ACE Gaigo Gakuin Experiences?

Nellie87 · 21 Dec 2014

I've recently been in contact with ACE Gaigo Gakuin in Hiroshima regarding a teaching position starting in the next few months. As I haven't heard anything about the school/how it treats teachers/etc I have tried googling and been unable to find any feedback about the company which makes me rather uneasy. Does anybody know this company/have any information that might help me make a decision about accepting a position there? (I am currently in Australia.)

Thanks very much!

tulimyrsky · 4 Aug 2017

I know this post is old, but since there is barely any information about this school online, yet this is the first post that shows up on Google, I thought I would provide this link here in case of anyone searching reviews in the future. I didn't write this, but it is accurate from my experience too: Working at Academic Cultural Excange | Glassdoor

Mike Cash · 4 Aug 2017

I doubt there has ever been an English school in Japan that didn't have at least one disgruntled former teacher.

tulimyrsky · 4 Aug 2017

I've worked there before and I've never heard any teacher say they truly enjoyed it.

Mike Cash · 4 Aug 2017

tulimyrsky said:
I've worked there before and I've never heard any teacher say they truly enjoyed it.

Then sharing your experiences and opinions would be worth far more than a link to a single dissatisfied teacher's review and would add weight to that review as well.

tulimyrsky · 4 Aug 2017

Oh ok, I just put that up there because one of my former colleague's was planning to post a review on there sometime in the near future so there would be more than one.

In any case, I can basically confirm that everything on there is true. The lesson type is good (a lot of academic subjects) and it's great if you don't like teaching children. It's hard to find a school that will hire you from abroad that has all adult or high school students. The manager, however, has wild mood swings and can be emotionally abusive. I have seen him make 2 teachers cry and he sometimes makes threats like slashing your pay or suing you. He yells at teachers for sometimes up to ten minutes and he's so loud you can't hear anything while you're trying to teach in the other room.

Transformer5 · 5 Aug 2017

What was the name of the manager? Do they still work there?

As you've named the school, I'd go ahead and name and shame the manager as well. People need to know exactly who these nitwits are and prepare accordingly, plus it might make him/her re-think their behaviour.

Mike Cash · 5 Aug 2017

Transformer5 said:
What was the name of the manager? Do they still work there?

As you've named the school, I'd go ahead and name and shame the manager as well. People need to know exactly who these nitwits are and prepare accordingly, plus it might make him/her re-think their behaviour.

In addition to being actionable under civil law, in Japan libel is also prosecutable under criminal law. There is also defamation of character.

Transformer5 · 5 Aug 2017

Mike Cash said:
In addition to being actionable under civil law, in Japan libel is also prosecutable under criminal law. There is also defamation of character.

Fair points, though I doubt they'd sue if it was true, particularly if, as it seems to be in this case, other people have witnessed and can testify to this person's behaviour.

People often misunderstand that there's no law against telling the truth. The truth often has a nasty habit of coming out in court, which is why any good lawyer would advise against suing someone if what they're saying is true.

Transformer5 · 5 Aug 2017

That said, the better course of action would be to take it up with this person's superiors. Failing that, speak to the Labor Standards Bureau, or a union. Nobody should have to put up with abusive managers or colleagues.

Mike Cash · 5 Aug 2017

Transformer5 said:
Fair points, though I doubt they'd sue if it was true, particularly if, as it seems to be in this case, other people have witnessed and can testify to this person's behaviour.

People often misunderstand that there's no law against telling the truth. The truth often has a nasty habit of coming out in court, which is why any good lawyer would advise against suing someone if what they're saying is true.

Truth is not an adequate defense against libel in Japan.

Japanese Law: How (Not) to Get Sued

And there is no power of subpoena in civil cases In Japan.

Transformer5 · 5 Aug 2017

It'd be interesting to hear what a Japanese lawyer or legal expert had to say about that. The writer of that article argues that you can still be sued if what you write is true but damages the reputation of the plaintiff, but doesn't give much in the way of examples.

In the one private case they mention (against Google), Google simply had to remove the autocomplete terms that the plaintiff said were damaging his reputation (statements about his supposed criminal past, though it was unclear whether the terms were true or not).

Mike Cash · 5 Aug 2017

Transformer5 said:
It'd be interesting to hear what a Japanese lawyer or legal expert had to say about that.

The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse 7

Excerpted from
名誉毀損と侮辱罪の要件の違いと慰謝料の相場 | 弁護士費用保険の教科書

名誉毀損における「事実」については内容の真実性は影響しないので、内容が真実であっても根拠のない嘘や噂であっても、名誉毀損が成立する可能性があります。

ただの一般人の名誉を毀損する内容であれば、たとえその内容が真実であっても「公共の利害に関する事実」とは言えないので、名誉毀損が成立するでしょう。

mdchachi · 5 Aug 2017

tulimyrsky said:
In any case, I can basically confirm that everything on there is true. The lesson type is good (a lot of academic subjects) and it's great if you don't like teaching children. It's hard to find a school that will hire you from abroad that has all adult or high school students. The manager, however, has wild mood swings and can be emotionally abusive. I have seen him make 2 teachers cry and he sometimes makes threats like slashing your pay or suing you. He yells at teachers for sometimes up to ten minutes and he's so loud you can't hear anything while you're trying to teach in the other room.

Sounds like it's time to use some 21st century technology on his arse, record video of him doing this and get him fired or publicly humiliated. (There could be a law against that too but I'm sure it would make a lot of people happy.)

Transformer5 · 5 Aug 2017

I read on another Japan forum of a school owner who was abusing his staff, both being verbally abusive, as well as conducting suspect labor practices. The instructor recorded him and posted it online, and posted up his very dodgy-looking contract too.

You want to get any evidence you can of this person's behaviour, though like I said, it's best to speak to somebody more senior than him/her first (if there is anyone), or failing that, take it to Labor Standards or the General Union.

If a school is knowingly allowing someone to carry on the way this person seems to be, you have to wonder about the people running the place and the whole ethos of the school.

tulimyrsky · 5 Aug 2017

Just to be on the safe side, I won't name the manager, but he still works there. He's one of those old guys who will probably never retire. I never thought about filming before; that's a good idea. I'll suggest that to the teachers I know that still work there.

Transformer5 · 5 Aug 2017

tulimyrsky said:
Just to be on the safe side, I won't name the manager, but he still works there. He's one of those old guys who will probably never retire. I never thought about filming before; that's a good idea. I'll suggest that to the teachers I know that still work there.

Sounds about right. He's probably one of those types we were discussing on another thread, who end up stuck working in English schools in Japan forever, hate it but can't get out or do anything else. Some of them turn into alcoholics, which doesn't help.

If he's throwing furniture like it says in the review, somebody really should look into that.

ESL teacher · 7 Jun 2019

If this is the school in Hatchobori in Hiroshima, I have worked here. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place.
I can confirm that the manager has...

thrown furniture
slashed pay against the contract
entered the teachers' apartment without notification
shown preference for white teachers
yells at teachers in front of everyone (which annoys the students) until his face turns red and starts spitting
thinks that giving you your lunch break at the end of the day is acceptable

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