Pariah: An outcast; one despised by society.noun: a person who is rejected (from society or home)
animal: a mongrel race of half-wild dogs which act as scavengers in Oriental cities.
Yes, just in case you thought old Sandy was going a touch soft-headed in his advancing years, I'd just like to remind my readers (all three or four of them) that the struggle for Tefl justice goes on, and Yours Truly is up there at the head of the infantry column, making sure that the Tefl shysters of this world get all the publicity that they strangely shun.
So I'd just like to provide an update on three personal projects of mine, all of which are designed to shine a welcome spotlight into some of the less edifying cracks and crevices of the EFL business, illuminating for the benefit of all members of the Tefl public the immoral and illegal antics of certain pariahs of our beloved Tefl Trade.
1. The Windsor Swindler
I'm happy to report that the odious shyster behind Windsor Tefl, Paul Lowe, has finally got his just rewards for many years of ripping off EFL teachers, students, and employees, etc. Click on the link above to read the joyous news of his SUSPENDED SENTENCE and 200 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE! Though I can claim no great credit in engineering his downfall (that belongs to Trinity ESOL), I have derived hours of personal joy and amusement in publicising the bastard's evil-doing, gloating over his well-deserved punishment, and generally being the greedy cunt's personal nemesis.
And there's more right here.
2. UKhelp4U
On a par with the evil parasite mentioned above is Tyler Davis, the apparent genius behind UKhelp4U Language School. Mr Davis, whose real name is Paulo Henrique Ferreira, first came to my attention a year or so ago in this case, when he shafted several of his teachers by leaving them unpaid for a month and then going into liquidation, thus absolving himself of any legal obligation to pay them. Then, one day later, he set up shop in the same premises under virtually the same name - very crafty, Tyler!
Now he has performed the same trick with his international money transfer service - filing for bankruptcy after snaffling more than 35,000 Euros of his clients' money (and not for the first time, apparently). Unfortunately (for him) he won't be getting away with things this time, as the evidence against him is quite overwhelming, and the relevant authorities have been alerted, so it's just a matter of time before ... time runs out for Shyster Davis. By the way, his school is, quite incredibly, accredited by the British Council and a member of English UK - clearly they have no worries about supporting such a fine upstanding citizen!
More on this corrupt bastard here.
3. The Laughing Coyote School of English
Words fail me on this one. Well, almost. Imagine a school set up by a couple of severely under-qualified and mentally challenged God-squad moralists, and which fires teachers for perceived 'moral infractions' such as sleeping with another teacher, and ... erm, strangling the class parrot? Well, that's the Laughing Coyote School and their Teacher Blacklist for you!
Actually, words do fail me here - I can't go on. Just google the name of the school, and you'll open up a true Pandora's Box of wild and weird characters. And you could just start here, too!
21 comments:
Brilliant stuff, Sandy. THIS is why everyone who cares about this business loves your posts!
Thanks very much, Ken. I bet you could tell a few stories about bent EFL schools too ... so come on!
I thought the last one was a joke...but unless you have an unbelievable amount of spare time on your hands to set up a fake website, I see it is actually true. I thought the Peppy Kids Club, Pigeon English and Potato Pals over here were funny. Laughing Coyote?! Sponsored by Acme products?
Oi, Darren! You watch your mouth. Those Potato Pals are my babies and there ain't nothing scarier than an angry spud.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXKXT9gr1h8
I await a full Japanese-style apology.
Holy moly, that blacklist is a mean, nasty, ugly thing. Sure, I guess we all know schools like that, unfortunately. Do you collect such stories, or is there a forum somewhere dedicated to school one must never apply to?
Oops! Well, I stand by the other two. If you read this blog, you must be ok...
申し訳ありません｡
Anne, there used to be a blog called The TEFL Blacklist, which itemised a whole range of schools worth avoiding, but it is no more unfortunately. This is even sadder for me, as I set the bloody thing up before passing on the login and password to another irate Tefler. I guess he/she got hounded a little too much by one of the pariahs, and chose the quiet life instead.
And yes, I do seem to collect such stories, but I guess it's a random process of attraction, as I don't usually set out to gather them in any way. However, once I get my NHS teeth stuck into a victim, I NEVER give up (do I, Paul!?)!
Thank you for staying on top of all this Sandy.
Your blog is grey today.
Karenne
Very VERY disappointed I did not make your pariah list!! :)
I guess four-year-old third party rumors are not exactly news anymore.
Mike F, who has worked for TEFL International for over 5 years now, had nothing but really bad things to say about Windsor. He really disliked Paul Lowe (whom I have never met). In fact, if Mike had not been consistently shorted on his pay he probably never would have quit. So a big THANK YOU to Mr. Lowe - Mike is an excellent trainer.
Getting paid at Windsor Schools head office was a positively Victorian experience. The staff member would write out their hours longhand on a piece of paper, and knock on the door of Paul Lowe's global command centre (a study with 2 desks and a fax machine). The staff would stand in front of his desk and present the document to him. He would examine it, without referring to any timetables or schedules, then reach into a large wooden box where he kept his chequebook. He would calculate the sum owed mentally, write the cheque with a fountain pen, place it in an envelope and hand it across without saying a word. Staff were not allowed to open the envelope in his presence, because of the sums which would mysteriously be deducted from an already meagre pay. On opening the envelope outside, and finding an unexplained shortfall, the teacher would have to knock on the door again, to which the answer would be a shouted 'WE'RE BUSY TODAY' from Ashley.
We can all laugh in retrospect, but in fact the guy was routinely stealing money from teachers, trainers and students for years on end. A suspended sentence seems rather generous.
Hilarious and almost unbelievable, NHS - thanks SO much for that little story!
It really puts the pompous little wanker in a frame that he fully deserves.
You must have many more such tales to share - so go ahead, we're all waiting!
Sandy,mon brave:if you hadn't posted this,i would have {or shot Paul Lowe in the legs.}Class or mass action against obnoxious assholes works! Got a beer an' a bit of Polish Amy Wino look-alike shagnasty waitin'.
Yeah...or 'Paedo English'...No,Paul,don't even think of it!'Gary Glitter kids' club'Oh,dear...
Now...'Gynaecological English-Girlies*who look like Amy Winehouse or Lucy Liu Welcome' has got a healthy ring to it!Kama Sutra-based lessons available...Healthy!
You must have heard the true story about Paul Lowe, Ashley Arnold, Paul's wife, Paul's email and the blonde trainee teacher who had attended the world-famous Roedean school for girls?
No?
Come on, Paul! You tell us, mate.
Don't forget the bit about the champagne.
Come on,'Nothing happens,slowly,'my good man,tell of us Ppervs,drunks an' layabouts about P.L. and co...At least another laugh can be had at the little bugger's expense!
Yeh, come on NHL - give us the scoop on this one!!
BTW, just HOW UGLY is Paul's wife? I guess she can't be at all attractive - more like desperate to go for such an obvious shyster as PL!!
Well said Ian, erm, I mean Paul. Whatever you're trying to say ... just keep on with the medication. BTW, how's the community sentence / service going on?
Just look at that reading list!
Fnarr Fnarr - what a student - ho ho
Paul, you still make the same 'laugh' sound as six years ago.
I think you got it from 'The Office' series 2, which you were very fond of.
Lovely.
See you on Monday for my first day back!
KJ, you mean you're actually willingly stepping back into the liar's lair? How mad can you be?!?
Or do you plan to play the suicide bomber and blast the place to the other end of Windsor High Street? Now that could be VERY interesting!
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