This is a warning to all teachers. Do not work at Darşşafaka schools! The school is located in Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey. Its a boarding school for students age 10-19. The school used to have a good reputation and many will insist it still does but it does not. It is a horrible, horrible, horrible school. The current administration has been there since 2007 and received a huge grant from Is Bank but you cant tell what they have spent the money on because the school is old, and not maintained well.

The student dormitories are worn, tattered and minimal comfort for the students. The students are horrendously behaved and treat you very badly. They yell, shout, scream and harass the native teachers on a daily basis. They talk back and will not listen or do classwork. Their is no discipline, consequences or expectations for the students. Administration is useless and will not assist you. There are not even basic materials available...pencils, erasers, glue, pens, color pencils, color paper. There is nothing. They give you 1 box of sticky tack, dry erase markers and highlighters for the year. The students never have the materials they are supposed to have...pencils, notebooks, erasers.

There are no curriculum guidelines, books, resources or standards to assist you for the English program. The students have no books and if books are selected they are not the correct level or appropriate for the students. They do not do their homework, classwork and no consequences if they do. The whole school and its education program are a joke. The students can sleep through class every day and still get high marks. The former English Head of Department is rude, arrogant and incompetent and prone to making threats when he is powerless. He does not have a good reputation in the foreign English teacher community. He doesn't know anything about the English curriculum, leadership, and is often condescending and patronizing. He is still working at the school as a Vice Principal now. He is a pushover and has been in Turkey too long to relate or be helpful to foreign teachers.

The teacher accommodations are old and not maintained as well. When I moved in I had nothing provided except a bed, curtains, kitchen table, 2 chairs and some sofa chairs. You have to constantly ask for things to be provided. Even though it says it is supposed to be fully furnished. It took 2 weeks to get a few, very small, pots, pans, cups and bowls. Very few linens are provided, if none at all, and they are worn and tattered.

They also mess with your pay and never pay on time, according to the contract. They also mess around with the flight reimbursement and it months to get it returned when you arrive and once the contract expires. This is a horrible school. Save yourself a lot of stress and dont work there. Ive heard that 2 teachers have already left after working only a few weeks this school year, 09-10. Many schools in Turkey are bad but I guarantee you this is one of the worst. It was like working at a juvenile detention center. If you like suffering and prone to suicide then by all means work at this school. If not...STAY AWAY FROM Darşşafaka SCHOOL!!!