ISR received a thought-provoking email this morning. After much conversation on the topic we moved to share the email with Members for Comment:
Hello ISR, I am checking out a school in Kuwait and I see that the last posting year was 2011. Am I missing something or is this really the last entry you have about this school, the Universal American School? Many of the reports were very bad and the fact that there are none after 2011 caused me to wonder if there were some errors on the dates of the reports or if there are some reviews missing. Perhaps the school has improved and now no one is disgruntled enough to post anything? A bit strange though….
(name withheld)
In response, ISR wrote:
Hi —-, You may be right that the school has improved and no one is disgruntled enough at this time to post anything. I do see that the school still has the same owner and maybe she has changed/improved her management style.
However, consider these other scenarios that may cause Reviews to stop appearing, as related to us by Reviews from international teachers:
1) A gag order: A clause in the “revised” contract says teachers will not post any information about the school to any web site. The consequence, if discovered, may be immediate dismissal. Teachers have reported that their school threatened legal action as a consequence for posting to a web site.
2) A “witch-hunt”: Teachers have related incidents of being called into the office, one-by-one, to be interrogated by a school attorney when an unfavorable post appeared. One Director went so far as to lie to staff that he “has a friend at ISR who will tell him who posted the objectionable Review…so confess and make life easy”.
3) A date cover-up: It could also be that the poster is currently at the school they are reviewing and trying to protect their identity even further by using earlier “dates covered” by their Review. This would lead admin to believe they have already left the school.
What is happening at the Universal American School in Kuwait is unknown. It does seem odd that the posts stop at 2011 when there are thirty-nine posts, many of which are negative. Investigation reveals several other schools which fall into the same pattern.
I suggest you post your questions about this school to our Forum and see what teachers have to say, or, if anyone can and will respond.
Hope this information is of some help to you.
Best,
Paul @ ISR
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