nut wasnt really patient.
When I still’got it right in’time and it
worked-out some-how then I had to show it to Fah (theThai-teacher)
so that she could do it her-self and I wudnt
be needed’any-more.
Fortunately this’stuff was probably to’hard to
under-stand for her any-way I guess.
The’problem with Khun Nat was that even she was
living in the US for about 11 years and’had’chance to be
surrounded by native speaking English people, her’accent
and’pronunciation is’so bad, that
you wont believe’that she was there for so long’and even
working in th’same business asGeneralManager!?
Thus her’orders
could have been
mis’under-stood
al’th’time. I would have to ask’again,
to’know’what she want.
Then again: decisions
have been
changed rapidly.
Thus it was’hard to do the right thing for her.
Despite all’these’things I was still interested
to
work there
and’gain’experience.
I didnt care’bout the lowest
salary a foreigner was ever offered
in ThaiLand for a teaching-position.
Even’collegues cudnt believe’and’were
joking about it but I
still wanted to continue’and helping‘her
business.
But unfortunately I had to learn towards
th’end’that
her’business wasn’t
really with-in th’educational
system’
and’would be considered
more as a baby-sitting/day-care
center, as the’facilities
aren’t sufficient in’space and’rooms and the area of’land
is’less than the required two rai. But’even worse for me: she
would probably not be able to
provide’me the absolutely necessary legal documents for
my’job’like’work-permit,
as she promised’me’at the’job-inter’view: Ive
got al’ready one for my previous Filipina-staff
(even though its’well known’that they aren’t really in’need
for it and’can even work on’tourist-visa, with-out any hassle
by’immigration’be-cause
they’fit in-to theAsian category (looking likeThais)) She would
need ‘two more staff to employ, to be able: to let work a
farang-face’ thus she was knowingly lying
to me’from th’beginning?
To’th’end of the’month-period I needed to go
to’immigration
for’reporting my’address and’visa-extention.
I told’her that it is’an extra-ordinary duty
and’not a day-off, as Iam forced by’law to do this’
She’needed to release me from my duties
as’teacher for that’day.
She’asked’me, if I would be
able to return for’work’same day but
I had to say: No it’s
impossible’as I wouldnt be there before 3pm
starting from 6-8am in the’morning.
There would be too
many things to do about
the’visa.
When I came back’next day I was confronted with
an-other personal&financial
problem.
The’money of my’account was gone and I had just
1Baht75 in my’pocket.
As this’was the’last day of the months period
any-way and we never’talked about the’pay-day I asked’her
about 7:30 am when she usually wasnt
ready to talk’ if she would have
some’time to talk with me about
some’important issues.
She asked me to wait for her in the’office
and’would just get her’glasses to
read my’passport etc.
But unfortunately I waited and’waited’till 12
am!
Normally at 8:30 I had to start teaching’the
kiddies but I needed to know, if I would get my salary
to-day;other-wise I wudnt do any-thing.
As she didnt turn-up, even not during that’period
to ask’ are you
coming for’teaching’or not I
just completed my’work at the’desk.
When she finally came’at’noon’
I apologized to’her:
Iam very sorry Khun Nat, that
I cudnt attend’class but I was waiting for you 4 hours’to be
able to talk to you about a’problem of mine.
Then I tried to tell’her but she said’ It
isnt my’business.
But I remember’to must’listen to her’stories
about the bad villagers, who
didnt like to
have her
business’there.
I need to ask you’if I can
get my’salary to-day, as it is’the’last day and I have really
no’money any-more/not even to come back’home by’songtaeow for
only 12 Baht!
Of-course I would pay’you’she
said’you dont need to
ask me for that’
I know’my-self! I dont
need’reminder from you!
Iam sorry’nut I just needed
to ask you’only be-cause of my critical financial situation. I
dont question your honesty!
Okay I will give you 500 now and then you
can leave’
Leave?
Yes’you can leave’as
you didnt want to teach’to-day.
OohNut I wanted to
teach’of-course but I needed to make sure that I would get
my’money I have earned with you’by to-day!? Why you didn’t
come’this’morning? I
was to’busy wi’thekids! Ooh
okay I under-stand’her’decision must
have been out of the blue’ Yes
I will send it to you’this’after-noon by’bank-transfer.
And you really dont want
I come back for’work any-more? Yes
you can leave’as I have’new Thai-teacher, who can speak
English&Japanese al’ready; as you have’seen her in
the’morning. Okay
Khun Nat, then I hope that I really get my money of then 11.500
THB and I put to-get-her al’my
stuff and’left immediately with-out even saying GoodBye to the
lovely children and’staff.
The next day I really got’money but it was only
the’strange amount of 9.564,60
transfered’from Banglamung-NaGluea
branch. I wasnt so sure then, if it was from her or’some-one
else I al’so expected
to receive’money. So I send’her’message and’asked for’money
again.
On Thursday-morning around 9am the 21st ofOctober I
received a threatening phone-call
from her, that I should stop’bothering
her about the’money.
She has send’me and that’s it/other-wise she can send
some-one over to me…that’s
very nice move I
thought’ I just
completed Thai
cultureðics-course at my’school
but I didnt learn some-thing like this’ she
even’called my’friend before’and’told’him
th’same’ but that’s not all. I send her an-other Email
and’warned her, if she wants to play’bad
game with me then I will go’public.
Of-course she’called me soon after’and threatened me again
with’family-police and
what so ever. Now she explained’me her’version’why she has
deducted my’salary again: I wasn’t
working for 1 month be-cause’mon-day I
went off to Jomtien’for
theVisa an’didn’t
come to’school and’tuesday I didn’t
teach’ I see it just as very weak
excuses for her-self in’order to save’money on me. I tried to
explain’again but she wudnt’under-stand’
‘
now I just want to let’people know, what
is’going-on over
there and every-one can
think about it.
But luckily she turned herself around and sent the rest.
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