We've gone from 5% profitability to 13% in the past three years

Indeed, which correlates quite nicely 'coincidently' with the amount of time that Wall Street have been stripping away at the amount of money they actually put into the business.

Had and still got many friends who have worked at WSE. Before when Carlyle had it and now under the Pearson umbrella. I have no conjecture about Wall Street elsewhere in the world, I would have to guess that things in a country like France would mean a stricter following of rules and regulations within the EU, therefore happier staff. What I have been told on many occasions, which also correlates with many an online story is a very different picture. I've observed the centers where I live when waiting to meet friends, interviewed or at least spoken with the service managers in centers over time so certainly seen and heard enough.

Allegedly, Annual xmas/new year parties taken away in 2012 after being first delayed with the promise of a bigger and better party to coincide with the re-branding of the company. The party never happened and WSE have not held an annual regional party for the staff since. They do apparently treat all their center managers, regional's and directors to a lavish stay in Sanya every year all expenses paid!!

All centers new build and any which are refitted, streamlined to the core. Low budgets to the point of leaving equipment out of action such as projectors, a complete stop on the hire of ANY foreign teachers for a considerable period of time leaving many centers understaffed and students angry at the fact that their study helper from the speaking center is teaching their class or that the sales person is hosting and open corner, giving service manager positions to Chinese staff by way of the study helper route which undoubtedly mean a lower salary and certainly means a much more rigid and regimental authority guiding the teacher. Do I need to carry on with more or shall we just say point made.

In my opinion Wall Street bleeeeeeds teachers these days. Probably got something to do with why they have once again started to hire, that was a over a year ago now though, but also considered/have started to hire from countries that they once would have not.

Oh one juicy cherry I forgot to drop, the complete turn around WSE made upon the yearly bonus.... This was last year or the year before I think. Merry Xmas everyone, thanks for all your hard work, oh and by the way - no one will be getting their bonus for years in etc. this time, instead we have created this new and exciting way to do it. Excel, in other words create tons of English corners at home and spend most of your free time doing stuff for WSE, and if your manager puts you forward you might get something in your stocking, SHOCKING!

In my opinion the only thing that Pearson appear to have been spending money on is marketing bumf and some, again in my opinion after taking a gander, mediocre additional courses, such as professional English, which is a complete and utter joke according to those who actually used it in a class. Aside from having very little use in the first place the whole thing is apparently mis-matched and so badly edited. Missing cards and/or cards which didn't correlate, the whole thing starts at quite a low level, Waystage I think and by all accounts, students who can barely manage sit there completely bamboozled in the main. Mastery level was what made me laugh when I interviewed, i understand they are still using it now!! The most shocking and disgusting looking set of material which is actually from the day of the Carlyle group. It's badly written, admittedly by WSE to their students and promise of new material has been on the agenda for years as the students miss out, feeling everything has stopped. It just sat there in horrible grey folders all torn and dishevelled next to some of the newer stuff, like a rotten tooth in mouth full of pearly whites.

I hear the same story again and again. Salary received on time, always. Workload, shocking. Implementation of working procedures, shocking. Cutbacks, shocking. Staff turnover, shocking. I also hear 'some' positive comments too so let's try to be at least fair in talking about those too. People report having fun working there but that has generally come from people who I know work point x shifts, in other words less hours for less pay. No issues to worry about being paid but I have heard horrible stories of people now left, including the country who have been messed around attempting to get back that which they are owed in deductions. One guy has been fighting to get it back about three years or something silly now, fat chance by the sound of it.

I know China can be a tough old nut when it comes to finding a place to work where your either not on the run from the PSB because the bastards put you on the wrong visa, or ripping you off, running out of money etc. There are some really REALLY shitty tales of injustice here and all over the community, but there is no way I would be prepared to deal with that workload. You can easily work around the clock elsewhere and earn more money than that in ANY big Chinese city. I believe WSE knows full well the conditions that many suffer trying to teach in China and I believe they engage in an active plan to take advantage of that fact wherever possible. Just like a lot of, again in my opinion, large and greedy corps who only do 'what they have to do' and not 'what is moral or they should do'. Just like the 3 year old meat getting into Mcdonalds last year. How, Why? because regardless of what laws exist or not in China, they only did what they had to, no more.

Rant over