Discriminatory Happy Marian (from the flame)

The management of this school suck. My colleague took her son to this school as she wants her son to study at a full time English kindergarten during his final year of kindy. When the owner found out that my colleague works at a cram school (not a kindergarten, just the 1pm-9pm variety), the owner promptly refused to take the kid into her school, and this was after the owner had just finished saying how “Joe’s” English was better than anyone’s at her school.

I won’t tell you which “Happy Marian” but don’t look under Bart’s butt for any clues.

twonavels replied

[quote]Amos, this is not true. Maybe you should listen to both sides of the story before making a judgement. If you are talking about a different school, I apologise, but I think it’s too much of a coincidence…must be the same place.
[/quote]

amos replied

[quote] twonavels, I appreciate your loyalty but do please enlighten me as to where I deviate from the truth! My colleague wants her son to study at an all day school, as we cannot provide that option. Upon realising that my students’ mother was ‘unlucky’ enough to be ‘employed’ by another language school, the Happy Marian manager less than courtesly replied “we reserve the right to refuse any children”, then a heap of mumbo jumbo about spying, even with the knowledge that kindergarten classes at Sesame street are infact unavailable. Give me a break, this is absolutely nothing more than a kid wanting to get an education and who was unlucky enough to have a mother working at a buxiban. I’ll finish with the final words of the manager “we’re all in the same business”.
[/quote]

twonavels replied [quote]edit[/quote]

daltongang wrote [quote]that’s really funny. just count your blessings that they weren’t enrolled there[/quote]

hexuan wrote [quote]I’m not sure why this is in the Flame Forum. twonavels, why did you delete your post ?[/quote]

jeff wrote [quote]hexuan wrote:

I’m not sure why this is in the Flame Forum.

Amos wrote

Quote:

My bad Blue Face, I could find the a suitable place to put it. [/quote]
Can you move it to living (or teaching) in Taiwan? It fits both.

brianlkennedy wrote [quote]I liked them more back when they were “Crazy Marian” and had the logo featuring a deranged Pipi Longstocking look-a-like. I always thought their catch phrase should have been “breeding future serial killers”.

Somebody should write a history of English teaching in Taiwan. For example does anyone remember the beer dispensing machines that Ken Ho had installed in ELSI when he was in the liquor business briefly?

Old English Teacher Brian
[/quote]

blueface666 wrote [quote]brianlkennedy wrote:

Somebody should write a history of English teaching in Taiwan. For example does anyone remember the beer dispensing machines that Ken Ho had installed in ELSI when he was in the liquor business briefly?

Old English Teacher Brian

That’s probably something he’d prefer forgotten. I remember getting 6 cases of Paulaner from him and hauling them out to Hsichih (Xizhi) in a taxi. I was desperate for a decent beer. He was desperate to get rid of it.

And do you remember a Brit named Marek teaching there? The beer machines were his best friends. [/quote]

Maoman wrote

Kinda meanders a bit, doesn’t it? :laughing: BTW, it’s discriminatory.

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I think Okami has hit the nail squarely on the head.

If every boss used this logic, where would we send our kids?

Deleted

That is painting people with a pretty broad brush. “This woman works for Buxiban X, therefore having her child in our program will cause trouble.” Actually I could think of many good reasons why the woman might NOT want her child to attend Buxiban X where she herself works! (even if they did have the appropriate program).

So the child is supposed to suffer because Mom works at a certain place? (Well, if not going to HM is considered “suffering”, which I’m not quite certain about… :laughing: )

If someone who is supposed to have insider knowledge chooses to spend her money with me instead of at her own company then I would be delighted.

“Yes, Mrs Prospect, we are the best in the business. Even people who work for our competitors send their kids here. Are you going to send little Johnnie to a school that’s not good enough for the people who work there? Or are you going to do what the people in the know do, and send him here?”

Steal your curriculum? Ha! Bullshit. The guy’s a wanker. Plain and simple.

tmwc wrote[quote] Steal your curriculum? Ha! Bullshit. The guy’s a wanker. Plain and simple.[/quote]That’s pretty much what I reckon, but she’s a lao po po, not a bloke.

Picking up on a point that Okami makes about Happy Marian rejecting him due to a potential ‘molestation’ lawsuit later on. I’m sure a school as big as Happy Marian has cameras inside the classrooms to ensure this wouldn’t go on.

Stealing curriculum is quite amusing, especially when it’s being done by a five year old. Why would one language school steal from another? Why would Sesame Street, who has their own steal from Happy Marian? I presume they have their own.

In my language school classes, I have one student who’s Aunt owns a buxiban in Banchiao, but I can’t remember my boss refusing him entry into our school due to his “family history”. My god, if we checked on every kid that came in, how many would be allowed to study at Happy Marian?

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[quote]tmwc and amos,

As 2 people who work with kids and their parents on a daily business. I’m quite surprised that you take the teacher’s side over the laoban’s.[/quote]

I’m a teacher, not a laoban. My job is to teach, not to turn kids away because of who their parents might be.

If customers are so important then why is this guy turning away customers?

Did they plant their kids in the competition’s schools to steal their text books? There must be easier ways of going about industrial espionage. Go check on the other guy’s courses if you must, in fact it sounds like a great idea, but rule number 1 of business is that you’re in business to do business. Letting some minion from another chain see how well you do things is not going to harm your business, but refusing to take their money guarantees you less income.

Ever heard of the 80/20 rule?

Please them by taking their money and teaching their kid. If they don’t like the way you do that, and IF they start making unreasonable demands, then let them make their own decision about where to spend their money. But don’t make the decision for them and throw away all that lovely lolly.

Compare apples and oranges if you must, but her school doesn’t offer the program she wants. If you offer the program she wants then what is she going to compare it to? TAKE HER MONEY, AND IF SHE DOESN’T LIKE WHAT YOU DO WITH IT THEN LET HER BITCH. IT’S A POSSIBILITY, COMPARED TO THE NEAR CERTAINTY THAT SHE WILL HAVE REAL ANIMOSITY TOWARDS ANY SCHOOL THAT DENIES HER KID THE EDUCATION SHE WANTS FOR HIM. EITHER WAY, SHE’LL BITCH. CHOOSE THE OPTION THAT GIVES YOU HER MONEY.

[quote]I would think it sheer hell to deal with a parent that works at a rival school. Because she would constantly compare the two programs.
[/quote]Again, the Sesame Street is a language school not a kindergarten. Compare what?

[quote] My Chinese co-teachers at my kindergarten call the parents everyday. am I the only one who finds this strange? It would take too much time and effort for two little return to please someone like a teacher at a rival school. [/quote]Would it take any less to please the son of a foreigner or ABC, or one who has English speaking cousins all over America.

[quote] Also mentioning that the parent works at a rival school would make that parent’s boss lose face.[/quote]How so?

[quote] I agree that it sucks and is slightly discriminatory, but the issues we are dealing with are things that hopefully we will never have to deal with in our countries with our children.[/quote]Well unfortunately we are in Taiwan. This kind of shit just wouldn’t happen in our countries.

Whew, tough call…

This bushiban business can be quite nasty at times. That Hess story would scare the hell out of any boss. I know of schools owners who put their kids into a school in order to steal students. “Hey, if you can get 5 kids to leave with you, you can go to my school for free.” I have had people try this shit on me. If you have a good school, then there usually isn’t a problem.

Secretaries stealing a school’s student list and opening up right next door is also a problem. One of my “favorites” is when a brother and sister sign up with a couple of cousins. Okay, got enough kids to open another night class. Then the parents of these kids want to take over the school. “Want to change books”. “We don’t like the teacher”. “We want a discount”. If they don’t get their way then they make a fuss, make sure that everybody hears, and then pull their little group out of the class. What was once an economically viable class is now a mess. Be very leary of “packs of relatives”.

Stealing curriculum and implementing it are different things. If a boss feels the need to steal ideas, then he or she will probably lose out in the long run. If you can’t implement your own stuff, then you don’t know much about the business. And, the best schools basically teach the same stuff. You can get certain ideas from rival schools, but I would think it would be hard to copy everything.

I try to learn as much as I can about schools, whether I consider them good or bad. You have to know what is going on. To survive in this business atmosphere, you have to be on the ball. Gotta make sure of what your rivals are doing so that you can do it better.

After August, I will be returning two students’ tuition. Both have serious behavior problems. It would help if the parents’ would administer their child’s medication. I have also returned/rejected tuition/students because of their parents. One nutter mom threatened to call TVBS because we asked the child to rewrite his homework. Other parents seem to think that our secretaries are there just to chat for HOURS AND HOURS on end. Bored housewives with way too much free time. Rejected a student because I got tired of her drunk father coming in, and well, being a sloppy drunk (what took the cake was when the mom came in bleeding from a headwound given to her by Mr. Sloppy Drunk. Attacked her with a knife). If the boss of HM thought that the student and or mom was going to be grief, for whatever reason, then he/she has every right to refuse the student.

I don’t really fault HM for rejecting the student. The chances are that nothing would happen, but a false accusation and/or access to other parents are certainly reasonable factors for rejecting a student.

I think the Taiwanese approach to business has always been to copy others. Their entire computer industry is based on it. Look at any street and notice how all businesses are lumped together on one street - all copycats. English teaching is no different. I would imagine buxiban laobans know this only too well, and have a fear that the curriculum they have stolen from someone else will itself be stolen. Why come up with an original thought when you can steal someone else’s ?

If this market is indeed shrinking (or saturated) then no-one is going to get ahead by copying others. The culture of copycat business plans stifles original thought and experimentation. Come up with a useful new method or idea, and next week the entire street is doing it too. There is the money, talent, and will (amongst some) to develop children’s English teaching in Taiwan, but at the moment it is much too easy to make money by copying others. And I have a feeling that suits the parents too: “This kindergarten appears just like Expensivo Avant-garde New Method Kindy, but is slightly cheaper, and I prefer the wallpaper. I’ll send my kids here.”

Ha ha ha, hey free advertising!

[quote=“Okami”]Back on topic, though beer dispensing machines at a kids English cram school is interesting stuff.

I support the Happy Marian’s boss’s decision and would of made the same decision in exactly the same circumstance. That child can go to any school but mine, because of where his mother works. Here are my reasons:

  1. sexual improprieties
  2. The pilfering of any material by the parent

She made the decision that bests protects her long term interests. It sucks in your opinion and it would if I was in the same situation. This is the nature of business in Taiwan though and sometimes the realities are not pleasent. This is not a swipe at you as I have respect for you and all, but I still think she made the best decision.

:shock:

[quote=“ajunis”]
I support the Happy Marian’s boss’s decision and would of made the same decision in exactly the same circumstance. That child can go to any school but mine, because of where his mother works. Here are my reasons:

  1. sexual improprieties
  2. The pilfering of any material by the parent

:shock:[/quote]

ajunis,

I am not clear about who you are talking about when you mention “sexual improprieties”? You make it sound as if you would be worried that the parent would do this?

[quote=“Okami”]Back on topic, though beer dispensing machines at a kids English cram school is interesting stuff.

Guys , let’s stick to the topic which is the child is being rejected because the mother is working at other school.

  1. sexual improprieties - this is way too far sighted !
  2. The pilfering of any material by the parent - I can do it stealthier by inheriting materials from children of my friends. But instead , it was the words from friends that do the recommendation.

Isn’t it schools are the breeding ground for good moral ? I believe there is no issues if Happy Marian show courtesy. Failing to observe this rule , Happy Marian is obviously at fault.

:!:

[quote=“ajunis”]
Guys , let’s stick to the topic which is the child is being rejected because the mother is working at other school.

  1. sexual improprieties - this is way too far sighted ![/quote]

ajunis,

I am sticking to the topic. Your first comment mentioned that sexual improprieties was a reason why you would not accept the child. Then the above-mentioned comment. I need some clarification on what you mean before I can go any further.

I think the very hard lesson that was learned at Hess in Taichung has most school owners very hesitant in accepting students that have some sort of connections to other schools. Is this what you are getting at?

[quote=“Durins Bane”][quote=“ajunis”]
ajunis,

I am not clear about who you are talking about when you mention “sexual improprieties”? You make it sound as if you would be worried that the parent would do this?[/quote][/quote]

Durins Bane ,

Sorry , I accidentally pressed the submit button instead of preview.