Teachers in Cambodia

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Jacket
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Teachers in Cambodia

Post by Jacket »

So, since the last thread I started was just a rant, I'd like to make up for it by posting something more coherent.

There's this woman, let's call her Cheryl 'cause that's her name. She's founded a company by the name of 'Teachers In Cambodia'. What she does is, she targets insecure women with low self-confidence and tells them about Cambodia and how she can get them a job as a teacher here. The thing is this: Where other job agents will say "I'll take such and such ammount of your salary for x ammount of months" she doesn't do that really. Her deal is that she will get you a job where you should get aproximately 1000$ a month and she'll let you stay in a room of the house that she rents (a room that no sane person would pay more than 100$ for) but she will take 300$ out of your paycheck every month for as long as you're working under the contract that she set you up with. It's by definition not a scam, because she does tell people that this is the way how it's going to go down. However it is an immoral business in my opinion. Exploiting the insecurities of well meaning people who want to go to a country and educate the people there isn't something I approve of.These folks (who're women for the most part) want to do this because they think it's a good thing to be doing with one's life. We usually do the teaching gig because alcohol ain't free and money doesn't grow on trees, but we're also confident enough to show up in a foreign country with a grand or two and to figgure it out from there on.

So what's your take on this? Is she doing anything wrong? Is that a legitimate business? Is it OK to exploit the ignorance of foreigners who're too terrified to try and do their own thing?
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General Mackevili
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Re: Teachers in Cambodia

Post by General Mackevili »

Hmmmmm, definitely sounds like a shitty deal.

Can you opt-out of the apartment and not get deducted? I'm guessing no.

And do they get to see the housing before they sign up with this whole thing, or are they recruited from abroad, and then show up, only to find out they've been shafted?



I guess the biggest factor here is whether or not the housing is worth $300 a month. The rest seems legit to me. If someone accepts an offer to work for $1,000 a month is willing to pay $300 out of that on required housing, it seems that the only part that could be misleading is if they are tricked into thinking they're getting better housing than they actually receive.

Have you seen the housing? What do you personally think it's worth (dollar amount, please)? Where's it located?
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Re: Teachers in Cambodia

Post by NokTang »

It's perfect for Filipino's. They don't mind sharing living quarters, in fact, this house is most likely an upgrade quality wise from how they live now. In addition, as I mentioned elsewhere, $700.usd plus housing is triple what they can earn in the RP itself.

The "scam" if any is if said agent wants money up front or some kind of "deposit" or guaranty the "contract" will be completed.

Qualifications don't seem to be an issue in Cambodia but Thailand is cracking down on fake degrees and drunken farangs "teaching" their children. Corporal punishment is the next frontier which the Department of Education is going to tackle and wipe out.
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Bitte_Kein_Lexus
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Re: Teachers in Cambodia

Post by Bitte_Kein_Lexus »

Does she have a website?
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Re: Teachers in Cambodia

Post by Kampong Spooner »

Would this 'Cheryl' happen to look like Rosanne Barr's/Frankenstein's monster's love child too?
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Re: Teachers in Cambodia

Post by Jacket »

Kampong Spooner wrote:Would this 'Cheryl' happen to look like Rosanne Barr's/Frankenstein's monster's love child too?
You know her, don't you? ;-)
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Re: Teachers in Cambodia

Post by Jacket »

General Mackevili wrote:Hmmmmm, definitely sounds like a shitty deal.

Can you opt-out of the apartment and not get deducted? I'm guessing no.

And do they get to see the housing before they sign up with this whole thing, or are they recruited from abroad, and then show up, only to find out they've been shafted?



I guess the biggest factor here is whether or not the housing is worth $300 a month. The rest seems legit to me. If someone accepts an offer to work for $1,000 a month is willing to pay $300 out of that on required housing, it seems that the only part that could be misleading is if they are tricked into thinking they're getting better housing than they actually receive.

Have you seen the housing? What do you personally think it's worth (dollar amount, please)? Where's it located?
In light of the fact that you can rent an entire floor of a house in parts of the town for a hundred bucks, or that I actually rented an entire house for 300$ a month, this deal is just ludicrous. It's a barely furnished room with an AC (that you have to pay extra for if you want to use it) which is about 6m by 6m (give or take a meter) large. It is most certainly not worth 300$.
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CaliforniaGuy
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Re: Teachers in Cambodia

Post by CaliforniaGuy »

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote:Does she have a website?
He basically told you the site, a quick search turns it up.

edit: I don't know anything about her or what services she offers her teachers, but it is not fair to compare what she offers them in the form of a place to stay, hand holding, etc, with what one as a long term expat, a local so to speak, can get things for here. People, especially people who are new at travel, or somewhat fearful of the area, will need more help, and that help with cost something. It may be a scam, but it could also be that she is providing a valuable service to someone who would not be able to travel or teach without her help. We have to understand that all travelers are not at the same stage as others. Remember you were a neophyte once too. Maybe she is just providing a helpful service to schools and teachers by matching them up, and providing some hand holding. As I said I don't know anything about her, just some random thoughts I wanted to throw out.
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Re: Teachers in Cambodia

Post by John Bingham »

To obtain a teaching visa, you must be a passport holder from one of these countries: Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., or South Africa.
There are absolutely no exceptions, regardless of education, English skill, or experience.
I have a Canadian passport, but I have an accent. Can I go? Unfortunately, the schools are looking for native English speakers. If an accent is detected in the interview, you will not be hired.
WTF kind of nonsense is this?
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Re: Teachers in Cambodia

Post by General Mackevili »

Jacket wrote:
General Mackevili wrote:Hmmmmm, definitely sounds like a shitty deal.

Can you opt-out of the apartment and not get deducted? I'm guessing no.

And do they get to see the housing before they sign up with this whole thing, or are they recruited from abroad, and then show up, only to find out they've been shafted?



I guess the biggest factor here is whether or not the housing is worth $300 a month. The rest seems legit to me. If someone accepts an offer to work for $1,000 a month is willing to pay $300 out of that on required housing, it seems that the only part that could be misleading is if they are tricked into thinking they're getting better housing than they actually receive.

Have you seen the housing? What do you personally think it's worth (dollar amount, please)? Where's it located?
In light of the fact that you can rent an entire floor of a house in parts of the town for a hundred bucks, or that I actually rented an entire house for 300$ a month, this deal is just ludicrous. It's a barely furnished room with an AC (that you have to pay extra for if you want to use it) which is about 6m by 6m (give or take a meter) large. It is most certainly not worth 300$.
Again:

1) What would you say it's worth?

2) Where is it located?
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"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh."

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