Anybody here who works for the Primeone school in Medan?

[Darwish]

I'm a Dutchman with a lot of experience in ESL teaching. Currenly living in Hanoi Vietnam. I don't like it there anymore and I really love to live in Indonesia. Due to the policies about being a native speaker it's quite hard for me to find a teaching job in Indonesia.

I found this job advertisement http://www.tefl.com/jobs/job.html?jo_id=44565 and I applied for the Job. I had a small very impersonal interview over the yahoo messenger and a few weeks later they accepted me or the job.

A few days ago I received the contract and it looked Horrific to me. I must give my passport to them and there are all kinds of possible fines in the contract. One mistake in the Oath of office means a fine of 6 months. leaving or being fired means a huge fine with the amount of the salary of the remaining period of the contract. Also there are all kinds of statements that if I don't pass the probation period I must pay extra fines as well. That in combination of not having my passport is just unacceptable for me.
Firstly I thought that there was some kind of misunderstanding so I asked the main manager some questions. If I could talk to one of the teachers. That was enough for them not to proceed in the contract anymore because my distrust wouldn't be good for the school!! They are completely INSANE!!

I wonder if there is anyone over here working for this Primeone school in Medan? Did you sign such an horrific contract? Did you get screwed by them?

This is their website www.pos.sch.id

[jared1981]

ha, I like the web address, it does sound like a P.o.S. school. Seriously though, haven't heard of them, but I'll pass the word along.

[kingwilly]

Any school/work place that needs to hold your passport is clearly not a good one.

[Puspawarna]

And if he is a citizen of the Netherlands, they cannot legally hire him as an ESL teacher, isn't that correct?

[Darwish]

The school told me that they could arrange an Imta for me because I have to teach several
subjects, not just English. Besides this is Sumatra which doesn't have such strict law
enforcement as in Java.
Poor friend of you travellingchez. Being stuck in such a place for 4 years. But if he had to
sign a simmillar contract as mine he would have been crazy to sign such a paper. A contract
which states that you must pay fines of upto 30.000$ if you get fired and you are not allowed to
leave early and you'll be fined 7000$ if you break one Oath of office. And they keep your
passport as a deposit. I don't know if anyone is crazy enough to sign such an illegal nonsense
contract.

[Donkk]

Anyone have new info on this school..????

[Donkk]

Well this school seem to be one of the not good sounding ones. got this email from them:


Before we process your working visa, we need you to sign a contract and entrust us your original education certificate and when you arrive in Medan to start working with us then you also must entrust your passport to us.

and


If everything you have agreed with the contract and salary, please send to me you name, passport number, your religion, latest education degree for me to fill in the contract.

We will process your working visa once you have signed the contract and send me your original education certificate.



And, some strange pay and fine for late or not good work, that would make anyone's head spin! I really dont get how some place can function at all!!

[Minah]

If you really are a "Professional" teacher, I guess you don't have to worry about signing any form of contract.

And I quote, "Action speaks Louder than Words!"

[Mister Bule]

Darwish wrote:

They are completely INSANE!!

Yes, I work at this school, as does at least one other new member of this forum...


While I admit to having a similar reaction upon receiving and reading the contract,I believe the short answer to the above is... 'They' are not insane... 'they are just Medan Chinese' ... :eyebrows:

If I were the person recruiting for teachers, I might (would) word the contract differently... and maybe there is some degree of lack of perspective on how some statements therein appear to foreign or Western teachers especially. But any school or employer has the right to write their contracts as they wish, and nobody can be coerced to sign the contract if they don't like it... just as the OP did not. I think the school is basically trying to protect their interests first and foremost and they have a right to do that.


I have found POS to be actually a pretty good place to work and teach all in all. There are things I really like about it and of course with anything or any job there will be things one does not like. The school has great kids and some great teachers, mostly Indonesian and many Filipinos, several from Mainland China and a few Native English speakers. It is a National Plus school (national and international curriculum) and instruction is in Bahasa Indonesia, Mandarin and English, from PlayGroup to Senior High (I teach in the Elementary department).

As I said above, I did have reservations about coming to work there based on the contract, but although teachers do sometimes get sanctions, none of the more extreme-sounding stuff talked about here has happened to anyone there in the time I have worked there, to my knowledge.

[Rangi]

I would not be letting no school hold onto my passport like that . That is just not right.

[Donkk]

And its illegal as well.

1. its not yours to give
2. Its the only way you can prove who you belong to

A school that dose that has lost or is worried the teacher will not stay, must be a reason for that.

[deliverypasta]

If you really are a "Professional" teacher, I guess you don't have to worry about signing any form of contract.

And I quote, "Action speaks Louder than Words!"
You seriously cant see the condition he's facing. He's pro enough to realize and to ask around first before signing stupid contract. They gonna hold his passport and they can simply make stupid excuses for him to pay fine!

sounds like someone who carry a fake vuitton to cotillion.

[Donkk]

sounds like someone who carry a fake vuitton to cotillion

wkwkwk.... good one

[Baerhold]

I live in Medan but have never worked at Prime one. I have spoken to several former employees and have heard nothing favorable. I keep in mind that they are FORMER employees, so what was said must be taken with a grain of salt. Without going into specifics, every story I have heard gives the impression that teachers are treated badly. The school has very good facilities, I know nothing about the pay.
I have worked in several countries and I would NEVER surrender my passport for more than a week or two and only then for visa processing. If a school refused to return it, the ONLY thing to do is IMMEDIATELY contact your embassy and report it stolen and ask for help in retrieving it. It is ILLEGAL for anyone to take your passport!!!! If a school will not allow you to communicate unsupervised, (Preferably on video chat) with a teacher, who works there, the only possible reason is that they have none that will recommend the place.
In fairness, I don't actually know as fact whether prime one does any of these things. So if you are considering them listen to what they have to say...but if the things above and what I have heard is true...well, there are A LOT of places in Indonesia that want foreign teachers. There is no reason to take a job you doubt if you are a native-speaker level or highly qualified subject teacher. There are just too many other GOOD jobs available.

[Donkk]

Nice review, thanks. All the info seem to point to the same thing so your first point sounds right to me.