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[Christian]

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Kyrgyzstan is a nice country, but working there can be hell. This is about one school called School name removed

Name removed is a school established by the Gulen Movement (a kind of moderate Turkish islamists; see www.turkishinvitations.weebly.com in Bishkek. During its first year, 8 of the western teachers from the USA, Canada and Europe left while only a maximum of 5 (if they do not find any job during the summer) stayed. Although the reasons for leaving are personal and particular to each teacher, a glimpse of how Name removed (teachers call it CRISIS) works and treat their employees can help you:

Unfortunately it seems that I cannot upload the pictures I write about. Anyway, if you are interested just send me a PM.

Contracts: As anywhere in the world, you must sign a contract in the official language of the country which must be sent to the labour ministry to be registered. In Name removed things are different. If you are lucky, you will receive a regular contract written ipn English which is not legally valid since it must be in Russian or Kyrgyz. If you require a contract in Russian, be careful! The conditions may not be the same that the ones specified in English (look at the red arrow in the pictures) Anyway, you will never receive your copy signed by the Ministry of Labour… why?

You will have problems with your Tax Office: Although Name removed assures to pay taxes, you will not be given any payslip to prove it. If you insist (I mean, for two or three months) they will prepare a paper specifying your gross salary and ‘a’ discount for taxes. Which taxes? Nobody knows because there is nothing written (pics.). Do not think that it will always be like that. You will receive one of those fake payslips once, so if you still want them you will have to start begging for the following two or three months again.

Mysterious documents: sometimes during the first months of the school year, you will be required to sign some documents in Russian. You will be said that ‘it is nothing important, just formalities’. You will be given neither any translation nor any time to read them. Why?

Surprise!: ‘You have to prepare a report about blah, blah, blah, for tomorrow’ ‘What? You didn't read the one I prepared two weeks ago!’ ‘Oh maybe I'll do it today (they always use the word 'maybe'). I know that I forgot to tell you about this new report last week. Anyway, I he reportneed it for tomorrow, bye!’

Total chaos: Remember, they have bought you. You do not have a life. If you plan your holidays during the official holidays that have been on the school calendar, you have many possibilities to be wrong. It would not be strange to receive an email telling you that x day ‘we have decided that you have to come to work’. That’s all. If your class changes classroom you will have to search them. If there is any special activity you will know it when after arriving to your lesson you see that you have only 20 per cent of the students (or maybe none).

Treasure hunting (or the last humiliation): End of the school year. If you decide to leave (as most foreign and some local teachers did), you will enjoy a lovely ‘treasure hunting’ activity (picture). You will have to start a pilgrimage from administrator to administrator for them to sign a document proving that you have not taken anything from them. As for 2014-15 we did not have to literally kiss their ***, however there are many possibilities that the measure will be implemented in the nearest future. Oh, by the way, if you fail in your ‘treasure hunting’ they will fail in paying you.