THIS IS A WARNING TO ALL TEACHERS WHO ARE CONSIDERING WORKING FOR I CAN READ OR ICANREAD
WARNING....WARNING .....WARNING

I have just escaped from the scam that is I Can Read. This company markets itself as phonics program.

However it lures unsuspecting teachers to overseas Asian counties and promises everything. But they LIE. They will say and do anything to get you. What they wont tell you is:

The standard contract is a 44 hour week over six days (including split shifts and being on call for all of the six days).
You are expected to work ALL Saturday and ALL Sunday.
The holidays are set at only THREE weeks per year (to be taken only during the Centre holidays).
They also market the job as "No preparation and No Marking" outside of class hours.
THEY LIE !!!!! (There are hours and hours of endless marking the awful AWES program. It will consume ALL of your day off because there is continual and relentless pressure on you to mark the AWES subject material).
The minimum term of the contract is 2 years and they are now trying to sign people up for up to FIVE years.

In addition, you are expected to undertake "training" during your days off, with the most appalling trainer. (More about her later ! )

For this you are paid Sing $3500 per month (US $2500, Aus $2700, UK 1300pounds). They will continually find reasons to extend your probation so that firstly, they don't have to pay you the $500 housing allowance and secondly to threaten you with dismissal (after you have been coerced into signing a two year property rental lease).

They will say that the salary is excellent because accomodation costs are low (they lie !!!...they say that rental will be a maximum of Sing $1000 per month....the reality is that for acceptable Western accomodation you will pay a minimum of $2500 per month for a very basic, tiny two bedroom Governmenment-housing flat, some with NO hot water). After paying your rent and taxes, you will have approximately Sing $800 per month to live on. And because Singapore imports everything, including it drinking water, EVERYTHING is expensive to eat)
And forget having a car....the cost of buying a car is around 4 times what it costs in the US and about 3 times what it costs in UK and Australia. The cost of running a car is enormous (petrol at $2 per liter)

The favorite devious trick is to sign you up on a two year contract with ALL the extra benefits of the return airfare and the 13th month bonus paid at the END of the contract. They are also extending these conditions into the five year contracts. They have a great incentive to dismiss you just before your contract expires to allow them to renege on paying all these "back-ended" payments.

They have now placed a clause in all new contracts that states that for a period of TWO YEARS AFTER you resign from I Can Read, you MUST obtain written approval from the Franchisor if you want to teach in a similar field of employment. If you do NOT have his express and written approval, you can be sued for Breach of Contract.
(Helloooo,... I am a Teacher...what other field of employment can I do??)


THE FRANCHISORS
The Franchise is oppressive. The franchisors regularly visit the franchisees with the express intention of "fining" them tens of thousands of dollars for the most minor of issues. One branch was fined almost $1000 because the date on the white board had not been cleaned off (this was three hours before the next days classes were expected to start). This is an exercise in ripping off the franchisees who, in turn, then charge the teachers.
One branch was "fined" in excess of $10,000 the day before the sale of the business was to be settled. ( Obviously, the Franchisors wanted some extra money to "enable the transfer to proceed smoothly")
Another branch was fined $10,000 for a minor issue of a teacher using an additional book in the preparation of homework.

It has also been strongly rumoured that the Franchisor (Tony Earnshaw) was recorded on security cameras vandalising and damaging the shop of a new competitor in March this year

THE FRANCHISEES
The Centre where I worked regularly withheld the staff salaries past the date at which we were to be paid. When one staff member enquired about her non payment 8 days after it was due in her account, she was told that the cheque was in the mail BUT WOULD PROBABLY BOUNCE ANYWAY. The most appalling thing about this owner is that he was laughing when he told her !!!!! (What a great joke !!!!).


THE TRAINER
The trainer, a Laural Power, is the most appalling individual in the organisation. She always opens her training sessions with the statement that she "hires and fires" everyone (which is untrue) and that she is the most powerful person in the organisation.
She then follows up with the statement that she is the greatest teacher in the country and that if you don't do everything exactly as she says, she will sack you immediately. ( The irony is that, during one of her demonstrations of teaching in a real class, she told a 5 year old child that the cracks in the wall were caused by her throwing another child hard against the wall and that if he didn't sit up straight, she would do the same to him. The child started screaming and crying and the group of new teachers who witnessed this and heard it were just absolutely stunned !!!....Perhaps, she was suggesting that this was the new approved method of discipline)

Without a doubt, this stupid woman is the most disgraceful and obnoxious person I have ever met. She is single handedly, responsible for the huge turnover of staff. Her arrogance and threatening manner is the most unattractive personality trait I have ever witnessed in a supposed "trainer"

Amongst her most incredible statements are that

1. She is the best teacher in I Can Read (This woman has been sacked from almost every branch of I Can Read in Singapore and NO franchisee will employ her...She is now trying to build a training empire within I Can Read so that she can earn enough money to survive. And that means more useless and irrelevant "training" for teachers on their days off).

She has been dismissed from Morris Allen ( another enrichment center) under a cloud of "misappropriation of funds". She has been dismissed from Lorna Whiston (another enrichment center) under a cloud of "verbal and physical abuse of children". She has also been dismissed from a number of smaller centres in Singapore. She has FAILED at EVERY attempt to open her own tutoring and enrichment businesses

She has even been banned from entering I Can Read franchises UNLESS she has a second person from I Can Read with her at all times.

2. She is the most successful recruiter of students in the organisation (her sign up rate is less than 50% whereas most teachers easily achieve a success rate of 90% and more). but possibly the most outrageous statement was that:

3. She could walk into any bar in Singapore and have ANY man she wants. (This woman is a grossly fat, ugly, fake blonde with dark roots and nearly 60 yrears old....she is a disgrace ! Even worse is her embarrassing attempts to seduce young Indian waiters at her favorite Indian restaurant by sitting with her fat legs askance)

THE END
I am just sooo glad I got out. I have foregone my bonus and my airfare and I am now $8000 worse off than when I left to work for I Can Read less than one year ago.

If you have any experience with this company, feel free to use this blog as a warning to other unsuspecting teachers

Also, see below

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=57133



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Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy InternationalTony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy InternationalTony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy InternationalTony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy InternationalTony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy InternationalTony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International Tony Earnshaw Annabel Seargeant Total Literacy International Pty Ltd I Can Read (Australia) Pty Ltd Total Literacy (Singapore) Pte Ltd icanreadsystem Allston Parkinson icanreadsystem "i can Read" singapore PT Bina Literasi Indonesia Mr Handoko Total Literacy International