David
- 2012-09-17
I have also worked for MK Centrum, with a completely opposite (positive) experience.
In my experience, MK centrum arranged and provided an apartment which was very conveniently located to both the school and town centre. The pay was quite good by local standards, and higher than that of the other bilingual teachers. I was given as many or as little hours as I wanted, within reason. They gave me plenty of assistance with my residency visa, handling the paperwork themselves. Even language lessons for myself were arranged on request.
In general, if you do the work without needing babysitting or damage control, MK centrum will be very grateful and even hand you extra bonuses.
I also happen to be the teacher that took over classes from "Embittered" long before his contract finished (yes, he still worked to the end of his contract). I was sent from the Slovak branch to teach in the Czech Republic because this teacher's own students refused to have him as a teacher. He had made his classes feel uncomfortable and intimidated, frequently focusing on topics such as public toilets, death and sexual postions (and this was for business English classes). I do have copies of his lessons if anyone doubts this.
As for his apartment, he left it in such a filthy condition after his two-year residence that both the kitchen and bathroom needed replacing and the walls in the apartment cleaned of mildew and repainted. Any furniture he used had to be thrown out.
I'd like to assume a complaint about a school is legitimate, but in this case "Embittered's" post is petty and vindictive. Sorry if anyone was conned by his self-serving little vent.
Dragonized
- 2011-11-06
I have heard from teachers who have worked in the Czech Republic saying that country as being not very friendly. In fact there are supposedly many cases of theft and false promises given to expats while you're there. It seems this is yet another country with a barely developing attitude towards foreigners and it would be best served to not give them well qualified instructors and to just leave them smelling the dust of more successful places. Sometimes strategic marginalization of certain geopolitical regions is the best tool at getting the message through. Thank you for telling me about your experience.
I worked for MK Centrum in the Czech Republic for almost two years. I was terminated, and the reason I was given was false. The school's owner complained that I didn't talk to him enough, and I think that was the true reason for my exit. I didn't talk to him because he was so unpleasant. Once, we had talked about the word "pinkie," and I sent him a URL about the word. His response was along the lines of "What the hell do you think you're talking about?" This put me off contacting him.
I had no working shower for two months. The owner could have put me in alternative accommodation, but didn't think it was that important. I used the shower at his home, and when I did he complained that I'd left the towel on the floor. Now, the first time I used the shower, I had asked him what to do with the towel and he said, "Just leave it there," so it wasn't a valid complaint. When I complained that I had no working shower, he said I was "comparing apples with oranges." So I was using his shower because I didn't have one, and he was complaining about that, and he said the fact that I had no shower was irrelevant. The guy tells lots of lies.
He's a very unpleasant man and a liar, and after you work for him I don't think you'll even get an honest reference. Avoid.