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GEOS (eikaiwa)
Encyclopedia
was one of the Big Four private eikaiwa
, or English conversation teaching companies
, in Japan
. Its extensive network of overseas schools made it the world's largest language school chain. The firm went into bankruptcy in Japan on 20 April 2010. Its headquarters were in the in Shinagawa, Tokyo
.
GEOS, which stands for Global Education Opportunities and Services, was started in 1973 by Tsuneo Kusunoki
. The first school was based in Tokushima City
, Tokushima Prefecture
, Japan
, also the location of one of the company's main registered offices. The company has regional head offices in Sapporo, Tokyo
, Nagoya, Osaka
, and Fukuoka
.
The GEOS group also runs children-only schools called "Kodomo Schools" (子供校) throughout Japan. The adult GEOS Schools have themselves taken on more classes for children. As of February 2007, GEOS had a total of around 500 "Kodomo" and adult schools in Japan
and over 55 schools in countries outside of Japan.
The main language GEOS teaches in Japan and its overseas schools is English
. Other languages taught at GEOS include, French
, Spanish
, Italian
, German
, Chinese
and Korean
. GEOS also teaches Japanese
to foreigners living in Japan at their Kudan Japanese Culture, Research Center and Language Institute in Kudanshita, Tokyo
GEOS uses a one-teacher system it calls "Tanninsei" where students keep the same teacher for an extended period of time and advertises this system as having benefits of promoting continuity and strong teacher-student relationship.
Geos Corporation filed for bankruptcy on April 21, 2010; 99 schools were closed and the remaining 230 were sold to G.Communication, which is also the "sponsor" of Nova. On October 1, 2010 the schools were resold to Inayoshi Capital. On October 15 it was announced that 20 more Geos branches (those located near Nova schools) will close, and 20 more will integrate with cram schools. Another 50 will be rebranded as "Nova x Geos" and start using Nova curriculums.
Later, AMVIC International split into two divisions. Aki became the head of AMVIC Gaigogakuin (AMVIC 外語学院), which provided foreign language training for students. Kusunoki would assume control of the AMVIC Eikaiwa (AMVIC 英会話), which specialized in English language education for non-native speakers. In 1989, Kusunoki's branch of AMVIC International entered negotiations with Warner Pacific College
to assume control of 49% of its physical plant for $6 million, a 30-year lease on the schools facilities, and a seat as a regent of the school.
Not long after, AMVIC International split into two separate companies, after the former partners developed differing visions of the company's future. Aki went on to create Aeon
, focusing on language learning in Japan. Aki remains Aeon's president as of 2010. Kusunoki created GEOS , focusing on global language learning with focus on English language education. GEOS filed for bankruptcy
in April 2010.
noted the working conditions of GEOS staff. In 1999, the company was taken to court by fourteen of its managers over unpaid overtime. At the time of the case, the main plaintiff said that she was working a 72-hour week under constant unmanageable pressure to increase sales at her school. Even though the managers won their suit, costing GEOS 300 million yen in unpaid overtime
, the media mostly overlooked the case. In the same article, managers noted high staff-turnover and long working hours. However, a spokeswoman for the company insisted that GEOS, and the language learning industry as a whole, provided women with rare opportunities to begin business careers.
Recent economic woes led Geos to be late paying the Japanese staff in August and September 2009. It is further reported that foreign teachers working at the adult schools were not paid on time in October 2009. Geos asked clients to pay as much as five months in advance for the following year's lessons in a bid to raise the necessary funds to meet payroll obligations. This financial distress led many Japanese staff members to resign.
in 1987, and New York
, Brighton
(UK) in 1989 and Montreal
, San Francisco in 1997, Ottawa and Halifax in 1998 (though the Halifax school later closed in 2001). In 2001, GEOS created a network of international support offices, starting with GEOS International Korea and followed by offices
in Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Brazil, Hong Kong, Mexico and the Czech Republic. On July 6, 2007, The Japan Times reported that GEOS would open a school for 150 students in St. Petersburg, Russia
as part of a recent expansion into the Russian market by Japanese companies including Toyota and Nissan
. Kusunoki, CEO, said the company had "high growth potential in Russia", and that GEOS would be "targeting businesspeople, aspiring athletes and artists, including aspirants in figure skating, ballet and music".
GEOS began closing some of its branches in Japan in 2007, with more than 10% of domestic branches shutting their doors in under two years. At its height, GEOS maintained teacher recruitment centers in London, Melbourne, Toronto, and Vancouver. Melbourne closed in March 2004, London and Toronto in October 2006, and the Vancouver center closed in October 2008.
n GEOS branches suspended operations, with the nine companies responsible for the schools forced into voluntary administration. On February 1, 2010, Ernst & Young closed all eight GEOS schools in Australia permanently, citing insufficient finances to continue carrying out business in Australia. Despite a request to GEOS Japan for funding, it was not forthcoming, leaving 2300 students without the courses they had paid for and 390 employees without jobs or payouts. In their Report to Creditors of GEOS Melbourne Pty Ltd, dated 23 February 2010, Ernst & Young stated that the school had been operating profitably but "in the 18 months prior to closure, approximately $1.36 million was made available for the purpose of transfer from GEOS Australia Holdings to GEOS Corporation (Japan) or other GEOS entities.
with an outstanding debt of about 7.5 billion yen. 99 schools closed, and 230 schools were handed over to G.Communication
, which is also the "sponsor" of Nova
. According to court-appointed administrators, G.Education, part of the group, will open the schools as soon as possible. G.Education Co., a 100 percent subsidiary of G.Communication
established in Nagoya in 2003, is in charge of the company's education sector. It currently has 42 English conversation schools and 225 instructors and other staff under its brand EC Eikaiwa (EC English Conversation).
Around 36,800 students were studying at Geos schools at the time of the collapse and 7,800 students are studying at schools slated for closure. The Geos schools in New Zealand and Europe have been taken over by previous employees. The fate of the 12 Geos schools currently operating in the USA and Canada is currently unclear.
Another round of closures on October 30, 2010 will affect all GEOS schools on Kyushu
and most on Shikoku
. GEOS is again being downsized as it and Nova
are personally reclaimed from G.Education by G.Education founder Masaki Inayoshi
's Inayoshi Capital. Per agreement, schools in Ito-Yokado
supermarkets will stay open a few months longer.
On 15 October 2010, Inayoshi Capital said it intends to close about 20 Geos branches that compete head-to-head with Nova
branches, and also plans to integrate another 20 Geos branches with cram schools. Furthermore, about 50 of Geos' 167 branches nationwide would adopt the new brand and start using Nova curriculums. These new "Nova x Geos" schools are scheduled to be established on 1 November, according to the chains' parent firm.
Eikaiwa
or often shortened to , are English conversation schools, usually privately operated, in Japan. It is a combination of the word and.Although the Japanese public education system mandates that English be taught as part of the curriculum from fifth grade, the focus is generally on English grammar...
, or English conversation teaching companies
Language education
Language education is the teaching and learning of a foreign or second language. Language education is a branch of applied linguistics.- Need for language education :...
, in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Its extensive network of overseas schools made it the world's largest language school chain. The firm went into bankruptcy in Japan on 20 April 2010. Its headquarters were in the in Shinagawa, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
GEOS, which stands for Global Education Opportunities and Services, was started in 1973 by Tsuneo Kusunoki
Tsuneo Kusunoki
is the founder of the now-bankrupt GEOS Corporation, previously one of the major eikaiwa providers in Japan.-Founding:...
. The first school was based in Tokushima City
Tokushima, Tokushima
is the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 263,372, with 114,325 households, and a population density of 1,377.25 persons per km². Its total area is 191.23 km²....
, Tokushima Prefecture
Tokushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, also the location of one of the company's main registered offices. The company has regional head offices in Sapporo, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Nagoya, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, and Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
.
The GEOS group also runs children-only schools called "Kodomo Schools" (子供校) throughout Japan. The adult GEOS Schools have themselves taken on more classes for children. As of February 2007, GEOS had a total of around 500 "Kodomo" and adult schools in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and over 55 schools in countries outside of Japan.
The main language GEOS teaches in Japan and its overseas schools is English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Other languages taught at GEOS include, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
. GEOS also teaches Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
to foreigners living in Japan at their Kudan Japanese Culture, Research Center and Language Institute in Kudanshita, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
GEOS uses a one-teacher system it calls "Tanninsei" where students keep the same teacher for an extended period of time and advertises this system as having benefits of promoting continuity and strong teacher-student relationship.
Geos Corporation filed for bankruptcy on April 21, 2010; 99 schools were closed and the remaining 230 were sold to G.Communication, which is also the "sponsor" of Nova. On October 1, 2010 the schools were resold to Inayoshi Capital. On October 15 it was announced that 20 more Geos branches (those located near Nova schools) will close, and 20 more will integrate with cram schools. Another 50 will be rebranded as "Nova x Geos" and start using Nova curriculums.
History
In 1973, roommates Kiyoshi Aki and Tsuneo Kusunoki founded the company AMVIC, an acronym of the phrase, "for AMbition and VICtory." The company would focus on foreign language studies.Later, AMVIC International split into two divisions. Aki became the head of AMVIC Gaigogakuin (AMVIC 外語学院), which provided foreign language training for students. Kusunoki would assume control of the AMVIC Eikaiwa (AMVIC 英会話), which specialized in English language education for non-native speakers. In 1989, Kusunoki's branch of AMVIC International entered negotiations with Warner Pacific College
Warner Pacific College
Warner Pacific College is an urban, Christian liberal arts college located in Southeast Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1937, the college is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities...
to assume control of 49% of its physical plant for $6 million, a 30-year lease on the schools facilities, and a seat as a regent of the school.
Not long after, AMVIC International split into two separate companies, after the former partners developed differing visions of the company's future. Aki went on to create Aeon
AEON (eikaiwa)
is a chain of English conversation teaching companies in Japan. It is considered one of the historical "Big Four" eikaiwa schools. Although it shares a nearly identical name in English, Aeon is not affiliated with the Aeon Group, a major Japanese retail and financial services corporation.The...
, focusing on language learning in Japan. Aki remains Aeon's president as of 2010. Kusunoki created GEOS , focusing on global language learning with focus on English language education. GEOS filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in April 2010.
Labor issues
An article in The Japan TimesThe Japan Times
The Japan Times is an English language newspaper published in Japan. Unlike its competitors, the Daily Yomiuri and the International Herald Tribune/Asahi Shimbun, it is not affiliated with a Japanese language media organization...
noted the working conditions of GEOS staff. In 1999, the company was taken to court by fourteen of its managers over unpaid overtime. At the time of the case, the main plaintiff said that she was working a 72-hour week under constant unmanageable pressure to increase sales at her school. Even though the managers won their suit, costing GEOS 300 million yen in unpaid overtime
Overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
, the media mostly overlooked the case. In the same article, managers noted high staff-turnover and long working hours. However, a spokeswoman for the company insisted that GEOS, and the language learning industry as a whole, provided women with rare opportunities to begin business careers.
Recent economic woes led Geos to be late paying the Japanese staff in August and September 2009. It is further reported that foreign teachers working at the adult schools were not paid on time in October 2009. Geos asked clients to pay as much as five months in advance for the following year's lessons in a bid to raise the necessary funds to meet payroll obligations. This financial distress led many Japanese staff members to resign.
International
International expansion began in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in 1987, and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
(UK) in 1989 and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, San Francisco in 1997, Ottawa and Halifax in 1998 (though the Halifax school later closed in 2001). In 2001, GEOS created a network of international support offices, starting with GEOS International Korea and followed by offices
in Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Brazil, Hong Kong, Mexico and the Czech Republic. On July 6, 2007, The Japan Times reported that GEOS would open a school for 150 students in St. Petersburg, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
as part of a recent expansion into the Russian market by Japanese companies including Toyota and Nissan
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
. Kusunoki, CEO, said the company had "high growth potential in Russia", and that GEOS would be "targeting businesspeople, aspiring athletes and artists, including aspirants in figure skating, ballet and music".
GEOS began closing some of its branches in Japan in 2007, with more than 10% of domestic branches shutting their doors in under two years. At its height, GEOS maintained teacher recruitment centers in London, Melbourne, Toronto, and Vancouver. Melbourne closed in March 2004, London and Toronto in October 2006, and the Vancouver center closed in October 2008.
Closure of Australian schools
On January 29, 2010, the eight AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n GEOS branches suspended operations, with the nine companies responsible for the schools forced into voluntary administration. On February 1, 2010, Ernst & Young closed all eight GEOS schools in Australia permanently, citing insufficient finances to continue carrying out business in Australia. Despite a request to GEOS Japan for funding, it was not forthcoming, leaving 2300 students without the courses they had paid for and 390 employees without jobs or payouts. In their Report to Creditors of GEOS Melbourne Pty Ltd, dated 23 February 2010, Ernst & Young stated that the school had been operating profitably but "in the 18 months prior to closure, approximately $1.36 million was made available for the purpose of transfer from GEOS Australia Holdings to GEOS Corporation (Japan) or other GEOS entities.
Bankruptcy
On April 21, 2010, Geos Corporation filed for bankruptcy with the Tokyo District CourtTokyo District Court
is a district court located at 1-1-4 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. -References:...
with an outstanding debt of about 7.5 billion yen. 99 schools closed, and 230 schools were handed over to G.Communication
G.Communication
G.Communication, also abbreviated as G.com, is a Japanese kabushiki kaisha based in Nagoya, Japan. The company is an operator of restaurant chains, juku , and eikaiwa .- History :...
, which is also the "sponsor" of Nova
Nova (eikaiwa)
Nova was the largest eikaiwa school in Japan until its widely publicized collapse in October 2007. Before its bankruptcy, Nova employed approximately 15,000 people across a group of companies that supported the operations of and extended out from the "Intercultural Network" of its language schools...
. According to court-appointed administrators, G.Education, part of the group, will open the schools as soon as possible. G.Education Co., a 100 percent subsidiary of G.Communication
G.Communication
G.Communication, also abbreviated as G.com, is a Japanese kabushiki kaisha based in Nagoya, Japan. The company is an operator of restaurant chains, juku , and eikaiwa .- History :...
established in Nagoya in 2003, is in charge of the company's education sector. It currently has 42 English conversation schools and 225 instructors and other staff under its brand EC Eikaiwa (EC English Conversation).
Around 36,800 students were studying at Geos schools at the time of the collapse and 7,800 students are studying at schools slated for closure. The Geos schools in New Zealand and Europe have been taken over by previous employees. The fate of the 12 Geos schools currently operating in the USA and Canada is currently unclear.
Another round of closures on October 30, 2010 will affect all GEOS schools on Kyushu
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
and most on Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
. GEOS is again being downsized as it and Nova
Nova (eikaiwa)
Nova was the largest eikaiwa school in Japan until its widely publicized collapse in October 2007. Before its bankruptcy, Nova employed approximately 15,000 people across a group of companies that supported the operations of and extended out from the "Intercultural Network" of its language schools...
are personally reclaimed from G.Education by G.Education founder Masaki Inayoshi
Masaki Inayoshi
is the owner and founder of G.Communication, a Japanese kabushiki kaisha based in Nagoya, Japan. The company is an operator of restaurant chains, juku , and eikaiwa .-Early life:...
's Inayoshi Capital. Per agreement, schools in Ito-Yokado
Ito-Yokado
is a Japanese General Merchandise Store, part of Seven & I Holdings Co. There are 174 Ito-Yokado stores operating in Japan. The group has expanded to China, where they formed a joint venture with Wangfujing Department Store and China Huafu Trade & Development Group Corp. to open one of five stores...
supermarkets will stay open a few months longer.
On 15 October 2010, Inayoshi Capital said it intends to close about 20 Geos branches that compete head-to-head with Nova
Nova (eikaiwa)
Nova was the largest eikaiwa school in Japan until its widely publicized collapse in October 2007. Before its bankruptcy, Nova employed approximately 15,000 people across a group of companies that supported the operations of and extended out from the "Intercultural Network" of its language schools...
branches, and also plans to integrate another 20 Geos branches with cram schools. Furthermore, about 50 of Geos' 167 branches nationwide would adopt the new brand and start using Nova curriculums. These new "Nova x Geos" schools are scheduled to be established on 1 November, according to the chains' parent firm.