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Aussie teachers lose jobs in Japanese school shutdown
Japan’s troubled language school Nova says it will apply to the courts for bankruptcy protection, after it announced that a boardroom coup had ousted its elusive president. Nova is one of Japan’s largest language schools, employing more than 4,000 foreign teachers, many of them Australians. Nova will seek court protection from its creditors over more…
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Nova files for bankruptcy with debt of ¥43.9 billion
Missing president dismissed in absentia Nova Corp., Japan’s largest language school chain, filed for bankruptcy Friday with estimated debts of about ?43.9 billion as it failed to recover from a crippling penalty for false advertising. Osaka-based Nova said it applied for protection from creditors under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law with the Osaka District Court, and…
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Nova language school chain goes under
[Nova] had been reeling from an administrative punishment issued in June over illegal practices, including deceiving would-be students with misleading advertisements. One focus of attention will be whether Nova’s estimated 300,000 students will be able to receive refunds for the lesson fees they paid in advance. The prepaid fees account for about 20 billion yen…
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NOVA scrabbles for court protection with 43.9 billion yen of debt
NOVA Corp., Japan’s largest English conversation school chain, took a further dive Friday morning, after filing for court protection from creditors under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law. The Osaka District Court is expected to appoint a receiver to try and rehabilitate the scandal-tainted firm, which currently has liabilities totaling 43.9 billion yen. Prior to the filing,…
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Nova management in further turmoil
Management turmoil at Osaka-based English-conversation school company Nova Corp. has led to the sudden closure of schools, complaints about tuition refund delays and other problems. Of its about 900 schools nationwide, around 50 had closed as of the end of September. This month, at least another 50 schools will be unable to offer lessons due…
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Labor body hopes to grill Nova chief on pay missteps
An Osaka labor standards watchdog wants to question the president of scandal-hit English-language school chain Nova Corp. over delayed wage payments, but meanwhile four executives of the firm have resigned because they can’t get ahold of their boss, Nova said Wednesday. The Osaka Central Labor Standards Supervision Office has quizzed foreign teachers and other Nova…
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Four NOVA executives quit, including founding board member
Four high-ranking employees of scandal-plagued NOVA Co. resigned Thursday, including an executive who had been with the English conversation school chain since its inception, company officials said. Anders Lundqvist, who had been involved with NOVA since its foundation walked out on the beleaguered business Thursday, together with three auditors. Reasons for the resignations were not…
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Cash-strapped NOVA fails to honor contracts to public schools after teacher exodus
OSAKA — Scandal-hit major English school operator NOVA failed to dispatch English teachers to local public schools after many teachers quit or took leave because they didn’t get paid, officials said. By Monday, NOVA had cancelled its planned dispatch of English teachers to five municipal elementary schools and five municipal junior high schools at least…
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Labor standards office questions Nova staff to prepare for charges
OSAKA — Osaka Labor Standards Office could as early as Tuesday hear from Nova Co. teachers and staff to decide whether to press charges against the English conversation school giant that continues to be beset by problems, office officials said. The office asked members of [Tokyo Nambu’s sister union] the General Union, which includes many…
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Three scenarios for Nova Corp. amid snowballing fiscal troubles
Nova used to pay teachers their salaries on the 15th of each month. As of last Friday, however, many teachers had not been paid. Some teachers say they are still owed for September, too. That led some teachers at Nova schools in Osaka and Tokyo to go on strike. Several of those schools decided to…