Winnie
- 2005-08-15
You even took hardcopies of your emails? Good planning. I hope this works out.
In the country where I work, fences and locked gates are the norm at schools after about 9 p.m.
Dos
- 2005-08-14
That's a tough one, especially as nothing is in your contract about it, one way or another. Also in your e-mails I assume.
The way I see it is you have three choices:
1. Accept it!
2. Ask about acommodation outside the campus. Maybe the school can provide some cash towards your rent, (though my money will be on them saying no to this idea!)
3. Say you find it un-acceptable and put in your notice. Perhaps doing that will spur them into action. You say you were told this would not happen (" However, despite being told to the contrary, the school has arbitrarily imposed a curfew of 9.00pm later reluctantly extended to maybe 10.30pm") so it seems they have broken their word.
They should understand that you are not a student, and foreigners should have freedom out of work hours. If they understand this perhaps they can think about this when hiring teachers in the future.
Are you the first foreigner there? If not, what did the other teachers do?
Good luck!!
Rheno747
- 2005-08-13
I think it's reasonable for the school to impose such a curfew, especially of 10:30. Sure, the security guards COULD unlock the gates and let you in after curfew time, but obviously the director of the school doesn't want them to do that, and for good reason, I bet.
When I was taking my TESOL course in Thailand, I was awakened on several occasions by the ever-present alcoholic students staggering into the center at all hours of the early morning completely oblivious to their own ruckus and the clock on the wall. I got tired of that bull## real quick. I bet your director has seen that crap as well, and is simply trying to eliminate it. If you're coming in past curfew, you're probably drunk, at least in his eyes, and he doesn't want you entering the campus. You have to understand where he's coming from on this.
I think he's in the right. Accept it or fly the coop.
After much negotiation and discussion of excellent terms and conditions including relevant confirmations, statements and claims by e-mail (copies in hand) and of course the signed contract to back it up, I have recently arrived at a new school to start work. The school has provided a very nice apartment on the campus. However, despite being told to the contrary, the school has arbitrarily imposed a curfew of 9.00pm (later reluctantly extended to maybe 10.30pm) on the time that foreign teachers must be back on campus in the evenings - or be locked out by the security guards. In attempts to resolve this in discussion, the Principal, in the presence of a Police/Immigration representative lost his temper and told us foreign teachers to accept it or leave the school. The Police/Immigration representative said (privately) she didn't agree with it but supported the school in applying such a rule on the grounds of "Protecting our Safety"
There is no mention in the school contract of curfews or employees' private lives except very general references to "actions unbecoming" or "unwholesome" etc.
We have the contractual right in the event that discussion fails to resolve the issue, of applying to the local Foreign Affairs Department for their arbitration - however I am informed that this would be unwise and probably counter-productive as they will simply side with the school.
What can be done about this? Anything? Has anyone who has encountered this or similar got any good practical advice here? Please reply in the forum or by e-mail whichever you prefer.
John