Category: Eikaiwa

LOOKING TO DISPEL MARKET CONCERNS  Nova Corp. is considering issuing new shares to strengthen its capital and dispel market concerns that its business could worsen in the wake of the government’s order to suspend part of its operations, President Nozomu Sahashi said. Although the details have yet to be worked out, the embattled English-language school…

Over the last few years, Nova opened new classrooms at a phenomenal pace, but reduced the number of instructors at the same time. Students who wanted to cancel their contracts ran into serious trouble. It was as if Nova was ruthlessly exploiting people’s eagerness to improve their English. http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200706160079.html

Several companies in various industries, including retail firms, have offered capital and business alliances to Nova Corp., the nation’s largest English language school chain, Nova President Nozomu Sahashi said in an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun Friday.Sahashi said Nova, which was ordered by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry to suspend part of its operations…

This is the first time that an English conversation school has been so harshly disciplined. However, it is a natural reflection of the shoddy way in which Nova has run its business–namely, engaging in a systematic deceit with the signing and canceling of course contracts. A detailed check of the management reveals 18 different rule…

Students and former employees of the Nova Corp. language school chain were critical of the company’s practices in light of its suspension Wednesday for six months from recruiting students on long-term contracts. Sadaaki Suwazono, director of the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry’s Consumer Protection Division, detailed a list of 18 offenses, including exaggerated advertising claims…

Students routinely misled, METI says Nova Corp., the nation’s largest English-language school chain, was ordered by the government Wednesday to partially suspend business for six months for lying to customers about its services. Nova will be banned from selling long-term contracts for language lessons starting Thursday, officials of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry…

“We have concluded that (Nova’s way of signing up students) was extremely malicious,” said a METI [Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry] official who briefed reporters about the order. Nova “engaged in illegal acts, with the top management at its head office authorizing the irregularities. The company even compiled a manual advising staff on how…

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry said Wednesday it ordered Nova Corp., the nation’s largest English language school chain, to suspend for six months its recruitment of customers for new contracts of more than one year or 70 lesson hours, starting Thursday. According to sources, the ministry has concluded Nova’s practice of telling prospective customers…

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Wednesday ordered major English-language school operator Nova Corp. to suspend part of its business operations for holding back money from students who cancelled their contracts, ministry officials said. The ministry issued an order prohibiting Nova from soliciting customers or accepting applications for contracts exceeding one year or…

The Ministry of Economy Trace and Industry and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government inspected Nova’s Osaka head office and several schools in February for allegedly charging high contract cancellation fees and on suspicion that it had given the government false information about its cancellation policy. At that time, the government warned Nova it could be forbidden…