Regarding the Oct. 13 article "Aussie Nova teachers to be helped by consulates": It's interesting to hear of (English-conversation school) Nova's problems due to management. I taught in Japan from 1999 to 2004 for various companies and as an independent teacher. I applied twice to Nova (once in Japan and once in San Francisco) and found the staff members and hiring personnel stuffy, confrontational and overloaded with British-sounding (or Aussie) managers. I turned down the job offers both times and decided to go with other companies.
If Nova does fold, I am sure the blame cannot be laid solely with the Japanese managers/owners/leaders. Maybe it's time that Japanese schools/companies started hiring more English-speaking people of color and non-British-sounding English speakers, and become more diversified so that Japanese students/customers get their yen's worth. This is just my opinion and I'm sure I'll get blasted for it, but as they say in America, "The nut does not fall too far from the tree."
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