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Did NOVA pay its teachers yet?

saw something new when I went to school today, at the Hello Work Shinjuku branch, "NOVA相談窓口". What will happen to the teachers if NOVA get liquidated? I'm guessing those with work visa will be sent back home to their home country?
 
It now looks like it's officially going down.

NOVA has now been granted court protection from creditors! The debts are estimated at 43.9 billion yen. All of NOVA's 900 or so schools will be shut down temporarily. Many of its 420,000 students fear that their tuition money may not be refunded.

On top of all that, NOVA president Mr. Nozomu Sahashi, who has been fired by the board of directors, is now missing.
 
saw something new when I went to school today, at the Hello Work Shinjuku branch, "NOVA相談窓口". What will happen to the teachers if NOVA get liquidated? I'm guessing those with work visa will be sent back home to their home country?
Why should they be sent back? Their visas are valid until they expire.
 
Filling for a chapter 11--as is said in the USA--shows that they are finished for now. As far as I know, they can restructure under a new set-up, be bought or merged, and perhaps something else, but otherwise, are finished. My heart goes out to all investors--students and most teachers, especially--who will hit a financial brick wall.
 
This is part of the reason I always advise Japanese who ask me about language schools to only go to places that let you pay by the month instead of asking for huge sums up front. The primary reason, though, is that they have more incentive to keep students happy that way and will work harder to make sure the student comes back next month. I wouldn't have advised my worst enemy to shell out for a system like Nova, regardless of what I thought about their quality (or lack thereof) when it comes to delivering educational bang for the buck.

I notice that the Japanese language version of Yomiuri Shinbun carried the bankruptcy as their front page above-the-fold lead article today.
 
I am already starting to see an influx of new student prospects inquiring about my lessons, many of whom are NOVA students. Even had a few unsolicited inquiries from out of work teachers looking for a new sponsor and some guaranteed pay. Gotta feel bad for the students and teachers I guess, they got the short end of the stick as a result of this whole fiasco.
 
One of my friends, a Japanese, asked me if I had heard about the NOVA thing; this was yesterday. I told her that I had had some information about the possibility that such would be the case--even some four weeks ago or so.

She replied by saying, "I paid last week. Do you think I can get my money back?" to which I said, "maybe, but it's very, very slim; you'd best not even think about it."

I feel sorry for those who lost.
 
It is pretty tawdry of NOVA to take peoples' money knowing that they are closing schools and all. Refresh me on this, how much is the fee that these people are losing?
 
What's next for Nova teachers?

Hi everyone, I hope your problems with Nova are fixed soon. However, if the problems with their bankruptcy can't be resolved, are you going to look for new jobs in Japan or are you going to look elsewhere?
I've moved to Korea and think it's great. It has all of the perks of Japan and more. If you think it might be for you, you can look at eslchoice.com.
Good luck!
 
One of my friends, a Japanese, asked me if I had heard about the NOVA thing; this was yesterday. I told her that I had had some information about the possibility that such would be the case--even some four weeks ago or so.
She replied by saying, "I paid last week. Do you think I can get my money back?" to which I said, "maybe, but it's very, very slim; you'd best not even think about it."
I feel sorry for those who lost.
I feel bad for them also. On the other side, of personal responsibility, handing your money over to a company under investigation for misleading advertising that had been barred from accepting new students since June probably wasn't the wisest move in the world either...
 
Hi everyone, I hope your problems with Nova are fixed soon. However, if the problems with their bankruptcy can't be resolved, are you going to look for new jobs in Japan or are you going to look elsewhere?
I've moved to Korea and think it's great. It has all of the perks of Japan and more. If you think it might be for you, you can look at eslchoice.com.
Good luck!

Man that would be tough, especially if you'd spent the last X number of years studying Japanese and now you have to start over and learn a third or fourth language to get by. I think only a few teachers could just trade in Japan for Korea, not that Korea isn't cool but I get the feeling many people explicitly chose Japan and will probably pack up and go home.
I feel bad for those who didn't save up and have to wire home for plane fare.
 
One Japanese online acquaintance has a batch of NOVA's VOICE tickets valued @ 70,000 yen,not sure if she can get reimbursement.
 
They haven't actually filed for bankruptcy yet. Nova has filed for protection from creditors, but thats not the same as bankruptcy yet. They have until November 5th to find a sponsor, supposedly theyre in negotiation with Aeon, Yahoo and others. If that doesn't happen, and it probably won't, then bankruptcy will be filed and all teachers and staff will be fired. Then we can get unemployment and hopefully some of our unpaid wages. I'm just angry about the whole stupid thing.
 
I feel bad for them also. On the other side, of personal responsibility, handing your money over to a company under investigation for misleading advertising that had been barred from accepting new students since June probably wasn't the wisest move in the world either...


Yeah I agree. When paying large sums of money or working in an industry long term. It's just smart to research the companies and industry to make sure you know what's goin on.

Though I can feel for those outta work now, trying to buy food or pay rent. As an adult it just makes no sense to me to be caught unprepared for the worst case event and from what I have read NOVA has been broadcasting its demise for a long time.
 
It seems that NOVA still cannot find any sponsor, and it looks very likely that they'd proceed for bunkruptcy...
I feel very sorry for the people who came to Japan to teach English at NOVA and got in this situation... Really it is a shame (literally) that NOVA is causing so many problems for both students and teachers.
Following is the information I found on the net, for those who are interested.
Osaka Labour Department commented that the estimated amount of the unpaid salary to the instructors of NOVA would be at least several billion yen, and that NOVA is rather irresponsible toward their employees.
OLD is going to request the preservation administrator to fix the amount of unpaid salary and get the contact details of the instructors including those who are leaving Japan.
[source]
http://www.nikkansports.com/general/f-gn-tp0-20071029-276305.html

Q&A for instructors from NOVA website:
http://www.nova.ne.jp/information/to-staffs.html
Q and A
1. Regarding the application for reorganization proceedings.
Q. What is happening?
A. On Friday October 26, 2007, the company applied for reorganization
proceedings and an order to preserve assets. On the same date, the Osaka
district court issued the order to preserve assets. The Osaka district
court appointed the lawyers Toshiaki Higashibata and Noriaki Takahashi as
interim trustees.
Q. What are ツ'reorganization proceedings'?
A. ツ'Reorganization proceedings' are one form of bankruptcy procedure.
However, for companies in difficult circumstances but with the possibility
of restructuring, the purpose is to restructure and maintain the business,
coordinating creditors', shareholders' and other stakeholders' interests.
This is different from normal bankruptcy procedures where the objective is
not to continue the business of the company and all assets of the company
are liquidated, and is considered a restructuring procedure.
Q. What is an ツ'order to preserve assets'?
A. This is where the court appoints an interim trustee for the purpose of
assessing whether the company can be restructured according to the
reorganization proceedings. All payments are frozen and the state of
affairs of the company is investigated. The authority of the company
directors is transferred to the interim trustee appointed by the court.

2. Regarding procedures and lessons from now on.
Q. What should staff and instructors do?
A. For the time being all branches will be closed and instructors and
staff should wait at home for instructions.
Q. How should I respond if students ask questions?
A. Information regarding Nova's ツ'order to preserve assets' is posted on
the Nova homepage for students.
Q. What will happen to branch operations from now on?
A. It has been necessary to close all branches temporarily to avoid
confusion and to check whether restructuring is possible. All branch
lessons, MM lessons and Nova Kids lessons are suspended. We can not
provide lessons to the students for a while. Lessons which have already
been booked are also cancelled.

3. Regarding salaries
Q. Will salaries be paid?
A. It is with regret that we have to inform you that Nova does not have
sufficient funds to pay salaries at the present time. We are unable to
give an assurance that the company will pay salaries.
Q. Why are you asking us to stand by at home when you can't guarantee that
salaries will be paid?
A. As a trustee, appointed to maintain the company's assets, it is
necessary for me to close all the branches so that we can immediately
investigate whether it is possible to reorganize and reconstruct the
company by looking for an appropriate sponsor. Therefore, we ask you to
wait at home and stand by.
Q. Will you be able to find a sponsor and then will the salaries be paid?
A. We regret to say that at this point due to the company's situation and
the limited time to negotiate with potential sponsors it is not possible
for us to comment on the likelihood of being able to find a sponsor that
will be able to pay salaries.
Q. What will happen if a sponsor can not be found?
A. If we are unable to find a sponsor to take over the company soon,
regrettably we will have to commence bankruptcy proceedings.

4. About procedures from now on.
Q: What will happen to the company?
A: Government administrators are ceasing business in all the branches
immediately to secure the company assets. They will research the
possibilities of rehabilitation of the company business by recruiting
appropriate sponsors. For a while, instructors and branch staff are to
stand by at home.
Q: How will information be given out from now on?
A: Supervisors will contact you, or please check the company homepage on
which information will be continually updated.
Q: How is employment insurance processed?
A:. For instructors who wish to resign please submit a resignation in
writing to the Foreign Personnel Quality Control Group in Osaka or Tokyo.
Later the headquarters will send the documents necessary to receive the
unemployment allowance, such as the ツ'Rishoku-hyo', to the person.
 
A Nagoya-based company, G-communication, will be the sponsor of NOVA.
1. Transer of operations of 30 schools
2. Transfer of about 200 schools in the proposed plan in the future
3. No transfer of debt

窶嗄窶嗜窶嗽窶啻ニ湛ニ竹ニ停?愴探ツー窶堙家淡ツーツ・ニ坦ニ蓄ニ停?ヲニ男ニ単ツーニ歎ニ停?。ニ停?懌?愿?窶凖ィ
窶督シナ津??ーツョナスs窶徒窶ケテヲ窶堙俄?怒窶ケ窶吮?堙ー窶冰窶堋ュニ淡ツーツ・ニ坦ニ蓄ニ停?ヲニ男ニ単ツーニ歎ニ停?。ニ停?慊(ヒ?ョ窶ケgツ青ウナステキ窶佚」窶「\ナステヲ窶凖キ窶禿ーツ)窶堙?窶愿コツ、窶ーテッナステ青更ツ青カ窶邸ナスティ窶伉ア窶堋ォ窶堙個申ツ青ソ窶堙ー窶堋オ窶堋ス窶ーp窶ーテッヒ彙ツ催??佚・ナスティ窶堙娯?嗄窶嗜窶嗽窶啻窶堙姑湛ニ竹ニ停?愴探ツーナ?テゥ窶ケテ??堙??堋オ窶堙??愿?窶凖ィ窶堋オ窶堋ス窶堙??敖ュ窶「\窶堋オ窶堋スツ。
窶堙懌?堋ク30窶ケツウナスツコ窶堙ーツ湘キ窶堙ィナステウ窶堋ッツ、ナステカ窶ケテ??堙ーツ催??Jツ。窶堋サ窶堙固津」ツ、200窶ケツウナスツコ窶佚個青ァ窶堙ー窶懌?凪?禿岩?堙娯?禿壺?「W窶堙??堋キ窶堙ゥ窶堙??堋オ窶堙??堋「窶堙ゥツ。
http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/main/20071106AT5D0603V06112007.html
I do not know if Nova and its employees paid the unemployement insurance.
All employees hired in Japan have to join the scheme, but it seems that employees who signed the contract overseas do not have to.
 
Nova teachers start lessons for food

TOKYO — A labor union representing former teachers at failed Nova Corp launched a program on Saturday to enable students to have language lessons from instructors by buying them meals instead of paying tuition fees. At a Tokyo park on Saturday afternoon, teacher Kristen Moon, 23, gave a lesson lasting about an hour based on topics in an English-language magazine to 32-year-old Yasuhiro Kawatani, and afterward they went to a nearby restaurant.

http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/421688

Some former NOVA English instructors are in dire financial situation
 
Thanks for the link.

Reading the comments, I found:

For eikaiwa or nihongo-silent-kaiwa, the price of 1 unique hour of dispatch lesson, without advance payment is 7000 yen to 10 000 yen, plus transportation cost. Yasuyaro is getting it cheaper than at any other companies that could employ the girl. He is not helping her : he is making it more difficult for her and others to find a *legal* job somewhere.
Anything under 5000 yen is insulting.
Plus, she did one hour *hostessing* the guy, which is not cheap either. I guess you guys know the rates better than I.
She should have got out of the restaurant with an enveloppe containing 2 to 4 notes of 10 000 yen.
This guy is a thief, and proud to be one. The promoters of *lessons for food* are doing like the yakuza.

Japan is getting very low. That used to be a decent country like others, but these days, I am not sure.
I worked at Nova years ago, students paid me hundreds of meals. As a tip.
They all always paid the lesson fees besides,and I never had to entertain them during the meal. They d bring me the wine and other goodies in a Daimaru bag
or an omiyage package, for me to enjoy at home with friends. And in exchange, they expected nothing (but were glad to receive my homeplace s omiyage at new year). I make presents to teachers I appreciate particularly, in Japan,like in my home country. Of course, I pay the fee for any teacher or worker I respect, for anyone that works for me. Why not ?

Needless to say I don t have much respect for those that take advantage of others misfortune to obtain services under the price.

There are ****** of the spirit as well as ****** of the flesh, and anyone who manages to develop the inflated entitlement mentality that guy did while whoring out his gaijinity certainly qualifies.
 
It kinda sucks that NOVA is probably going to be shut down for good (by the looks of things anyway) I want to be and English teacher over there, NOVA was good because you didn't have to have a minimum level of japanese proficiency (Or so I heard...) so that was going to be one of my options when going over there. Now it may be a little harder to get a job, even if I take Japanese in University.
 
Lamenting the loss of Nova is like lamenting an a$$ pimple that finally cleared up.
 
Nova teachers start lessons for food
TOKYO ツ― A labor union representing former teachers at failed Nova Corp launched a program on Saturday to enable students to have language lessons from instructors by buying them meals instead of paying tuition fees. At a Tokyo park on Saturday afternoon, teacher Kristen Moon, 23, gave a lesson lasting about an hour based on topics in an English-language magazine to 32-year-old Yasuhiro Kawatani, and afterward they went to a nearby restaurant.

Some former NOVA English instructors are in dire financial situation
That's nice, but does it pay the rent?
The smarter NOVA guys should already be giving private lessons to a few students under the table for a buck here and there, no?
If you find the right students (admittedly this is a rare case), it's actually possible to come close to supporting yourself. A couple years back a buddy of mine (who was not especially qualified to teach, still an undergrad at the time) was teaching a rather wealthy guy, who was asking for a rather large number of lesson hours per week, and eventually proposed that my buddy pretty much follow him around all day and chat with him in English, for full-time-ish pay.
So, there's still a good amount of money that can be made this way, I imagine. And if there are a lot of would-be NOVA students out there who still want their lessons, maybe even more so.
Food for thought (pun intended)
 
I've known a few teachers who were able to 'retire' from Nova and live off private students exclusively, but it took them years to accumulate that pool of students and narrow it down to those who pay regularly, study, and will not suddenly disappear due to lack of interest or what have you AND collectively satisfy the need for full time pay. The thing about Nova students I'd imagine is that most of them were trapped into going because of the points system. Now that they're free they may not even be interested in continuing their studies. To try and suddenly accumulate enough private students to live off is probably near-impossible.

Any teachers who haven't gone home will probably be best served by joining any school they can find no matter how small and just get some kind of steady pay going, then try to pick up private students on the side. Their success will depend on just how much they took away from Nova. Even if it's not the height of English instruction Nova did have a plethora of resources available for those who cared enough to improve their teaching repetoire, it's just that most unfortunately didn't care to do so.

A couple of my friends did end up moving to South Korea, I wonder how they're doing!
 
Latest scoop .....

As for NOVA former students, can't get any refund. If they pay additional 25 percent tuition month by month, they can take remaining lessons and VOICE at New NOVA.
 
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