Ex-Nova English teacher admits defrauding students in Japan out of $230,000
A man who taught English at a well-known chain of foreign language schools in Japan pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding his students out of more than $230,000. As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, Rick Mikaele pleaded guilty to mail fraud and impersonating a ...
For Japan's English teachers, rays of hope amid the race to the bottom
Despite key "eikaiwa" union victories in 2015, job insecurity and stagnant wages continue to plague the language teaching industry
Eikaiwa, deal with sexual harassment of teachers before it's too late
If English schools in Japan do not take firm steps to protect teachers, it may only be a matter of time before another Lindsay Hawker is murdered — this time on their watch.
The Osaka High Court has ordered the founder of the Nova Corp. chain of English-language schools and three other persons to pay ¥19 million in damages to former Nova students, reversing a lower court ruling. The 27 former plaintiffs became Nova students from 2002 to ...
Lado’s victory and demise weren’t without their lessons
With decreasing salaries and eroding job security, it may seem as if little has improved for instructors working in Japan's eikaiwa (English conversation) industry. Full-time contracts, which are needed for enrolment in the shakai hoken (health and pension) program, remain elusive. However, there was a ...
Teachers tread water in eikaiwa limbo
Amid profits and expansion, why does Big Eikaiwa keep slamming teachers — and teaching standards — down year after year? The answer is simple: Because the teachers put up with it, and because the schools have figured this out.
Six years following bankruptcy, Nova boosts the brand
In September, Tokyo-based Jibun Mirai Associe Co. (JMA) announced it would adopt Nova as its official corporate name — 19 months after it acquired the eikaiwa (English conversation) school chain from its previous operators, and almost six years after its well-publicized downfall. It has been ...
