Forel International School, Bratislava
Forel International School, Bratislava
Can anyone give me any information about this school? I am anxious about a few things with regard to working there, but don't want to give up a job offer and then regret it.
Forel International School, Bratislava
Please help!
I have three more days in which to make a decision. This is my first overseas application.
The region looks wonderful. I have reservations about:
1. Salary E1600. Can I live on that?
2. Accommodation: I cannot get details, e.g photos. Just "suitable accommodation".
3. The director says they have "limited" resources and asked whether I am resourceful. I am, but how resourceful will I need to be?
4. It is a "new" school, but the website says it has been going for ten years. The website is outdated.
5. I asked for contact with present staff but although the director didnt say NO, she has not facilitated contact.
What would experienced teachers out there do?
I have three more days in which to make a decision. This is my first overseas application.
The region looks wonderful. I have reservations about:
1. Salary E1600. Can I live on that?
2. Accommodation: I cannot get details, e.g photos. Just "suitable accommodation".
3. The director says they have "limited" resources and asked whether I am resourceful. I am, but how resourceful will I need to be?
4. It is a "new" school, but the website says it has been going for ten years. The website is outdated.
5. I asked for contact with present staff but although the director didnt say NO, she has not facilitated contact.
What would experienced teachers out there do?
Do they pay taxes? All rent? Insurance? Shipping? Tickets yearly?
Make sure you have it all in writing.
I know people at QSI but not that school. I visited the city in Nov. it is a quiet very nice place., 45 min. to Vienna. Lunch for 4 was about $80. Check online for the current costs of concerts, restaurants etc. 1600 is not much, but it depends on your location and experience. I think you can have a nice life there if you have no bills to pay back home and it is very centrally located.
There is no perfect way to vet a school. I have been burned twice after doing what I thought were all the right things. Sometimes you have to pray for the best. However, as a very experienced person I would:
1. Make sure the admin will continue next year. (One thing I overlooked, ouch!)
2. Talk to an EXPAT teacher in your division. If possible this person should be in your stage of life. If possible ask to speak to the person you are replacing or someone else on the grade level team. (Someone teaching a different age may not have accurate information helpful to you! Local hires have different axes to grind.)
Email them and ask for a telephone number, you will learn more from a phone call than an email! !
If you have any doubts you need to make sure you are a good fit for the school. Tell the director that before you sign you want to contact a teacher, they should get on it if they know you are serious. They should have summer contact information. If they blow you off and won't allow it, it is a big red flag. Good Luck!
Make sure you have it all in writing.
I know people at QSI but not that school. I visited the city in Nov. it is a quiet very nice place., 45 min. to Vienna. Lunch for 4 was about $80. Check online for the current costs of concerts, restaurants etc. 1600 is not much, but it depends on your location and experience. I think you can have a nice life there if you have no bills to pay back home and it is very centrally located.
There is no perfect way to vet a school. I have been burned twice after doing what I thought were all the right things. Sometimes you have to pray for the best. However, as a very experienced person I would:
1. Make sure the admin will continue next year. (One thing I overlooked, ouch!)
2. Talk to an EXPAT teacher in your division. If possible this person should be in your stage of life. If possible ask to speak to the person you are replacing or someone else on the grade level team. (Someone teaching a different age may not have accurate information helpful to you! Local hires have different axes to grind.)
Email them and ask for a telephone number, you will learn more from a phone call than an email! !
If you have any doubts you need to make sure you are a good fit for the school. Tell the director that before you sign you want to contact a teacher, they should get on it if they know you are serious. They should have summer contact information. If they blow you off and won't allow it, it is a big red flag. Good Luck!
Re: Forel International School, Bratislava
[quote="Isabel"]Can anyone give me any information about this school? I am anxious about a few things with regard to working there, but don't want to give up a job offer and then regret it.[/quote]
Bratislava is not cheap. But i don't know if 1600Euro is enough to live on. I think you could manage it.
Have you got the contract yet? What does it say?
I would be pushing for email address/phone numbers of present staff. I think its unreasonable not to give you these. If they don't give you these I wouldn't consider it. What are they hiding?
After being in a horrible school, nothing is worth it. If they are being difficult now.......... I doubt it will get any better.
Make sure you see the contact before saying yes or no.
Bratislava is not cheap. But i don't know if 1600Euro is enough to live on. I think you could manage it.
Have you got the contract yet? What does it say?
I would be pushing for email address/phone numbers of present staff. I think its unreasonable not to give you these. If they don't give you these I wouldn't consider it. What are they hiding?
After being in a horrible school, nothing is worth it. If they are being difficult now.......... I doubt it will get any better.
Make sure you see the contact before saying yes or no.
Forel International School, Bratislava
Thank you all for your responses. I am feeling very insecure at the moment and all advice is helpful.
I agree that I need to speak to present/future staff. That has been one of my concerns - so far I have not had any contact details.
As for admin, I have only spoken to the Director on Skype and presumably she will still be there in Sept?? I have found out that she is also the owner of the school.
If anyone is working there at present and would like to correspond, I owuld be so grateful.
I agree that I need to speak to present/future staff. That has been one of my concerns - so far I have not had any contact details.
As for admin, I have only spoken to the Director on Skype and presumably she will still be there in Sept?? I have found out that she is also the owner of the school.
If anyone is working there at present and would like to correspond, I owuld be so grateful.
Bratislava is a wonderful place to live but Forel is not in Bratislava itself, rather it is in a small suburb called Devin which is off the beaten track. If you don't own a car you will be dependent on the bus system, which isn't bad but simply another factor to consider. I lived in a suburb even farther out and it was a great experience.
I think under resourced would describe what I have heard about Forel. I had a friend working there for a year and those were some of her feelings. Bratislava is definitely not cheap and I don't think 1600 euros would go very far if you wanted to save anything.
I think under resourced would describe what I have heard about Forel. I had a friend working there for a year and those were some of her feelings. Bratislava is definitely not cheap and I don't think 1600 euros would go very far if you wanted to save anything.
Re: Forel International School, Bratislava
[quote="Isabel"]Thank you all for your responses. I am feeling very insecure at the moment and all advice is helpful.
[/quote]
I think if you have feeling insecure about this, maybe it is a sign.
Also, in my opinion, privately owned schools are not great. They are there to make the owner money.
The fact that it is not well resourced doesn't sound like a lot of fun either. What do they mean? No equipment for the children? Books? teacher resources? computers? What does not well resourced mean?
I don't think it sounds good. Is the 1600 before or after tax? How much is tax?
It doesn't sound that like owner is being very helpful either. This is not a good sign. If she is not very helpful now, what is she going to be like when you get there???
I am teaching in an international school, my school is not the best school out there, but its not the worst either. After being in a horrible school I would not risk ending up in that position ever again. It is not worth the stress and unhappiness.
I recently was asked to interview for 2 schools in Germany and I did some research on the schools and discovered they were not places I want to work in. So I cancelled the interviews.
Good luck with what you decide to do.
[/quote]
I think if you have feeling insecure about this, maybe it is a sign.
Also, in my opinion, privately owned schools are not great. They are there to make the owner money.
The fact that it is not well resourced doesn't sound like a lot of fun either. What do they mean? No equipment for the children? Books? teacher resources? computers? What does not well resourced mean?
I don't think it sounds good. Is the 1600 before or after tax? How much is tax?
It doesn't sound that like owner is being very helpful either. This is not a good sign. If she is not very helpful now, what is she going to be like when you get there???
I am teaching in an international school, my school is not the best school out there, but its not the worst either. After being in a horrible school I would not risk ending up in that position ever again. It is not worth the stress and unhappiness.
I recently was asked to interview for 2 schools in Germany and I did some research on the schools and discovered they were not places I want to work in. So I cancelled the interviews.
Good luck with what you decide to do.
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interteach
- Posts: 217
- Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:25 pm
Forel International School, Bratislava
Thank you, everyone, for your responses. I have been working my way down the lists of advice and as most of you have indicated, the warning signs are there. In finding answers to the questions you have posed, I think I can safely say it would be a mistake to go there.
Thank you all for your input. I have made the decision not to sign the contract and I think I have had a lucky escape.
Thank you all for your input. I have made the decision not to sign the contract and I think I have had a lucky escape.
You have made the best choice. Brataslva is a nice place indeed but the school, while having some good things about it, is not the best place to work as they have been know to offer more then one person a contract at a time and terminate people with little to no warning! They actually offered someone a contract-sent it to him even! and then said they never did- stay clear.
Forel International School, Bratislava
Thanks Tacticus,
One does wonder if one has made the right decision. I am so grateful to all those who have posted.
I followed up on all the suggestions for finding more information and feel horrified that I may have ended up there!
I wonder why there are no reviews on this school, considering the issues that have come to light?
One does wonder if one has made the right decision. I am so grateful to all those who have posted.
I followed up on all the suggestions for finding more information and feel horrified that I may have ended up there!
I wonder why there are no reviews on this school, considering the issues that have come to light?
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fyfewilson
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 1:15 am
- Location: China
Bratislava... no way! the country, the food nor the people!
I taught in Bratislava and I would not return under any conditions. Slovakia is one of the poorest countries in the EU, if not the poorest. The infrasturcture is in horrible condition. The winters are brutal! The people depressed and I was robbed twice in 4 months!
If you go there you will regret it. I know this school. It is NOT a real school, it is the personal toy of the owner/principal who does not have a clue about teaching or what education is designed to be. She actually takes in high school graduates and then tells the credentialed teachers to train them as teachers in two weeks! This should be brought to the attention of the government minister of education. I have taught in several countries in Aaia, Africa and Europe and this is the worst place I've ever been. Don't go there!
PS:even the food was awful!
If you go there you will regret it. I know this school. It is NOT a real school, it is the personal toy of the owner/principal who does not have a clue about teaching or what education is designed to be. She actually takes in high school graduates and then tells the credentialed teachers to train them as teachers in two weeks! This should be brought to the attention of the government minister of education. I have taught in several countries in Aaia, Africa and Europe and this is the worst place I've ever been. Don't go there!
PS:even the food was awful!
Foerl International School, Bratislava
Thank you for your comments. I have really appreciated the feedback from colleagues on this site.
It is a pity that the school has not been brought to the attention of the authorities. In all the "research" I have done, there is no-one who has anything good to say about it.
Is it legal to use people with no credentials to teach in Slovakia? What about the children?
The website says the school has been going for ten years. I wonder how it stays open under these conditions?
It is a pity that the school has not been brought to the attention of the authorities. In all the "research" I have done, there is no-one who has anything good to say about it.
Is it legal to use people with no credentials to teach in Slovakia? What about the children?
The website says the school has been going for ten years. I wonder how it stays open under these conditions?