Falang Policy Changes In Cm Education Institutions

[0zz1]

Are we now talking only about CMU or has there been other cases as well?

[Ulysses G.]

I do not think that getting rid of farang instructors at Universities has anything to do with using us as scapegoats outside of the school system.

Thai teachers have resented being paid less than foreigners for a long time and we are mostly considered a big pain in the butt to deal with by administrators. After all, we tend to think that learning should come before making a profit.

Maybe they have just decided that they are better off paying compliant Thais less money and not having anyone question their decisions.

[PlanetX]

The reason 300 people lost their visas is because a new director came in and didnt want falangs on campus

and now they have started a public campaign blaming who? the falang students

hmmm, doesnt seem too bad

[PlanetX]

I do not think that getting rid of farang instructors at Universities has anything to do with using us as scapegoats outside of the school system.

Thai teachers have resented being paid less than foreigners for a long time and we are mostly considered a big pain in the butt to deal with by administrators. After all, we tend to think that learning should come before making a profit.

Maybe they have just decided that they are better off paying compliant Thais less money and not having anyone question their decisions.

falang instructors and students

[PlanetX]

On the other hand, paranoia is just around the corner, if I don't start with the sun-block.

I keep recalling that Thais have kept their independence from marauding countries by being suspicious. Geography and quirks of history helped, to be sure, but suspicious.

No rulers of any nation want a reduction of national independence very much (particularly because they form part of an elite in most cases), and for some, even a hint of a reduction of control is a red flag. Er.... Make that a cape before a bull. No, strike that....

But it is not necessary to swat a mosquito with an oar. Effective either.

a mosquito - people that came to Thailand the "right way" with a visa through a very respected university just got robbed and booted -- they might as well have taken the cash to pattaya

Its a mosquito to you because it hasn't effected you - but if it does "flood" hopefully you will have kept a keen ear to the ground to see if this does mean something bigger

[PlanetX]

I do not think that getting rid of farang instructors at Universities has anything to do with using us as scapegoats outside of the school system.

Thai teachers have resented being paid less than foreigners for a long time and we are mostly considered a big pain in the butt to deal with by administrators. After all, we tend to think that learning should come before making a profit.

Maybe they have just decided that they are better off paying compliant Thais less money and not having anyone question their decisions.

Its the Thai government that mandates Thai nationals being paid less than foreign nationals

I guess if the Thai teachers were upset, they should go to Bangkok... wait a minute, that doesn't sound like a good plan

[NancyL]

I really object to the term "falang" being used in these discussions. Non-Thai Asians are also affected. Besides, the correct pronouncation of the pejorative the Thais use toward Westerners is "Farang" I'm sorry, but I have a real problem with westerners using this term. It's kind of like black people in the U.S. calling themselves with the "N-word" and then wondering why white people use that term.

[Ulysses G.]

The "N-word" has very little to do with the "F-word".

[PlanetX]

I really object to the term "falang" being used in these discussions. Non-Thai Asians are also affected. Besides, the correct pronouncation of the pejorative the Thais use toward Westerners is "Farang" I'm sorry, but I have a real problem with westerners using this term. It's kind of like black people in the U.S. calling themselves with the "N-word" and then wondering why white people use that term.

I am sorry about that. Your absolutely correct that the word may not be a fair representation of everyone involved.

I respect your feelings and I will be cognizant of them while forming my sentences.

[CMX]

PlanetX

You were quite right to question my terrible analogy. Having a mosquito represent the victims was incorrect in many ways. I meant only to use something over sized to rid one's self of something very small. Actually, "Using a shotgun to kill a fly," had come to mind, but that hardly works either, and at least I got rid of it.

An unjustified overreaction is where I was headed - elsewhere I've said unfortunate - which is meant to be harsh or even damning in dip. circles, without exactly fixing blame.

Should you happen upon such errors in my other posts, don't fail, please, to let me know.

Edited September 28, 2010 by CMX

[heybruce]

Sorry to interrupt the semantic discussions and speculation on who are the bad guys, but I'd like to ask a couple of relevant questions.

I learned about this whole fiasco when I went to class today. (I'm one of the students who signed up for the program to learn Thai). I was told that students who went to CM Immigration yesterday for their 90 day reporting were told they have to be out of the country by the end of the month, which is Thursday. Can anyone confirm this?

Are students who do not have to do 90 day reporting until November, as is my case, legal until then? Or are all students in Thailand with these Student Visas now in the country illegally? This is very important to those of us who want to stay in Thailand legally.

[PlanetX]

I would ask immigration - its very unclear

Edited September 28, 2010 by PlanetX

[CMX]

heybruce!

You could not know this, but the original discussion, which includes 7 pages now, was shifted out of town to a subject area on Thai Visa. See below: A Gobal Moderator, on post 157 may have a suggestion that applies to you. I forget if it's page 5 or 6.

www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/395023-cmu-fails-to-provide-visa-support-documents/

I also think you would be wise to contact your consulate or embassy. This entire business has been a thorn bush.

[heybruce]

heybruce!

You could not know this, but the original discussion, which includes 7 pages now, was shifted out of town to a subject area on Thai Visa. See below: A Gobal Moderator, on post 157 may have a suggestion that applies to you. I forget if it's page 5 or 6.

www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/395023-cmu-fails-to-provide-visa-support-documents/

I also think you would be wise to contact your consulate or embassy. This entire business has been a thorn bush.

I've been checking that thread also, but finding little hard information about the status of students like me.

So far neither I nor any of the students or teachers I've talked to this evening have been officially notified of anything; CMU Language Institute hasn't told us anything. If CM Immigration told some of the students on Monday that their visas are no longer valid and they have to leave the country, that will be the closest thing to official notification that any of us has received.

I have a validly issued student visa in my passport and a notice attached telling me I need to go to CM Immigration for my 90 day check-in on November 26. I'd really like to know if I must leave the country in two days or if I have until late November to sort things out.

[Mapguy]

The principal flap appears, to be in large part about principals at one of the international schools in Chiang Mai, certainly about the management of the school and finances. This might be caused by the recent expansion of the campus. NIS parents have been requested to come to a meeting to discuss the situation with management. Teachers, I have been told, have already met.

There might be difficulties brewing at another CM international school distant from the city to the south. There is a new head of school there. It is not unusual for schools to go through difficult management cycles. In any case, these are difficult economic times.

Bill 97 pointed out correctly that there must be a Thai who heads up the school. Nothing new. However, in CM schools this is not someone who is commonly referred to as the "principal" or "head of school" on the academic side. That person is, however, legally the top administrator with legal authority.

Is there any evidence of "anti-foreigner" activity? In schools that depend on the children of foreigners?!! I suggest that it would be more fruitful to look at economic concerns. By the way, the salaries among foreign teachers and among administrators vary considerably, let alone the variation in salaries between foreign and Thai teachers. There is another thread on this site that has good information on what foreign (read farang in its original meaning) teachers make in Chiang Mai.

The situation at CMU is discussed elsewhere. That problems at ILCMU are related to problems at some international schools and that somehow this is somehow due to Thai xenophobia is IMO truly bizarre speculation.

[chaoyang]

<snip>

Is there any evidence of "anti-foreigner" activity? In schools that depend on the children of foreigners?!!

<snip>

And herein might lie part of the issue. Due to the great wisdom and policies by our friends the elite Thais, the number of foreigners living, working -- and certainly starting any form of new business -- in Thailand is in decline. Judging from the student mix at the Chiang Mai international schools I've seen -- and certainly at NIS -- the bulk of the student body is not by any stretch foreigners. Most are Thais with enough money to send their children there, followed by a large Korean contingent.

Of course it varies from school to school. Grace, for example, is full of children of Western missionaries, but beyond that I would guess that foreigners comprise less than 10 percent of the combined student population enrolled at international schools in Chiang Mai. At NIS, I would suspect you could count foreign students on both hands, or even one hand. Even putting the leuk-krung kids in the count, the number would be very small.

Thais are probably easier to deal with, alway greng-jai the teachers and quietly pony up the money. By comparison, foreign parents might be actually involved, speak their minds and could likely be viewed as annoying, even insulting, busybodies.

The owner of NIS is above all a businessman. How do you think he views the cost-benefit ratio?

[Mapguy]

Sorry, your estimate of the student mix based on limited observation is quite wrong. Yes, there are quite a few Thai students in CM international schools, including Grace, (for good educational reasons) and, yes, it certainly does vary from school to school, but the enrollment of foreign students is quite high.

Why would you not include Koreans, by the way, or Japanese for that matter. Regarding intrusive or demanding parents at schools, you apparently haven't had much experience dealing with them, especially at NIS! Further, I would suggest that leuk-krung kids come from families headed by foreigners --- and that makes a difference. Finally, to suggest that Thai parents "alway greng-jai the teachers and quietly pony up the money" is laughable. Maybe those who speak out are among the "high society" types for whom you obviously have very poor regard.

If anyone wants to know the numbers, call the schools, if this is of substantive concern. They have them. Or just hang around the gates when the school bells ring out the end of the day. On second thought, loitering about might look suspicious and you might have the morals boys checking you out!

Edited September 29, 2010 by Mapguy

[Citizen313619]

<snip>

Is there any evidence of "anti-foreigner" activity? In schools that depend on the children of foreigners?!!

<snip>

And herein might lie part of the issue. Due to the great wisdom and policies by our friends the elite Thais, the number of foreigners living, working -- and certainly starting any form of new business -- in Thailand is in decline. Judging from the student mix at the Chiang Mai international schools I've seen -- and certainly at NIS -- the bulk of the student body is not by any stretch foreigners. Most are Thais with enough money to send their children there, followed by a large Korean contingent.

Of course it varies from school to school. Grace, for example, is full of children of Western missionaries, but beyond that I would guess that foreigners comprise less than 10 percent of the combined student population enrolled at international schools in Chiang Mai. At NIS, I would suspect you could count foreign students on both hands, or even one hand. Even putting the leuk-krung kids in the count, the number would be very small.

Thais are probably easier to deal with, alway greng-jai the teachers and quietly pony up the money. By comparison, foreign parents might be actually involved, speak their minds and could likely be viewed as annoying, even insulting, busybodies.

The owner of NIS is above all a businessman. How do you think he views the cost-benefit ratio?

Very well thought out and articulated post.

I think education and business make strange bed fellows and often business thinking can hurt school profits -- building a profitable school requires patience and long term planning and occasionally Thai wealthy businessmen fall a tad short on the long term planning element

NIS was just recently awarded their continued WASC accreditation last spring and then immediately the foreign leadership staff are demoted - I think thats a pretty strong statement about appreciation and concern for foreign staff

To not be left out, the foreign teachers also have to buy their own lunch. 30 baht a day is not life changing but to work very hard and gain WASC continued acceptance and be "rewarded" with no foreign leadership staff and lost benefits is a shock

The school raised tuition rates as well - but have reduced benefits for the students and teachers

At the same time, NIS enrollment continues to rise

I think this once again shows that foreign students/ teachers/ parents are not a major priority

Thai staff were even told they would be getting a bonus last year and on the last day of school were denied. After much debate, they were finally given 1/2 of what was expected.

Thais being paid less and being worked harder is a Thai thing - this has nothing to do with the foreigners. Thais are paid by Thais regulated by Thais. To say that Thais resent foreign teachers because of pay is a very scary idea because the foreigner is taking the blame for a Thai policy. It would be very convenient to pay a majority of your staff a much lower salary and have the minority staff take the blame or be resented.

I agree with your post that International schools rely on International students/ parents/ teachers - but APIS and NIS have both shown to have very little loyalty or concern for their teaching staff which in turn spreads down to the students

PREM has rebranded itself completely the last 4 months

I can see why you would dismiss speculation of "anti-foreigner motivations" but red flags have been raised in the education sector

Edited September 29, 2010 by Citizen313619

[chaoyang]

Sorry, your estimate of the student mix based on limited observation is quite wrong. Yes, there are quite a few Thai students in CM international schools... but the enrollment of foreign students is quite high.

My "limited observation" comes from more than a decade at an international school in Chiang Mai, during which time I also attended innumerable sports events, dances and other events that included all the schools. I beg to differ that what I wrote is well wide of the mark.

Why would you not include Koreans, by the way, or Japanese for that matter. Regarding intrusive or demanding parents at schools, you apparently haven't had much experience dealing with them, especially at NIS!

I don't mean that to be racist in any way, but the type of "international school" we are talking about is one based on a Western educational model. With English as the language of instruction, it is greatly beneficial for these schools to have native speakers in their student body because that brings up the level of English in the whole school. As well, many Asian parents and students want exposure to Westerners culturally and even through friendship because they are looking toward higher education at a Western university.

In that respect, Koreans and (the very few) Japanese are simply more non-native English speakers whose English is often abysmal on entry to the school.

Finally, to suggest that Thai parents "alway greng-jai the teachers and quietly pony up the money" is laughable.

That is precisely my experience. Often the parents couldn't speak English very well themselves and did not come through an international school, so they very much trust the school to give their children this new type of education (which indeed the schools do provide). The elite didn't raise any ruckus because the father was rarely home, or the mother was living in Bangkok, etc., etc. Often, the children are raised by nannies and other caretakers.

[Mapguy]

I agree that educational and business interests can be a very bad mix, but I wouldn't lay it all on proprieters, such as the owners of Prem, NIS or APIS. Everyone has a budget, whether supported by a church or by the government. All schools are thus constrained.

The big nut in any school budget is faculty pay and benefits. If times are tight, guess what ?! Potentially, teachers get laid off, take a reduction in pay or benefits, don't get a raise or bonus, or future increases don't happen. And to twang an old saw, you'll also get what you pay for: the better schools basically have much more qualified staff. This is not always readily apparent, especially if parents know little about curriculum development, teacher training & certification, et cetera.

The "rebranding" of Prem has nothing to do with the value of the education offerred. It has to do with concern with the former name of the school might possibly make the school a "target" of political dissent and the belief that that would have a negative effect on marketing.

And, no, I am not the least bit convinced that "red flags" have been raised in the educational sector that reflect any particular ethnic or national prejudice. On what is such speculation based? Perhaps, with the growth of schools purporting to to "international," the government, if anything, is concerned about the basic claim and appropriate chartering.

And, once again, I suggest there is no connection between the mess at ILCMU and Chiang Mai international schools. What supports that speculation? Any foreigner instructors being dismissed from the CMU Humanities English Department? Any general decline in enrollment of foreigners outside of the loss caused and poorly managed with the end of the language and cultural exchange programs, which might have been perceived as associated with the visa scams of private schools where the minimal study requirements are absurd, attendance nominal, et cetera. Looks like someone made a bad management decision at CMU that more thoughtful leaders there --- worried about the school's reputation --- felt they had to revoke. Very regrettably, they sure created a mess that hurt foreigners. But all that does not add up as a conspiracy to screw foreigners.

Edited September 29, 2010 by Mapguy

[Mapguy]

No intention in my note about your excluding Koreans and Japanese from the foreign student population as racist on your part. My meaning was simply that dealing with the demands of these parents can be equal to if not more challenging than dealing with people from North America or Europe when it comes to be demanding about the quality of education. That was the context.

About Thai parents, yes, lack of English or an understanding of teaching and learning in an international school context does indeed make people shy as well as the tendency to avoid confrontation or criticism, but the latter will out --- and not always later!

The surrogate "nanny" problem referred to is true --- and sad, in my view --- of too many families regardless of cultural or ethnic heritage.

[Citizen313619]

I agree that educational and business interests can be a very bad mix, but I wouldn't lay it all on proprieters, such as the owners of Prem, NIS or APIS. Everyone has a budget, whether supported by a church or by the government. All schools are thus constrained.

The big nut in any school budget is faculty pay and benefits. If times are tight, guess what ?! Potentially, teachers get laid off, take a reduction in pay or benefits, don't get a raise or bonus, or future increases don't happen. And to twang an old saw, you'll also get what you pay for: the better schools basically have much more qualified staff. This is not always readily apparent, especially if parents know little about curriculum development, teacher training & certification, et cetera.

The "rebranding" of Prem has nothing to do with the value of the education offerred. It has to do with concern with the former name of the school might possibly make the school a "target" of political dissent and the belief that that would have a negative effect on marketing.

And, no, I am not the least bit convinced that "red flags" have been raised in the educational sector that reflect any particular ethnic or national prejudice. On what is such speculation based? Perhaps, with the growth of schools purporting to to "international," the government, if anything, is concerned about the basic claim and appropriate chartering.

And, once again, I suggest there is no connection between the mess at ILCMU and Chiang Mai international schools. What supports that speculation? Any foreigner instructors being dismissed from the CMU Humanities English Department? Any general decline in enrollment of foreigners outside of the loss caused and poorly managed with the end of the language and cultural exchange programs, which might have been perceived as associated with the visa scams of private schools where the minimal study requirements are absurd, attendance nominal, et cetera. Looks like someone made a bad management decision at CMU that more thoughtful leaders there --- worried about the school's reputation --- felt they had to revoke. Very regrettably, they sure created a mess that hurt foreigners. But all that does not add up as a conspiracy to screw foreigners.

Great points. Obviously the behavior can be explained or justified in a number of ways.

The thread and community benefits when we can discuss these things and learn from each other

[Throatwobbler]

Thank you, that's it. I didn't actually realise it was on the same campus. Why on earth would a school have 2 kindergartens, one not actually it own??

To make more money of course. That is the sad state of affairs of education here.

[PlanetX]

Thank you, that's it. I didn't actually realise it was on the same campus. Why on earth would a school have 2 kindergartens, one not actually it own??

To make more money of course. That is the sad state of affairs of education here.

NAPA also has a 60% Thai 40% English program so that kids still learn a lot about Thai language and Thai culture in a partly International school environment.

It does make sense because some parents want their children in International Schools but would also like them to learn basic Thai instruction as well. NAPA bridges that gap fairly well because they teach all Pre-K and K lessons in both Thai and English - so in effect, trying to manage a best of both worlds scenario

IMHO, I think NAPA does a nice job with their pre-K and Kindergarten students. Many students then transfer to NIS for 1st grade and the transfer is smoother in many ways

[PlanetX]

In terms of speculating - CMU made a quick policy decision that corresponds to the arrival of a new Director. Its apparent in the other thread that what is being said by CMU does not completely match up with other source accounts. All speculation aside, I think its fair to say there might be a little more to the story then what they have let on. It is then that it becomes necessary to speculate on possible other motives and/or pressures CMU was under to make a quick change. I think its also worth noting that CMU has placed the majority of the blame on the students themselves (failing contractual obligations, visa fraud). There is an interesting suggestion made that records of attendance would prove differently. If that's the case, then what were the other reasons why CMU would make such a quick and rather harsh policy change? So not only are students robbed and deported - but then as a group they blamed. That's the full treatment. You have to expect more from such a proud and prestigious university.

Just a few months earlier, a school (NIS), that had been increasing enrollment for several years in a row, gaining WASC accreditation, respected in the community for family atmosphere (NIS has teachers for an average of 6 years. That shows that teachers like working there.)

All of the sudden, first day of school this fall and surprise - no principal or vice principal (over 13+ yrs experience between the two of them) they've been demoted and lost their titles. Happy 1st day back. Who do the teachers call to get a substitute if they are sick -- that took 5 weeks of school before they got an answer to that question. NIS raised tuition. NIS cut student lunch budgets. NIS cut teacher lunch benefits. So obviously something is going on. Is NIS losing handfuls of money? Is the owner having troubles? What is for sure - something was decided on this summer to drastically change the chain of command and balance sheet.

A few months later, a similar drastic policy comes out in CMU to change chain of command and balance sheet.

The Bangkok elites stick together. This isn't implying anything, but NIS owner Bangkok, new director for CMU comes up from Bangkok

Its not unreasonable to assume there are policies being shaped in Bangkok to deal with the potential for more civil unrest. Those policies do not necessarily have to deal with foreigners, but they may... and an effort spawned from this could easily be a major effort to take more direct control over education. If they do this through sudden, insensitive policy decisions - What would make you think they wouldn't do the same for other policies (Visas, retirement, investment amounts, ownership rights, etc). This isnt some conspiracy rant - its just looking at the consequences of what has been happening with civil unrest and how the government will respond. CMU is a semi-government representative - established, Thai, influential - and you saw how they handled this

[Loaded]

In terms of speculating - CMU made a quick policy decision that corresponds to the arrival of a new Director. Its apparent in the other thread that what is being said by CMU does not completely match up with other source accounts. All speculation aside, I think its fair to say there might be a little more to the story then what they have let on. It is then that it becomes necessary to speculate on possible other motives and/or pressures CMU was under to make a quick change. I think its also worth noting that CMU has placed the majority of the blame on the students themselves (failing contractual obligations, visa fraud). There is an interesting suggestion made that records of attendance would prove differently. If that's the case, then what were the other reasons why CMU would make such a quick and rather harsh policy change? So not only are students robbed and deported - but then as a group they blamed. That's the full treatment. You have to expect more from such a proud and prestigious university.

Just a few months earlier, a school (NIS), that had been increasing enrollment for several years in a row, gaining WASC accreditation, respected in the community for family atmosphere (NIS has teachers for an average of 6 years. That shows that teachers like working there.)

All of the sudden, first day of school this fall and surprise - no principal or vice principal (over 13+ yrs experience between the two of them) they've been demoted and lost their titles. Happy 1st day back. Who do the teachers call to get a substitute if they are sick -- that took 5 weeks of school before they got an answer to that question. NIS raised tuition. NIS cut student lunch budgets. NIS cut teacher lunch benefits. So obviously something is going on. Is NIS losing handfuls of money? Is the owner having troubles? What is for sure - something was decided on this summer to drastically change the chain of command and balance sheet.

A few months later, a similar drastic policy comes out in CMU to change chain of command and balance sheet.

The Bangkok elites stick together. This isn't implying anything, but NIS owner Bangkok, new director for CMU comes up from Bangkok

Its not unreasonable to assume there are policies being shaped in Bangkok to deal with the potential for more civil unrest. Those policies do not necessarily have to deal with foreigners, but they may... and an effort spawned from this could easily be a major effort to take more direct control over education. If they do this through sudden, insensitive policy decisions - What would make you think they wouldn't do the same for other policies (Visas, retirement, investment amounts, ownership rights, etc). This isnt some conspiracy rant - its just looking at the consequences of what has been happening with civil unrest and how the government will respond. CMU is a semi-government representative - established, Thai, influential - and you saw how they handled this

Why don't you just leave Thailand? You will feel a lot safer.

[realthaideal]

Now they've got us fighting among ourselves! Don't you get it ? That's what they want us to do !!!!

So without adequate facts/ motives coming into the light, speculation is growing and growing (quite creatively), and some of it, you can't really argue against. Could be part of the puzzle or maybe not. But I'm fresh off a buzz(kill) of trying to blend my freelance style of teaching and approach to learning with the Thai education system, and savoring every minute of it (not). In the land of face and alliances, it could just all be simple 'Thai logic', something we aren't really gonna get, or wanna get. Stuff here makes sense in a Thai way, and the unfortunate experiences of the people at the language and volunteer programs are part of that 'Thai logic' saga. Sometimes it all falls apart over here. Everything is with a huge grain of salt (pinch of naam pla). I see even in the Thais a helplessness that sometimes the systems or powers that be flare up and you get caught in the mix and end up losing something in the exchange. Sucks, really. But hey.... you get to live in Thailand.

But even I am asking myself if the rose colored glasses prescription is still strong enough to keep me here.

[chaoyang]

Just a few months earlier, a school (NIS), that had been increasing enrollment for several years in a row, gaining WASC accreditation, respected in the community for family atmosphere (NIS has teachers for an average of 6 years. That shows that teachers like working there.)

All of the sudden, first day of school this fall and surprise - no principal or vice principal (over 13+ yrs experience between the two of them) they've been demoted and lost their titles.

NIS has been accredited by WASC since the late 1990s. Last spring was probably is three-year review, which is normal. From its previous review by WASC in 2007, I can tell you that among the major issues was the structure and management of the school and how decisions are reached. The WASC process includes feedback from teachers, who were critical of the daughter manager (a big face Thai would find it scathing). It is my understanding that those concerns were included in the document submitted to WASC -- the principal encouraged open commentary without much spin. While WASC renewed accreditation, it insisted on formation of a school board. The board was formed of friendly Thai educators and life moved on, but the daughter was far from happy being held accountable to anyone except her father.

If similar transparent feedback was again presented to WASC this year (the daughter has not been onsite at all, but retains the title and power), it would not surprise me if the owner then moved to remove the principal from his position for that reason.

[CMX]

Regarding the hundreds of students who were in programs canceled by CMU, it should be noted that for many their visas became useless today, even though they held contracts with the U, had expiration dates much longer previously recorded in their passports, and had not been reimbursed fully for their lost payments and expenses.

RIP

Or at least I imagine that's the message they've had delivered. Just wanted to say "bye!"

[johnnyjoe]

anyone have any updates on the situation ? I saw in an email there was a strong possibility of having the classer reinstated but at different building. anyone know anything?