Nova (English school in Japan)
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| Nova | |
 |
|
| Type | Public (JASDAQ: 4655) |
|---|---|
| Founded | Osaka, Japan (1981) |
| Headquarters | Osaka, Japan |
| Key people | Nozomu Saruhashi 猿橋 望 CEO |
| Industry | Language instruction |
| Slogan | Ekimae Ryugaku (駅前留学) |
| Website | www.nova.ne.jp |
The Nova Group is the largest of the Big Four eikaiwa (or private English teaching companies) in Japan.
Contents |
[edit] Corporate Outline
Nova was founded in August 1981 and first publicly traded on November 1996. Company headquarters is in Osaka, and the Company is led by Nozomu Saruhashi 猿橋 望. In 2002, Nova had 50% of total market share by revenue (61.5 billion yen). In 2003, the Company had 66% market share by number of students, some 410,000 students in total. As of March, 2004, there were 618 Nova branches and the Multimedia Center located in Osaka, Japan.[1]
In addition to providing English language education, Nova provides Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian, and German language education, telecommunications, and travel agency services.[2]
[edit] Marketing
Because the Company has many branches near train stations it uses the term ekimae ryūgaku ("foreign studies near the train station": 駅前留学) in its promotional materials. It also promotes its fiber optic real time interactive multimedia network as ochanoma ryūgaku ("study abroad from the living room" お茶の間留学).
In addition to its prominent blue and white logo, which includes a flower, Nova uses a pink usagi (rabbit) for its mascot that appears not just on television and other advertisements, but also on candies, school supplies, keitai (mobile phone) and other products offered for sale; the latter has become one of the most recognizable symbols in a country dominated by kawaii (cute) culture. More recently, NOVA marketing has featured wooden stick-figure mascots "kikuchan" (listener) and "shaberu" (speaker) in its ad campaigns.
On February 22nd, 2007, Nova and Konami released a quiz game in Japanese arcades and are scheduled to release a Nintendo DS game at a later date.[3]
[edit] Courses
Students are assigned a language level according to the result of a short language-ability test. Levels range from 7C (little or no ability) through 7B, 7A, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 to 1 (native speaker). After a minimum of 10 lessons (five lessons from level 7C to 7B), and a recommendation from two instructors, students may take a test to move up a level. Students take lessons with other students of the same level or they can request lessons in the level above. Each lesson lasts 40 minutes and has up to four students (depending on classroom space constraints).
Nova also offers "Voice lessons" in some branches. The "Voice Room" is a conversation lounge much larger than the average classroom. Instructors in the Voice Room permit students from all levels to practice their language skills in an unstructured environment for as long as they like. Nova also has programs for children, business English, and test preparation (TOEFL, TOEIC). Business, TOEFL and TOEIC lessons are 80 minutes long. Weak Point lessons, sometimes called Short Courses, are offered exclusively through Multi-Media and comprise three levels (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) of 40 lessons each in four areas: grammar, comprehension, pronunciation and vocabulary.
A single lesson costs around ¥2,000 but may vary with location and the lesson package. Students who request "Man to Man" lessons pay 3-4 more because they reserve every space in the class.
Nova currently uses an in-house textbook called "Diplomat" which is designed to be more useful in everyday conversation situations. There are different Diplomat versions for all levels of students which include audio CDs and workbooks.[citation needed].
[edit] Instructors
The company employs around 5000 native English speakers in Japan.[4] Between 2500 and 2600 foreign teachers are newly employed every year.[5] Although instructors are not required to have traditional educational training, the company provides a salary bonus for teachers with an accredited TEFL certificate or a degree in education. Teachers can be admitted straight from university graduation with any degree that allows them to obtain a work visa.
Instructors receive a mandatory three day training at school with a titled instructor (a promotion level above instructor) that includes conducting two paid lessons. Training continues with follow-up seminars and regular observations throughout the instructor's career. Additional training is given for Eiken, TEFL, TESOL, or the NOVA Kids program. Monthly pay for full-time (34 hours/week) instructors is ¥220,000-¥290,000.
[edit] Controversies
[edit] Nova IPO
Nova conducted an initial public offering on November 12, 1996. The Nova Union filed a complaint that the Company was in violation of Japanese exchange laws by falsely stating that there were no unions at Nova, that the company had no pending litigation, and labour relations between the company and its employees were amicable and untroubled. A small number of union members staged several demonstrations in front of Nomura Securities and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.[6][7][8]
[edit] Drugs
In 1994, after two instructors were arrested on drug charges in August and September, Nova asked all 3,100 instructors to sign an agreement to have a mandatory drug test, the results of which would be reported to the police.[9][10] The Osaka Bar Association wrote an opinion that the policy was a violation of the teachers' right to privacy.[11] Nova claimed consent forms had been received from more than 90 percent of employees. According to the union, no instructors were ever required to take a drug test.[12]
On January 31st, 2007, seven Nova teachers were charged with possession of illegal drugs arising from the arrest of two men in Roppongi on November 19th, 2006.[13]
[edit] Anti-fraternization policy
After six employees had been fired for violating a clause in their contracts that forbid interactions between students and instructors outside of the classroom, a complaint was filed with the Osaka Bar Association by two employees, one of whom had been dismissed as a result of the policy. The company said the clause was there to prevent trouble arising from misunderstandings due to students' lack of language ability and the cultural differences between Japanese and foreigners and said that the school could not allow "kissing or improper conduct" in its schools. The company also denied that all instructors who broke the clause were fired and denied racial discrimination. The Osaka Bar Association's non-binding recommendation was that the company drop the clause saying that it restricted instructors' freedom of association and discriminated between foreign and Japanese staff.[14].
On December 11, 2005, an Australian who had been teaching in an Osaka Nova branch reached an out-of-court settlement of ¥400,000 and a letter of commendation after claiming that the policy had interfered with his life. The teacher had been demoted and transferred to another school branch in 2004 when the Company found out he had a relationship with a 21-year old student.[15]
[edit] Student charges
In 1997, NOVA agreed to a proposal by Tokyo Metropolital Governments Consumers' Damage Relief Committee to repay a total of 3.8 million yen to 18 students who had been unable to redeem their appointment (lesson) tickets. The 18 students claimed they were unable to make lesson appointments when they wanted despite the school's advertisements stating that its students could reserve classes "at any time." According to the students, they purchased hundreds of tickets when they joined the school, but found it impossible to use them all by the expiry date due to inflexible scheduling procedures. The school said the dispute had been the result of a misunderstanding.[16]
On February 16th 2007, the Japanese Ministry of Trade, Economy and Industry and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government conducted on-the-spot inspections at Nova Headquarters in Osaka and several other branches. Officials said that several Nova schools failed to give full refunds to students who canceled their remaining lessons after paying in advance. Other clients said that Nova refused to accept unconditional cancellation of lessons, claiming the eight-day "cooling-off" period had expired, and had also deceived students by giving false information about their cancellation procedures.[17][18][19]
[edit] Lindsay Ann Hawker murder
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This section documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. |
On March 27, 2007, the body of Lindsay Ann Hawker, a 22-year-old Nova teacher from from Brandon near Coventry, was found in a sand-filled bathtub on the balcony of an apartment in Ichikawa, Chiba. Police said the suspect, 28-year-old Tatsuya Ichihachi, used to be a student at the school where the victim taught. Alerted to the disappearance of the teacher by her flatmate, police went to the apartment, but the suspect ran away and remains at large.[20]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Nova Market Share. nova.ne.jp (2002-2003). Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
- ^ Nova Corporate profile. nova.ne.jp (2002-2003). Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
- ^ Konami Nova Game. Konami (May 13, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-02-07.
- ^ English schools face huge insurance probe. The Japan Times (April 12, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
- ^ Notice from Nova regarding news reports. Nova Web Site (January 31, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
- ^ Media Critical of NOVA in Wake of Public Stock Offering
- ^ "Union, management speak two tongues" The Japan Times (Jan 31, 1997)
- ^ "Nova is accused of lying in stock-listing prospectus" The Japan Times, Dec 19, 1996
- ^ "Nova teachers seeking legal help" The Japan Times Oct 1, 1994 Reprinted with permission by Nova Union. Retrieved February 11, 2007
- ^ "Nova teachers pan drug test: staffers urge school to end 'illegal labor practices'" The Japan Times 1994 Reprinted with permission by Nova Union. Retrieved February 11, 2007
- ^ Letter of Recommendation Osaka Bar Association. Retrieved March 20, 2007
- ^ "Our Accomplishments" Nova Union of Teachers. Retrieved February 11, 2007
- ^ 7 Nova teachers arrested for possessing cannabis, cocaine. Mainichi Shimbun (January 31, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
- ^ No sex please, you're teachers: Nova teachers unhappy with rules, reports The Japan Times (June 1, 2004). retrieved 2007-03-22
- ^ Hard lessons in broken English Deborah Cameron (March 15, 2006) Sydney Morning Herald
- ^ "Nova to refund 3.8 million yen for students' unused lessons" The Japan Times June 13, 1997. Reprinted with permission by Nova Union. Retrieved February 11, 2007
- ^ "Nova raided after complaints over missing tuition fees" Mainichi Daily News February 16, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007
- ^ "Nova probed over refunds, deception" The Japan Times February 17, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007
- ^ "Nova searched in contract row" The Asahi Shimbun February 17, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007
- ^ Briton's body found in Japan bathBBC News March 27, 2007. retreived March 27, 2007
