Teaching ESL Yangon (Horizon Int.)

im also looking for information regarding the school as ive been in touch with the school and would just like some info on what it was like for teachers there?

Welcome on board Andrew & abudhabiliz,

I hope other members will bring their inputs soon!

Regards!

Hi,
I worked there last year 2009-2010.  For me, it was fine with an odd twist. I enjoyed teaching in a real school environment rather than than an ESL experience.  I'm not sure what subject you're interested in teaching.  The school now has 2 campuses and I believe was recently certified as an IB school - I think.
For me, I pretty much was left on my own.  I suppose they trusted me enough as a competent teacher. No over-the shoulder watching me teach, appraisals, feedback. I guess that's good and bad in certain ways. At first, I didn't have my own laptop, so I didn't have any additional teaching materials. You WILL need your own teaching materials to make your class better.  The internet was pretty reliable with a proxy server. I used Ultrasurf.
The pay was ok, but I think the other schools in Yangon pay more. We stayed in a very nice hotel, but I think they no longer let teachers stay there.  I don't know where teachers stay now.
The students can be a bit spoiled. I had some problems with (only) a few of them. I guess that comes from going to a private school with rich parents. Most students are ok and quite bright given the country and circumstances.
The odd part - It is a Turkish-run school, which is quite strange. Most of the teachers are from Turkey or central Asia area. I expected to be working with mostly Burmese people. The teachers tend towards Muslim influences (obviously), but it's not overtly forced on the students too much - but the trend is there. Myanmar is a 90%+ Buddhist country so you can understand the oddity. There are a mix of students there - Buddhist, Muslim and some Christian.
By the way, the Burmese people are quite nice and welcoming if you approach them.  I took some great trips and was always taken care of, and no scams or trying to cheat you.  Very good people and an incredibly interesting country - cultures, food, geography.
I hope this helps, let me know if you need more information.

Welcome to the forum Andrewjmarino

Thanks you for these inputs and experience !

Regards

Thanks Andrew!
Thats really great info, a tad strange and i wasnt aware previously that it is turkish run?? Is there any possibility of meeting other Westerners or foreigners on a social level as i am going alone and i would quite like to make some new friends. Also can you give me any information on the cost of living in Yangon, ive been offered 1100 US dollars plus acc and breakfast and lunch, will i struggle on this?

So in your honest opinion do you recommend going? If not, do you know of any other schools in South-East Asia that are hiring at the moment as im living in Abu Dhabi(U.A.E) presently but need a change and love asia.

Thanks a lot and speak soon hopefully...

Elizabeth.

Hi,

When I was at the school there were 3 other 'westerners.' I'm not sure how many now.  I didn't go out with the Turks because most of them were married and didn't socialize the same as a westerner would if you know what I mean (i.e. drink, eat street food etc).  But, they were pleasant enough to work with. There are enough foreigners in Yangon with NGOs, other schools that you can probably meet at social events in the city.
Honestly, I went there to spend my time with Burmese people, anyway, and see the country. Fortunately, I met a few Burmese whom I still stay in touch with.
I was paid $1000/month with very nice accommodations and lunch (ok, not great) at the school. We had service apartments where you could do some minor cooking (microwave, hot plates, fridge).  I'm sure they changed the hotel for teachers because it was too nice (it had a swimming pool, sauna, exercise room) and too expensive for the school. I saved about $600-$700/month and traveled on every break we had.
The students are challenging and much more educated and aware than I anticipated.  Don't expect a passive group.
The teaching for me was fine and I only had few problems with some students and no problems with the administration.
I think it's an awesome country and I loved traveling and meeting the people.  Very nice and honest people. If you're open-minded to traveling around then you will love the country, especially Sittwe, Mrauk O, Ngwe Saw beach and Hsipaw.
I'm back in Cambodia now where I've lived for 3 years in total. If you want a more relaxed, laid back, passive atmosphere you'd probably find it here. I'm not sure about schools here. I'm working/teaching for an NGO in very rural Cambodia.
Feel free to stay in contact and let me know your plans.

I worked for Horizon for two years back in 2006.  The school is great.  Not the best pay in the city, but the environment is friendly and the Turkish teachers really make an effort to make the school community feel like family.  Teachers are left to their own devices, which is great if you are a competent teacher.  I have heard other opinions, but I loved working for Horizon.  I even enjoyed the Turkish/Burmese lunches.

Yangon is an amazing city to live in.  It is one of the few places left in the world that has been largely overlooked by globalization.  Power and water are not stable, but if you can deal with the discomforts, the people and culture will reward your effort.  Sadly, the only awful people in the country are the ones in charge.

When I lived there, a thriving expat social scene provided whatever level of expat interaction you had the tolerance for.

Hope this helps.

Hey thanks for your message! Im actually took the job and am loving it, the city is amazing, the schools great and im really enjoying it.

I recently found I job listing for an Art teacher in Yangon, Burma.  I have an art degree and am ESL certified.  I am really interested in applying for it but I am having a hard time finding information about the city.  The posts above are helpful, but a little old.  I wanted to know if anyone has recent information to offer. Some questions I have:

1.  It pays 50,000baht a month, with an accommodation allowance and airfare.  Is this enough to live comfortably on, possibly even save a little?

2.  I am a single, white, female...Is this a place I would feel safe? 

3.  What is the ex-pat network like there? 

4.  How much of the language is essential to know in order to survive?  I wouldn't have anytime to take classes and I don't feel like Burmese is something I can just pick up.

Any other advice, help, info would be awesome!  THANKS!

Hi.
from an amount of your salary, you can live comfortably at Ygn. But whether you can save or not, it totally depends on your spend. If you like doing extra curriculum like playing golf and drinking lots, it might be difficult to save.
it is safe to go around in the city alone,but night time is not recommended.
actually burmese language is really easy to learn, but if you can find your own society with some burmese people (like your students)there, it would be, of course, easier for you living there since there will not be any language barrier when you are out. though you are out by yourself and got lost, there also a lot of people willing to help you out with the hand sign and drawing map. So, do not forget to take the pen and book with you when you are out. it could help you lots.
I answered everything I know. hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply! It was really helpful!

Hi
I've been teaching in Yangon for past 5 months and it's been an interesting experience. Some negatives, but  on the whole mostly positive. Agree with mikyway re: salary vs. living cost, depends on accommodation allowance offered and what/where you want to live. Budget=$300 pm, upwards of $900 for luxury. Yangon is not cheap, like other S.E. countries. As a woman, night-times have been hassle for me, but daytime is totally safe. Dressing appropriately is essential and respectful. It took a little while to make friends, haven't found much of a ex-pat network as such, although there are regular nights at some bars where ex-pats hang out. There are many locals who will share their Burmese with you and it's relatively easy to pick up. The level of English,ranges from good to basic. The people are wonderful, very friendly and always willing to help. Yangon is an easy city to get around, the buses are a thrill! It's a great place, all the western comforts are arriving. Major changes have occurred since I've been here. I teach adults and they are fantastic, it's been a very rewarding experience for me personally. I wish you the same if you decide to take the job. Good luck!

That's surprising that you say Myanmar isn't cheap.  My wife and I were working for Horizon a few years back for a summer program(in 2006, I believe, at the Mandalay branch) and we were barely able to put a dent in our $300 per month salary.  We had free accommodation at the Mandalay-Swan hotel (great buffets, I remember) so I can't speak to that price, but at the time food and transportation cost almost nothing, far less than in Thailand.  Then again, I see that Horizon is paying much, much more now (over 4 times as much) so that could be a sign that costs have gone up lately. Horizon is a great school, and I would recommend them to anybody. I'm thinking of taking a job in Mandalay at ILBC in a few months, so I would love it if anybody has insight into that school.

ESL in Myanmar is getting a bad rap from some of trashy unqualified 'backpacker' type 'teachers' than turn up. I worked for awhile at Horizon and it was a horrible experience. It is a Turkish school affiliated to the Gulen movement and there are a few 'odd' Westerners. There was a nasty old man only interested in little girls at one campus - teaching English without any qualifications - and the management turned a blind eye to his peverted habit of touching up young Burmese teachers and kids.In fact, they promoted him. There were also a couple of obnoxious, chain smoking British women who turned up half tanked at work (and still do I hear). Management sadly takes no interest in teaching standards or qualifications or even checks references. It is all about making money. The kids generally tended to be spoilt and rude brats who had no consequences for refusing to do homework or assignments and nobody 'fails.'Salary is too low for Myanmar. Expect to pay rent of around $800-1,000 for anything of a reasonable standard that is furnished. Qualified teachers who want a Myanmar experience should try MISY or ISY.ESL teachers should avoid NELC but check out Nexus or Alba.
Myanmar is a great country with lovely locals that has a long way to go.

After looking more into the current situation in Myanmar I feel I should clarify my last post.  First, I said that it was surprising that people thought Myanmar was more expensive then Thailand, but now I've noticed how the exchange rate has been changing.  When I was there 6-7 years ago I could get roughly 1400 kyat for a dollar.  Now it seems to be closer to 700.  If you look at that plus general inflation I'm sure it must be getting much more expensive than it was before.

I  also wanted to comment on the latest post that was made regarding Horizon school.  Admittedly, I only have experience with the Mandalay branch, and not the three in Yangon, but I feel that part of the difference of opinion is probably related to expectations.  ISY (International School of Yangon) as mentioned by Over_here999 is definitely a better school.  However, to be hired with them you need a lot of experience working either within the western school system or with a Tier I international school, and, either way, your experience has to fit with the exact subject matter and age group in which they happen to have an opening.  Since they have a much lower turn over rate than some of the lower tier schools, this makes getting a job with them very difficult.

When I say that Horizon is a good, professional school, what I really mean that it is better than other international schools that I have experienced that, rather than catering to expats like ISY, cater mostly to the local population.  Compared to the schools I have worked for in Thailand, for example, the program at Horizon seems much more professional.  They do hire an itinerant crowd, which is why they have so many openings, and they do tend to (out of necessity) take teachers who don't have the absolute best credentials.  The way they try to be selective about their teachers is by offering a summer program (which is basically an ESL program, so open to teachers who are not necessarily licensed in their own countries) and then offering long-term contracts to the teachers that they liked.  I worked for this summer program and they did seem to be fairly selective about who they offered a permanent job to. 

Regarding this issue of children being 'spoilt and rude brats' I don't agree with that at all. They are, admittedly, children, and children don't always act in the way one would like.  However, my experience with them was no worse than children I've experienced in countries like South Korea and Singapore, and they were definitely much better behaved than the children I experienced in schools in Thailand.  Then again, people often have different expectations of what good behavior is.  Also, the Mandalay branch has much more Chinese students than the Yangon branches, so there might also be some cultural differences.

Regarding the company 'taking no interest in teaching standards,' I do have to admit that it was very easy to obtain the summer job with them, probably because they didn't have enough applicants to be selective, because they have so many school branches and so many summer openings. They conducted a phone interview and asked for photocopies of diplomas, but I don't remember them asking for reference letters or anything like that.  However, once I arrived, it seems to me that they did take an interest in it.  Every day, the staff ate lunch with the director, and the director would discuss any issues that the teachers were having.  Every week, we had more formal meetings about issues that arose. 

Regarding accommodation, it used to be their policy to provide it to their teachers.  This is because its complicated for foreigners to rent an apartment in Myanmar without paying for several months up front.  If this is no longer their policy, then maybe it would be useful to discuss options with them. 

I guess what I'm saying is that, if you have the appropriate credentials and want to make a career out of teaching in Myanmar, there is always ISY.  However, if you want a good job while experiencing Myanmar for a year or two, there is nothing about Horizon (at least, based on my experience) that I believe you should be concerned about.

Gee, 'don't know' you really are out of touch re: Horizon. I guess you would not consider a turnover of TWELVE Foreign teachers within four months to be a 'problem.' Several left without notice and some were fired for questioning administration and teaching practices. Several of us were actually qualified in the British and American system - not backpackers with a two week TEFL certificate. Western teachers were replaced with Indians, Filipinos and backpacker types who are cheaper.

While YOU may consider it great to be left to your own resources, putting incompetent and unqualified people looking for a 'Burma experience' into regular classroom without any supervision, monitoring or proper curriculum is a recipe for disaster and unfair on students who are paying a lot of money for qualified teachers. As you pointed out, your references were not checked. Reputable international schools do CRC checks as well as reference and credential verification. Horizon does not do any of this and it is incredible it was certified as an IB School. The nasty old American man mentioned, did not even have a college degree let alone any teaching certification. The salary is one of the lowest in Myanmar for a so-called international school. As you have not any experience of working at the Yangon campuses, how can you possibly comment on student behavior? It was an extremely serious problem and I hear that it still is!
From your posting, I gather that you do not have much experience in professional international schools to compare Horizon to, but for those of us who do, it is an appalling travesty of a school and one to be avoided by serious teachers.

I’m not sure how out of touch I am with Horizon.  I stated upfront that someone with appropriate teaching credentials and work experience, and who plans plan to make a career out of teaching in Myanmar, might want to look into some of the more respected international schools. I want to make the point, though, that schools like Horizon or ILBC serve an important purpose for both their teachers and their students.  Although they are International schools, in that they follow the Cambridge curriculum, the student body is almost exclusively Myanmar nationals, and they tend to charge a tuition rate of a few hundred dollars a month. Although this tuition rate is still too high for most locals, it is a tiny fraction of what is charged by the higher tier international schools (Like ISY or MIS) and, as a result, they are going to be more concerned with keeping their costs to a minimum. The fact that they can’t hire the most qualified instructors – and can’t pay their instructors as much as other schools – doesn’t mean that they are taking advantage of ‘students who pay a lot of money for qualified instructors.’  These schools are the only option for many middle class households who are looking to provide their children with opportunities in life.  Although you might personally find it horrible that Horizon might hire ‘Indians and Filipinos and backpackers’ to cut their costs, I would suggest that your issue with this might be based on unfair expectations. Personally, I have met a lot of good Indian and Filipino teachers.  My wife, for example, is a Filipina who taught high school literature classes in Las Vegas for several years, and she was good at what she did. Regarding backpackers, you should realize that there are a lot of teachers who teach abroad not as a career choice, but for the experience, and who nonetheless are able to act professionally and fulfill their teaching obligations.  Although backpackers, Indians, and Filipinos might not be hired by top tier international school, there is no reason to be so contemptuous of them, and I think that it’s great that there are schools out there that provide them the opportunity they are looking for.

Regarding your comment about my lack of experience with the ‘Yangon’ campus, there is more than one ‘Yangon’ campus, and since this thread wasn’t focused on one campus specifically, I figured that my experience with the company in general might be useful. I was careful to state clearly what aspects of the school I did and didn’t have experience with, and so it’s really up to the reader to decide whether he/she finds that it helps with his/her specific concerns.
 
Regarding your comment about my ‘obvious’ lack of experience teaching in international schools, it is true that I didn’t have any experience when I worked for Horizon several years ago, but I do have experience now and I view Horizon as having been an important stepping stone in my career.  What you perceive as a lack of experience is, in actuality, a realization that people choose to teach abroad for many different reasons and with many different backgrounds. One thing my experience has taught me is that teachers who are contemptuous to their colleagues or who view their students as ‘spoilt brats’ are poisonous to the atmosphere of a school, and, regardless of their qualifications, they should either quit or be let go. I don't believe that Horizon would have fired its employees simply for 'questioning' their curriculum, so long as it was done professionally, and I'm sure there was more too it than that. You obviously believe yourself to have had a bad experience with Horizon, and it is probably best for all involved that you have left.  You may have had a legitimately bad experience at Horizon – and some of the details you provided do attest to a pretty bad environment – but I think that some of your concerns about the managerial practices are based on a world view that might serve you in some contexts but that won’t serve you well in schools like Horizon. I think there are a lot of teachers who would love the challenge of working with the tools available to them to improve the quality of education in a country such as Myanmar.  Although you have made some pretty damning criticisms of the company – ones that would turn off most teachers – they do not fit with my experience, and I am always a little skeptical of reviews that carpet bomb their whole experience; reviews that have only the worst to say about everything – including the management, the teachers, and the students.

Hi All,

I worked summer school in Yangon at the new campus.
Pros: no management to bother teachers, compliant kids and parents, no supervision or demands, plenty of partying and lots of cheap, cheap booze - young crowd.
Cons: Crap money, campus a long drive out of the city centre, long day, crap curriculum and no direction.

Had my two months Burma experience and got out and about to see the place. Wouldn't fancy working at this school full time from what I saw and experienced. A few random Turks around but no proper management so teachers did pretty much as we liked.. Ok for a few weeks.
Strange place and didn't feel like a 'real' school. If you want a cushy job, they are not too fussy about experience, nationality or qualifications.
LOL

Hey Everyone,

I taught kindergarten summer school at Horizon in 2012. I remember searching the web before I accepted the job and found little info out there from former teachers, so hopefully this can help someone.

The Good: Great facilities and teaching materials, phenomenal assistant teachers, and sweet little kids. Some curriculum provided, and the rest is planned in group settings with other teachers. Decent accommodations, fun foreign coworkers, and paid on time as promised each month.

The Not-So-Good: Weird vibe with the Turkish management, and obvious discord between Burmese teachers and the administration. Random duties "dropped" on us that weren't outlined in the contract--Saturday programs, home visits, lots of "parent day" programs at school to plan and prepare for. Also, it was obvious the school wanted to use us as a marketing tool--two teachers even found themselves on billboards in the city, and the school never asked their permission to do that.

Overall, I'm happy I took the position, and it was generally a fine job with a few quirks. I chose not to stay on for the year, though, largely because I felt the administration is unfair to their local teachers and looks down on Burmese teachers and families, and I wasn't comfortable with that. I recommend this job to help you get your "foot in the door" in Myanmar and scout out positions at other schools.

Hi,

I am looking into the Horizon school. It is the 8 week summer course and then possible hiring on for the whole year. So many factors to take into consideration, like a 4 week photgraphy course I signed up for on Semester at Sea that I wouldnt be able to do the whole thing.

With that being said, is this something I should think about. The school for the summer and then continuing on in the fall. I am currently working in Kurdistan, Iraq and the money is very good. What is the pay like there and how much do you save a month. I know that once I get back there I am going to want to explore and travel around Myanmar as well as the rest of SE Asia.

My boyfriend is currently in Grad school but when he is done would it be possible to have him join me, in the sense of housing. How does it work, single housing, shared, etc.

Can you tell me some things you love and dont like about the school. Is the curriculum set for you or do you have to do everything yourself.

Sorry so many questions,
Lils

Hi,

I was there in 2010. I got paid $1000/month plus a very nice hotel room. They have changed where they house teachers. I'm sure it would still be a private room. I have no idea what they pay for summer sessions. You design your own lessons from the course books. It's more like teaching literature than ESL. It's a Turkish-run school that borders on conservative principles, so they might not like the idea of you living with your boyfriend. That's just my educated guess. And, (unless visa rules have changed), you need to renew every three months in Thailand. They obviously won't pay for your boyfriend's flights and visas. My hunch is that it may not be the best idea from what you've written. Other than that, the school was fine and I got along with everyone. And, Myanmar is an awesome country to travel around. Hope this helps, good luck.

Andrew

Kurdistan sounds cool

Hello,

I have been settling in Thailand for almost a year now and I am eager to look for a job in its neighboring country which has recently freed itself from military rule. The former capital city of Myanmar, Rangoon, has several International schools, right? When I inquired about them, I received information of applying for work as a science/biology teacher either at YIS, ISY or HIS. Since Horizon and ISY are qualified for IB, I would like to look for work at these respective schools. May I know whether HIS is a better working location than ISY? I mean, which school gives better salary as well as facilities for foreign teachers? What are the requirements?

Hi

I can't tell which school is better. I worked at Horizon in 2010. The pay was $1,000/month. We stayed in a very nice hotel - I think they have changed where they house teachers now. The school was fine and the admin will not bother you if you are a responsible teacher. Good luck.

Andrew

I am going to leave for Yangon tomorrow evening for a visit to check out the working conditions and the environment at either ISY or HIS. Perhaps, I will get to visit Mandalay as well.

Hello! I've been following this thread the past week, and really happy to see it's still being updated. I have an interview for HIS scheduled this Thursday and this is the only active source I could find on what it's actually like... please do report back on what you find!
Also, any interview tips (or culture tips, or how to prepare clothing-wise) for the HIS summer program from the forum here are sincerely appreciated. It will be my first actual teaching experience, so despite the strong opinions I've read it seems like a good place to get started.

Hello. I am already in Yangon and visited a few schools today, including the Posein Horizon International School Campus. The principal there was a very polite Turkish gentleman and he even wore casual clothes. So, I believe clothes doesn't really matter for the interview. It's just the way you act and speak. And,don't worry about it because the interview is more of a friendly conversation than an interrogation. In addition, the staff are very warm and polite, not to mention that the kids are already very fluent in English too. On Saturday morning, I am going to take a look at the new Shu Khinn Thar Campus for observation. Best of luck to any fellow interviewees!

Thanks, Benjamin. That really helps. And thanks for the luc!
Did he give you an option on what campus you could work in this summer?
Also, keep in touch if you decide to join in HIS - in luck, we may be future coworkers!

Hey Nikko, don't know if you've had your interview or not yet. I had mine yesterday, and I already found out that I've been accepted! It took 25 hours to be exact, from the time they interviewed me until I got a response.  However, they just told me that I would be working in Yangon, so I didn't really get to choose which campus to go to. But, that was fine with me anyway, as I was ambiguous about where to go anyway. Anyway, good luck to you!

Hi MMaloney. Congratulations!! Are you accepting the offer?

My interview is later today. Thank you so much for the extra information, I was wondering how long they would take to respond with a job offer.

Welcome, Nikko. I wonder how your interview went. I wish you got accepted. And, congratulations, MMaloney. As for me, I went for an interview at ISM where my previous colleague from Taiwan works and I was accepted to work as a Science teacher for $1200/month. I wish you two the best of luck working at Horizon!

I got offered a job at Horizon this summer... I was so excited and really wanted to work there in the summer and continue on full time in the fall. Unable to go though, hope someone on the forum can take my place. Good luck to you all and keep me posted on how good/great/average the school is.

Hello Amanda. I am really sorry for your not being able to teach for Summer school in Horizon. I hope you can at least come visit the school once.

Is there someone I could PM that has worked at horizon recently?  I am wondering about the accommodations? I am also curious about how the administration treats the teachers.

Hey everyone,
I've been hired by Horizon!

MMaloney, we may very well be working together! Feel free to message me, it'll be nice to have a familiar face that first day in a new continent.

Benjamin: Congratulations again on your new job with your coworker. If we're all in the same city this summer, perhaps we can meet up and share notes on the best places in Yangon.

Amanda: I'm sorry to hear that! I don't know your current situation, but if you're still interested in Horizon and have questions, feel free to message me throughout the summer and I'm happy to help answer however I can. There's always the option of applying for the full year later on. Perhaps you might have some teaching tips I could use in return, as this will be my first teaching experience.

I love how supportive and positive everyone is on this forum. I feel this is a very good sign on how excellent the expat teaching community will be... I'm happy to say that I'll soon become a part of the family!

Congratulations Nikko,

I will be around to help you for anything you would like to inquire about Myanmar. As for Horizon, my acquaintance knows some of the long-term teachers pretty well. Horizon Summer School program is still known as the best in the city though there are some negative information on the all-year-around school curriculum. I wish you best of luck to all Summer teachers!

How is everyone doing at Horizon? Would like to visit you people one day.

Raising awareness to all summer school teachers: Horizon is presently suffering from budget deficits and has raised the school fees for all students by 40% which caused a riot at the Posein Campus the other day. Teachers, please gather enough information before deciding to teach at the school.

Hey Benjamin, thanks for that update. We're scheduled to come into Myanmar on the 8th (this Friday). Do you know anything more about this budget cut/ tuition hike business? I'm a little nervous that a situation might unfold where we go teach and don't get paid because they don't have the money to pay us. I tried gathering some information online, but I couldn't find any mention of it. How did you find out about this?

Well, I have my colleagues' children attending at Posein Horizon school. They manage to get information about school running out of budget and there has been a parent-teacher meeting concerning school fees. Horizon is reluctant to reduce the rise in school fees but without any known improvement. I will update on this after talking to my friends.