E.S.L. Protester Official Web Site
Gaba Page2
My GABA Story
Author: The Brown Hornet
Just sharing my experience here with GABA, feel free to laugh or bash at it.
After working more than a year at the McNova, I decided to switch to a company that promised professionalism. After sending my email throught the internet, I was contacted by phone by one HR staff (we'll call him Mr T). He was very polite and friendly and so I made my appointment to have an interview with him.
Arrived at the Ebisu building, everything seemed ok, nice decor. Met with Mr T, very polite, offered coffee, water, etc. No pressure. Went through the interview and it was all ok. I liked it so far.
I then had a second interview with another HR staff (we'll call her Ms K) She starts asking about my degree and then asked if I knew the names of two people she knew who went to the same university as me. I answered "no, it's kind of a big university." She then replied "well the reason I asked you is that we have had some people with fake degrees coming through here." My thoughts at this time were "how professional of you to suggest that my degree may be a fake based on me not knowing two people from a University with about an estimate of about thousand people.
Her next question was "What is Pi?" I quizzed her "Do you mean the math formula or the food you eat?" She gave me this hard look "The math formula!" Well, I don't know about other people out there but I haven't used that formula (or any other) since High school. So I answered "3.14". She then said "and?". I replied "I have no idea, I though I was going to be teaching English not maths class?" She smuggly said "the answer is 3.14159 it's used to measure the ratio of the circumference of a circle to it's diameter, and you should know it in case a student asks you about it." I looked at her dumbstrucked. I couldn't believe I was asked two stupid questions in a row by the same one person. Where did Mr T go?
So I decided to play the same game with Ms K and asked her what the chemical equation for photosynthesis was? She just looked at me. I put that same smug smile on my face and answered C02+H20 - light/chlorophyll - (CH20)+02 and you should now it in case a student asks you. Back at you b*tch, YEAH! So, after the rest of a bunch of even more stupidier questions, I was finally rid of here and Mr T came back and gave me a contract to sign. (I found out later she asked the same stupid questions to other PLIs). I think the rod up her butt, had a rod up its butt!!
So, I started my one week training (it was paid so that was nice) and was surprised to see that the training was run be ex-Nova head instructors (some whom I knew). So, for one week we talked about our experiences at Nova and did only a little training (how easy). Besides, I don't think any of the trainers actually taught in any of the GABA schools at that time, so they were just going over the notes given to them about what a GABA lesson was about. Very professional, but hey, some English schools are like that. You learn not to take them seriously.
All our personal stuff (visas/accommodation etc) were being done by a nice Japanese staff member, Mr I. He was cool and did his best to help the new teachers (on my final day and when I had to go in to HQ to sign my resignation, it was also his last week - He was being fired to be replaced by someone who I knew was an incompetent worker).
So, I then started in my LC. Compared to the other schools, mine was ok. I had a great boss, great teachers and staff in my LC. No nazi-trainer/head PLI types running around the school (Nova was full of them). The teaching was easy, but after 11 lessons it did tend to wear you out and that 5 min break is not really 5 min (final questions from student, get them out, say goodbye etc). You had to choose between the toilet or getting food and drink. And we were not allowed to keep and drinks in our booths (why we can't is beyond me - does it really look unprofessional and have a negative effect on my teaching? If anything, it keeps my energy level up). I also noticed several of the teachers were on "Tourist Visas", working full-time. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it illegal to work full-time earning 270,000yen on a tourist visa? I noticed that they were getting paid cash-in-hand all the time.
So, anyway..payday! Hang on, I am missing some of my salary. Other teachers - "me too", "and me". This became a monthly affair. Some teachers were actually missing 50,000yen, sometimes even more. It seemed someone in payroll couldn't count (or being instructed NOT to count). And who was doing the payroll? Oh, the CEO's 19 y.o. nephew, who apparently had no experience in this field. Hmmm....but I'm sure who ever was above him had the say in, "who gets how much", in their salary.
So, anyway months passed, the school morale was ok, except for the monthly salary bitching and then - the cuts happened. Teachers and staff lost their jobs and rumors hit that the company was going bankrupt (that same week we got a new fridge and microwave!!). Morale hit rock bottom! Salaries were still not being paid correctly, changes in contract were occuring (eg. no more days in lieu on public holdiays), more teaching hours without any increase in pay were starting in other schools, stories from traveling teachers who tell of their nazis bosses. Things weren't looking to good. It seemed most of the problems were occuring from HQ and the way they were running things. Restructuring seemed to be a favourite past time. Peoples positions and promotions were taken away (including my own promotion). The company seemed too volatile.
So I decided, well it's been fun working with my LC, but I didn't like the way things were being run overall and having to chase up my salary every month. So, I handed in my resignation. That same month 5 others quit as well.
Overall, I enjoyed working with the people at my school and the teaching was easy, even though tiring. The only problems I had were upper-management decisions from HQ, niggely rules that you had to follow, and the monthly chasing of my salary.
I could have written more little stories about other experiences with GABA but it would be too long. It would be interesting to know how things are currently going there now.
Please feel free to comment on my experience. I don't mind if you bash at it or laugh at it.
Best of luck to all those working in Japan!
The Brownnnnnnnn Horrrrnnneeettt!!!!!!
Submit your story!
