Chapter 156 Contract Student

"The reason why you think so is because you don't have enough understanding of the obligations that 'contract students' need to perform, and you don't know anything about the origin of this student aid system." Mr. Havel pointed out that Joan The idea is too naive.

"Contract student loans" are actually developed from the "contract labor" system.

As we all know, most of the immigrants who come to the New World to live in the New World are poor and even criminals who can't get along in the Old World. Nine out of ten are people from the bottom of society. Few of them can afford the travel expenses for themselves and their families, let alone settle down in the New World. Capital.

In order to expand the colonization of the New World, colonial institutions such as the "Will Noah Reclamation Company" and the "Peak Bay Company" are in short supply of labor, so a welfare system is introduced: providing a lump sum of travel expenses and Settlement allowances, immigrants must sign a contract to work for the company as a "contract labor" for a period of time - usually four to seven years.

During the effective period of the contract, the salary paid by the company to "contracted laborers" is usually much lower than the average level of free workers in the same industry. The job he is good at, his status is low, he is like a slave, and he will not be free until the contract expires.

The "student loan contract" signed by Joan and Wilnoah Colonial Company is actually exactly the same as the contract signed by the "contracted laborer", except that the Colonial Company is far more willing to invest in mage apprentices than ordinary laborers, hoping that he will graduate in the future In the future, I will serve the company and get it back with profit.

It is conceivable that in order to recover the loan from the "contract students" and earn as much profit as possible, the colonial company will do everything possible to squeeze them, and it will be a long and difficult time for them after graduation.

Joan was born in poverty, and he is not afraid of suffering, but he lacks social experience after all. When he signed the contract, he didn't pay attention to the fact that some of the clauses were based on inequality, and he suffered a disadvantage without knowing it.

"For example, there is such an additional clause in the contract you signed, requiring the signer to obtain a diploma within five years, right?" Javier asked Joan.

"Yes, there is such a requirement." Joan recalled the terms of the contract, "If you can't graduate on time, in addition to the normal loan principal and interest, you have to pay the company a large amount of liquidated damages, which is equal to the principal of the five-year student loan quite."

"That's the problem." Javier sighed and looked at Joan with pity.

Joan frowned, and couldn't think of any unfairness in this clause.

The purpose of the company to subsidize students is to help the company make money after the students graduate. If a student keeps repeating grades and fails to graduate, the company's loan will become a loss-making business that throws money into a bottomless pit? So he thinks this "liquidated damages clause" is both reasonable and necessary. Why does Mr. Havel hate it so much?

Taking a step back, I am neither stupid nor lazy, and it is not a problem to graduate on schedule, so why should I care about this breach of contract clause that is not useful at all?

Javier seemed to see through Joan's thoughts, and revealed the mystery with a wry smile.

"If you look at this supplementary clause in isolation, it is reasonable, but when you connect this clause with the real environment, things become complicated. The crux of the problem is...you can really graduate within five years ?"

"Why not?" Qiao An asked inexplicably, "Could it be that the principal will deliberately make things difficult for the students and not issue graduation certificates to the students?"

"Mr. Principal is not likely to do such immoral things, but some black-hearted tutors can definitely do it!" Mr. Havel said surprisingly, "Leighton College has implemented the 'Teacher Responsibility System' since its establishment. The headmaster can't say much about a tutor claiming that one of his students didn't meet graduation standards."

"I have to say that some tutors at Leiden College have very poor character. They deliberately find faults to prevent students from graduating, and find various excuses to refuse to sign the students' graduation certificates, in the name of paying the students' tuition fees for repeating grades and liquidated damages for student loans. Crushing young people and forcing students to work as assistants in his lab to pay off his debts is, in fact, acting as cheap labor, exploiting students to earn money and steal reputation."

"Stealing reputation?" Joan asked blankly, feeling more and more confused.

"Sounds a bit unbelievable, right? But this is the truth. Let me give you an example and you can understand how black-hearted tutors use students to earn fame and fortune."

Javier took the pipe from Galandil, lit the tobacco and took a deep breath, then said to Joan:

"For example, the magic tools inscribed with the maker's name in our shop seem to be made by those highly respected arcane instructors at Leiden Academy. In fact, many of them were not made by the signers themselves. They just raised a general topic. , all the dirty work that really requires painstaking efforts and mana is pushed to his assistants and students. The latter did most of the work, but they are not qualified to leave a name on the work. As for the income obtained after the sale of the magic tool, Conscientious tutors get 80% for themselves, and the remaining 20% ​​are given to students, and those who are unconscionable even don’t take a cent out of it, it’s enough to treat students to a good meal.”

Joan was dumbfounded. There is only one thought in my head: there are many routines in the city, and I really want to go back to the countryside.

As if lest he hadn't been frightened enough, Mr. Havel continued to reveal to him the dark side of the glamorous "ivory tower" of Leiden College.

"Those evil-minded tutors mostly bully the weak and fear the strong, and dare not squeeze the students from wealthy families. Instead, they lower their status to curry favor with these rich and powerful young masters, and they change a pair of 'contract students' who have to apply for student loans. With a mean face, the ones who get squeezed the most are usually contract students like you from the countryside who are powerless and poor, so you must be careful, and don't be fooled by those black-hearted tutors who appear to be sanctimonious on the surface .”

After listening to Mr. Havel's warning, Joan's heart was heavy, and her long-awaited school life could not help but cast a shadow.

Next, Javier continued to expand on this topic, commenting on the current tutors of the Offensive Branch of Leiden College one by one, reminding him which tutors are ostentatious, which tutors are mean, and which tutors are trustworthy.

Qiao An remembered all of them in her heart, but what's the use of knowing these?

A country boy like him who has neither money nor power but is very introverted and not good at speaking, even if he knows that a certain mentor is deliberately embarrassing himself, it seems that he has no other choice but to accept it. While secretly worrying, the servant knocked on the door and came in, telling Mr. Havel that there was a visitor.