Hi Sandy,
I stumbled across your blog and how I wish I'd seen it, or something similar, this time last year.
I'd like to nominate for your blacklist, Kramar's School of English, in Zlate Moravce, Slovakia. Boris Kramar owner/director and all round nasty piece of work.
Hindsight being 20/20, I can see almost everything the man said to me, prior to arriving in Slovakia was a lie. I learned that lying is his primary idiom about everything.
The "flat" that he advertises as part of the teacher's benefits, could only generously be called a bed-sit. It is located in the basement of his mother-in-law's house one block from the school. Because of the proximity, there is no way to escape the man at the end of the work day or on the weekends.
He "provides" a cell phone, which he then uses to phone all hours of the day and night giving orders about all manner of things. He then expects the teacher to pay the cell bill that he runs up. He has telephones in every classroom and interupts classes to give instructions about minutia to all the teachers.
He had not done the paperwork for my work visa and instructed me to tell anyone who asked that I was "observing" his school as a part of a study I was making back home. (as I said, lying is his approach to everything) He is known to withhold salary from his female employees, to the point that they have to chase him down to get even a portion of their pay. I
received 10,000 SKK on the day that I arrived to buy groceries and then never received another cent in the two months before I left. When I left, he had some notion that I owed him money.
I've heard horror stories from others who have had the misfortune to stumble into this place. There is a thread (started by someone else) on teflwatch.com that gives other people's experiences as well. I'm glad to give more details as well.
The town of Zlate Moravce is lovely. Most of the people were absolutely fantastic. But Kramar makes it impossible to deal with the place. If your blog can help one poor unsuspecting English teacher miss the experience I had, you will have done a great thing.
Inspector McHammered of the Lard
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About Me
Welcome to the TEFL Blacklist. And, yes - it's black! In fact, this blog is for all you angry EFL teachers out there - and I know there must be a good number of you! If you've suffered at the hands of a rogue employer, a dodgy DOS, or a pain-in-the-arse Principal, then this is your chance to get your own back. If you have a story to tell post it briefly in the section marked NOMINATE A SCHOOL FOR BLACKLISTING. There should be a hyperlink at the bottom of most posts. Add your comments to whichever thread you happen to want to add a contribution and then simply copy and then paste it in the section entitled "Chronological Postings" as well. Don't forget to add a note explaining where the original was posted. That way people can, if they choose, simply read all the postings made to all the threads in chronological order.
Inspector McHammered of the Lard
Inspector McHammered of the Lard
The comedian Eddie Izzard is unique. "He is the first to admit that he gets well paid for talking total bollocks. The good pay is because, unlike the bollocks most of us talk, it's funny"
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Chronological postings
In response to a request from the redoubtable Alex Case here is your opportunity to hit a double whammy (so to speak). Add your comments to whichever thread you happen to want to add a contribution and then simply copy and then paste it in the section marked "chronological postings" as well. Don't forget to add a note explaining where the original was posted. That way people can, if they choose, simply read all the postings made to all the threads in chronological order.
11 comments:
sounds like a charming piece of work.
I also taught there. It was grim. Avoid.
Thank you so much..I almost responded to Boris for the post.
Whew!!!!
Sounds like a charming piece of work indeed... Writing is her and his strong point, I have to admit.
What a pity it's so easy to post anything and anytime without letting know the other party. Very one-sided.
So me and not to pay the wages? Me and watch every step they made? She brought her disabled 15 years old son with her, we did our best, offered another room, my mother-in-law washing his trousers because he had problems with something, but we tried to help as we could, she knew she would be abroad, then decided to return after a couple of weeks, of course no work permit necessary then. But she was a great teacher. The other one almost wanted to command the timetable etc. We are doing are best, now completely re-decorating the flats with a brand new kitchen.
Very unfair to write such a horrible scenery. Very difficult to disprove. Boris Kramar.
I will not engage the man further, except to say that I stand by the original posting. I refer readers to other websites (particularly teflwatch) where at least 4 other people have made comments about the place that are even more negative than what I had to say. It simply can't be the case that all the teachers are wrong about working there.
Hmmm. It's also quite one-sided to describe the living quarters you offer as a flat, when in fact it's nothing more than the sectioned off end of someone's living room. I think it's a bit disingenuous to pretend that there is a timetable at the school. By "controlling" the timetable I think you mean "creating" a timetable, ie objecting when, at the last minute (literally), you shifted classes around. But, at the end of the day, any so-called language teacher who allows his 12 year old son to teach a class of teenagers has no solid ground to stand on.
Hello boys! It is Zdeno and Igor. Why you write and lie? Boris helped
Justin very much to his hand after Silvester 2005. He paid it and we
took Justin to hospital. You liked Zlate Moravce and beer and we liked
you. But why you say Boris is bad? We are students and Boris is good
teacher. His school is very good. You drink here with us often.
You always are our friends but write only truth please. Hi! Zdeno,
Igor.
Ooh Lisa, you always seem to be where the action is, don't you! Pray give us a little more detail, a morsel more to chew on!
I am not at all surprised Boris Kramar made it on this blacklist. I’m just pissed I didn’t think to Google “TEFL blacklist” before I fell for his crock of crap.
He screwed me. Things worked out because I had people in Slovakia, but if it hadn’t been for that, I’d have been up shit creek without a paddle.
He promised a visa, a job, a place to stay. He delivered nothing, and then promised to help me find alternate placement. After he dropped the initial bomb in my lap, he dropped off the scene, never to be heard of again.
Anything you hear about sexual harrassment also, BELIEVE IT. He asked for pictures of my girlfriend, which just blew me away. He’s a dirty old man, and I’d only ever hope to meet him to kick him in the nuts for all the sorry lies he told me and my girlfriend’s family. I don’t like people lying to me or screwing with my future. God help him if he’d managed to get me there and teaching before I figured out he was a fake and a failure. He’s both–avoid him like the plague.
Also, a special note to my fellow Americans: he preys on us, because he knows we can’t pop over for a visit. STAY AWAY!!! If you want to teach in Slovakia that badly, go through the municipalities, or Dave’s ESL Cafe, or something reputable. Do not trust the internet. Check around, and DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!
If he or anyone under any strange name shows up to deny these allegations, I’ve got contact info of reputable people in the area in Slovakia who will tell you just how unsavory a character he is.
Best wishes in your TEFL adventures!
In the summer of 2005, I worked Boris for three months, and then quite!!! He wrote a nasty letter to me stating that he was going to sue me since I did not give him two weeks notice and that if I did not return to work that he'd 'HUNT ME DOWN'... Funny thing is that I had already contacted a lawyer because he failed to pay me and I found him going through my stuff at the flat! The email he sent just added to my case. A month later he settled.
All I can say is the man is a complete ass! I'm quite shocked that he's still in business.
How would he run up a cellphone bill if he gave the phone to you? In Europe you only pay bills for calls you make not calls you receive.
If someone calls you then they pay for the call (cellphone numbers are not in sequence with normal numbers so the caller has fair warning that it's more expensive).
Other than that, I have no information about that specific school as I'm in Kosice.
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