Monday, October 08, 2007

Company Language Classes - The Truth

About this time last year, I enquired at a local language academy to see if they were looking for teachers. At the time, I was free in the middle of the day. Somewhat to my surprise, they set me up with a couple of midday classes in a company, that works for the government, to start that very same week. The pay was very low but I was free to conduct the class as I please.

As my relationship with the students developed, I discovered that I had been their first “real” teacher – someone with experience. Not only that but they had never even had the “luxury” of having the same teacher for an entire course. One of them confessed that it was the first time that he had arranged his appointments in such a way so as not to miss the class.

At the end of the course, we all thought that it would be interesting if we could continue together the following year but without having to go through the language academy. We agreed to keep in touch and they promised to bring the matter to the attention of Human Resources. We were quite optimistic that something could be worked out.

I called Human Resources last week and they confessed that their hands were tied. Since the language academy in question, having made the lowest offer for the umpteenth consecutive year, had won the contract for the classes, only their teachers would be allowed in the company.

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