Japan: NOVA on the brink of collapse
Despite numerous statements to the contrary from an increasingly evasive management, the collapse of Japan's largest English language school operator NOVA appears imminent as bloggers have been reporting lesson cancellations, school closings, and busy phone lines. Tension has been mounting over the past month, with administrative staff still waiting for their pay from September 27 and English teachers having yet to receive their pay of October 15th. And yet even as stories pile up of teachers with pennies in their bank accounts and no funds even to get back home, NOVA President Nozomu Sahashi remains nowhere to be found, refusing to file for bankruptcy protection which would allow staff and teachers to apply for unemployment benefits.
News coverage of striking NOVA teachers
Living day-to-day on a dwindling reserve of funds, teachers are meanwhile being steadily evicted from their housing as NOVA, with little assets and massive liabilities from terminated student contracts, has been unable to pay the rent. Checkmated in a deep financial crisis, even stories of a potential buy-out now seem far-fetched as NOVA faces possible indictment for violation of labour laws, its president meanwhile reportedly hiding in the British Virgin Islands.
FAX from NOVA
Stories in English of the ongoing NOVA saga have featured regularly in blogs and discussion forums over the past couple months. As NOVA finally began to actually cancel classes last week, however, Japanese students and staff also joined in the conversation. Blogger Bun writes:
最近、ブログでノバ生徒のカミングアウトが多発！？
大声で「ＮＯＶＡに通っています」と言えないのは、
悪徳会社のせい？はたまた英会話能力の無さを自覚しているから？
Maybe the reason that people cannot proclaim in a loud voice, “I attend NOVA”,
is that the company is so corrupt? Or is it because they sense their lack of proficiency in English?
[…]
安全な日本で、幸せボケした私にはＮＯＶＡが唯一の外界との扉
この歳で思考回路を作り直すのは難しいが、英会話と同じで地道に
やっていこう！ＮＯＶＡに通った数年間は無駄ではない
At my age it is difficult to rewire one's line of thinking, but just like English conversation,
let's do it! The years spent attending NOVA were not a waste of time.
Many of the Japanese bloggers who have “come out” reported their experiences at having had their lessons cancelled due to teachers being on strike. As blogger yagiemi-109 describes it:
今日Ｎｏｖａに電話をしました。
予約を変更する電話でしたが、まず電話が話中でなかなか通じない。
I was calling to change my reservation, but at first the line was busy and I couldn't get through.
何度目かで、やっと通じたかと思うと「講師の給与未払いで、ストライキになるから、予約を受け付けてない。」との返事。「あとから、お知らせがいくと思いますが」でした。
Blogger kohkichi gives some more detail about their experience:
今週月曜日にＮＯＶＡから
「講師の都合で明日のレッスンが受けられなくなってしまいました」
と電話がありました。
“Due to circumstances with teachers, it has unfortunately become impossible to offer a lesson tomorrow.”
今日、その振り替え分の予約を取ろうと電話をしたら
「実は、本校が○○校と統合することになり10/22〜31まで休校することになりました」
と言われました。
I was told that: “Actually, this school has been consolidated with school X, so between the 22nd and 31st of October there will be no classes.”
で、その○○校は給付金コースを開設していないとのこと。
給付金コースを開設している他校は遠くて通えません。
もう、いつ倒産してもおかしくないので、解約してもお金は戻ってこないだろうし
このまま続けてもレッスンを受けられる保証もなく・・・。
Other schools that have such courses are too far away for me to attend.
At this point it wouldn't be surprising if [NOVA] went bankrupt, so though I cancel my contract I probably won't get my money back.
Even if things go on like this, there is no guarantee that I will even be able to continue taking lessons.
Many Japanese had planned to at least continue with the lessons that they had already paid for, since they did not expect to get their money back if they cancelled. Blogger Riruna explains the situation:
今までおよそ４年間NOVAに契約していましたが、家族間でも「なるべくポイントを消費させようとしているのでは」という疑惑が上がり、外国人講師もどんどん辞めて、今では来日3ヶ月などの新人さんしか居ません。
そこで解約しようかと思っているのですが、指摘を受けて清算方法は改正されたのでしょうか？
私は確か330ポイントの契約で、一括で払い込んでおり、残りのポイントは200ほどです。
その為、清算方法が改正されていなければかなりのダメージでして、親も「改正されたのなら今すぐ解約、されていないのならば使い切るしかない」との意見です。
しかしあまりにも対応に必死さが滲み出ていて、学生の身で踏み込んだ質問をしても、向こうにとって都合のいい返事しか返ってきませんでしたし、私としても不信感のあまりもう行きたくありません。
I got a 330 point contract, and I paid for my points in one lump sum, and I have about 200 points left.
If their accounting practices have not been revised, then there will be a lot of damage, and my parents’ opinion is that “if they have revised their practices, then cancel right away, if not then you have no choice but to use up the rest of [the points].”
However, their response exuded a sense of desperation, and even when further questions as a student were raised, I was given only answers that were convenient to them. Personally, the sense of distrust that I feel is strong enough that I don't want to go [to lessons] anymore.
On the other hand, there was also a lot of nostalgia about NOVA lessons. Blogger yummy writes:
ますますあぶないと噂のNOVAですがガーン
先生やｽﾀｯﾌさんに恵まれた人はNOVAが大好きで
なくならないで！！
と思っている人たちも多い
私もその一人です
The people who benefit from the teachers and staff really love NOVA,
So please don't disappear ！！
There are lots of people who think this
I am one of those people
NOVAにひどい目に合わされた人や上達しないからNOVAはダメという人などNOVAを良く思えない人もたくさんいると思います。
でも私は好きだし、楽しいし、すごく上達しているしなくなってほしくないです
But I like NOVA, I am having fun, I have really improved [my English], and I don't want this to stop.
Blogger lettuce also misses NOVA:
ホント、がんばってほしいよ。
いち生徒として。
やっぱ、あたしは、時間的（仕事的）に海外に留学ができないの。
だから、駅前留学っていう制度はサイコーによくって、
講師がみんな外国人ってとこも、ほかの生徒さんとも仲良くなれたことも
最高にうれしいことだったの。
As a student [of NOVA].
In the end, I am not able due to time constraints (and work constraints) to study abroad.
So the system in which schools are positioned in front of train stations is really great,
and the teachers are all non-Japanese, and I also got to be friends with other students
so it was really a great experience.
Some bloggers even expressed hope for the future of NOVA:
振り返ると楽しかったな
いろんな国のｲﾝｽﾄに会い興味深い話を聞くことができたし
英語は上達したのかなぁ
今は経営状態がよくないけれどがんばって立て直しでもらいたいです。
I had a chance to hear fascinating stories from instructors who came from various different countries
I think I improved my English
Right now the business situation is not very good, but I hope that they work hard and pull things together.
Blogger Applecheese was less optimistic, looking to the future and predicting that the era of NOVA-like schools has come to an end:
多くの人が英語を上達させたいと感じていて、なおかつ、学習効果の上がる方法を各人が身を持って知る機会が少なかった頃には、派手な宣伝とかも手伝い、うまく時代に乗って広がりました。でも、ああいうシステムが、日本の歴史の中で大きな役目を果たした時代は終わりだと思います。最近の指導システムがどうだったのかは詳しく知りませんが、契約や解約方法の話を別にしても、10年前のあのままのシステムを続けているのだとしたら、規模縮小はまぬがれないと思います。
Finally, I'll end this post with blogger metatabi, who recounts saying goodbye at what will almost certainly be their last NOVA lesson:
NOVAから「本日予約のレッスンをキャンセルさせてください」と電話。
無給で働かされていた講師たちがストライキに入ったらしい。
まぁ、確かに仕方ないことなんだけどねぇ。
昨日のNOVAのレッスンではたった一人残っていた講師が、「明日を最後に３週間バカンスをとることにした」と言っていて。
帰るときには「また明日ね〜」って別れたのに！
来ないのか…。
Apparently the teachers, who were being made to work with no pay, have gone on strike.
Well, I guess there is nothing that can be done about this, but..
At my lesson at NOVA yesterday, the only teacher who was there that day said that: “Tomorrow, I've decided to finally take three weeks of vacation.”
And when we left each other, we even said “See you tomorrow!”
But I guess they're not coming…
18 comments
To “Teacher” how long has it been since you’ve been back in Australia? The dollar may be strong but you’ll pay 3 – 4 times more for things in Australia compared to Japan. The drought is showing no signs of relief. We are only strong because of China’s growth. Once that slows down we’ll go down with it. Interest rates are the highest they have ever been here and you can’t buy a house unless you earn over $100 000. The property in Sydney alone is 200% over priced forcing rents up which again is pushing the cost of living for basics such as food up. For the first time ever people are hagling to rent an apartment due to housing shortage. The picture is not so good here mate. Sydney public rail and bus services are on the brink of collapse and again the price of public transport will rise again, not to improve services but to pay the people on the top more. We’ve had 5 interest rate hikes since the last election and food has gone up 89% in the last 3 years according to a news report on SBS last week and my bank ballance, I paid $70 a week for two people in 2003 and now pay $130. I’ve been going back and forth between Japan since 2002 and nothing has gone up in price in that time. Get your facts straight, I’d rather live in Japan. Oh and the high cost of the dollar will slow tourism which is one of our biggest markets. When you consider a museum in Japan is around 200 yen to enter and one here costs about $25 you can understand why.
Wow…All I can say is thank god I left NOVA (and returned to Australia) while I could back in March/April of this year. I would hate to have think what would have happened if I had changed my mind and stayed…
I’ve been living in U.K. and studying English at college.
I used to sutdy English at NOVA in Japan when I was young.
What I leaned from Nova school was. Teachers are very friendly and enthusiastic to do their jobs.
To Nova English teahers,
I’m deeply concerning about your situation.
Please be strong as Real English teachers!
This is an unfortunate incident and I once applied with NOVA and didn’t end up going. What I did end up doing was heading to Taiwan. If I were in this terrible situation I would look for other oppertunities in Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, or HK. All of these areas have solid small schools and great corporate teaching opportunities if you like getting treated that way too. Also, I wonder why the Japanese government teaching program (JETT) or even schools like AEON aren’t recruiting these expeirenced NOVA teachers on their own.
I wish to hire either an American or Canadian (why because that’s what the students’ parents want). So, if there are any NOVA teachers wishing a chance at a Job starting in December email me pronto with a resume, cover letter, and photo.
hello.
I want contact with kevin sunedger.
I`m a nova student in seijo-gakuenmae.
And,I read yomiuri newspaper.
Would you e-mail me.
The sooner , the better.
Yuki, are you looking for me?
My email is sneddy@gmail.com
nova 再開…
伊丹・神戸エリアＮＯＶＡの会が具体化伊丹・神戸エリアのＮＯＶＡの会がいよいよ具体化してきたようです。。ちょこママさんが連絡先を載せてくださっています。 しもちゃんず …(続…