The Helsinki District Court sentenced STS Kielimatkat to refund €6.505 (US$7.105) to Finnish Salla Rautiola due to unfair dismissal and numerous other breaches of contract in their exchange student program. Sallas case has been mentioned and partly presented in MOT documentary, «Vaihto-oppilas heitteillä«, «Exchange student neglect exposed». Let Salla’s exchange experience be a warning about what an exchange student year can be like in reality.
16-year old Salla Rautiola signed a contract in January 2011 with STS Kielimatkat for an exchange student year in the French-speaking part of Canada.
STS promises a carefully screened host-family, school placement and local representative and support persons in the exchange-country. They also promise to take into account the health information given in the application form when choosing the host family. Salla had reported that she is allergic to dogs, cats and pollen.
STS provided the host family information in July 2011, one month before the departure date, but withheld the information they had received the day before from STS CANADA that STS could not fulfill the French-speaking program. Instead, Salla would have to be placed with an English-speaking family.
IN CANADA:
As a host family, STS had chosen a 62-year old single Jamaican immigrant who for the most part socialized with her own relatives and culture and who spoke only Jamaican creole. The Canadian life-style or traditions were not present in any way in her filthy and moldy house. In the Helsinki District Court, as STS witness, a former male exchange student, who had lived in the same house a couple of years earlier, told the court that the host mother never cleaned. He witnessed that it was his and another exchange student’s responsibility to clean the house. At that time there was still a vacuum cleaner in the house. During Sallas stay there was no vacuum cleaner in a house with wall-to-wall carpet. This witness also told the court how the basement was used as a living room where they watched TV and used the computer. STS Finland country manager, Mira Silvonen, continued insisting that the condition of the home was suitable for an allergic person and gave up to seven different explanations (move, cellar, store etc.) for the pictures Salla had taken of the house. The shocked child protection officials in Finland stated that they would not even temporarily place a minor in conditions like that. Responsible for this host family’s approval as a host family for an allergic minor for ten months was area representative Sandra Hanniman/STS Foundation Canada.
Within two months, Salla started to get allergic reactions from all the dust and mold (picture). She could not go to school, but the host mother did not let the school know about Salla’s absence as required, something STS later blamed Salla for and issued her a warning about. Because of her strong allergic symptoms, Salla asked both the host mother and the area representative, Sandra Hanniman, to take her to see a doctor, but the host mother stated that: «The doctors don’t know anything» and the area representative said: «Let’s see». As parents we had to get the medicine here in Finland and mail them as express to Canada. Instead of helping Salla get to the doctor, STS Canada area director Kim Berry decided to issue a warning to Salla regarding her host mother not informing Salla’s school about her absence. Salla was invited to STS Canada office 14. Nov. 2011. Salla had written a four page complaint about all the problems and failures on STS’ part so far:
There was no school placement arranged by STS when Salla arrived. Salla was turned away from Gisele la Londe-school, because they had no knowledge of the exchange student. It took almost a week to arrange a school placement.
The host mother left for five days leaving Salla alone with the allergic symptoms. The host mother did not leave any contact information to Salla and strongly forbad Salla to inform STS about her absence.
The host mother did not check her mailbox despite Sallas request. Salla had no key to the mail box. The expensive medication we had sent from Finland lay in the mail box nine days before Salla finally got them.
The host mothers fierce mood swings raised questions. She could be laughing and dancing by herself, but in an instant lose her temper and throw dishes to the floor. Once Salla saw a ziplock-bag on the kitchen table and the host mother told her not to touch it and that it was marijuana. As parents we became worried about that and asked STS to investigate. Despite the pictures taken of the supposed marijuana bag, STS only threatened to issue another warning to Salla for spreading unfounded rumours. The local representative, also the host mothers best friend, stated that she did not believe it was marijuana. That was all STS did. Case closed. …
The rest of the article may be read at CSFES Norway.
Kanadassa vaihto-oppilaana ollut opiskelija haki Helsingin käräjäoikeudessa korvauksia pilalle menneestä, etukäteen maksetusta lukuvuodesta hieman yli 10 000 euroa. Oikeus katsoikin, että 17-vuotias tyttö kotiutettiin Kanadasta väärin perustein, mutta korvaukset olivat puolet vaaditusta.
17-vuotias tyttö lähti ranskankieliseen Kanadaan syksyllä 2011 STS Kielimatkat Oy:n kautta.
Tyttö oli ennen matkaa ilmoittanut olevansa allerginen kissoille, koirille ja siitepölylle. Käsityksensä mukaan hän joutui matkalla erittäin allergisoiviin olosuhteisiin.
Mainos (uutinen jatkuu alla)
Perheen piti olla ranskankielinen, mutta sellaista ei löytynyt. Tyttö joutui yksinasuvan 62-vuotiaan jamaikalaissyntyinen naisen luokse.
Tytön mukaan asunto oli täysin siivoton ja sotkuinen. Kaksikon välit tulehtuivat, kun 17-vuotias ja hänen vanhempansa ryhtyivät selvittämään epäilyä emännän marihuanan käytöstä. Tämä osoittautui sittemmin vääräksi.
Tyttö päätyi uuteen perheeseen, jossa oli kaksi koiraa. Lopulta STS Kielimatkat päätti tammikuussa 2012 kotiuttaa tytön.
Tapauksesta kerrottiin myös Ylen MOT-ohjelmassa lokakuussa 2013.
STS: Väärää tietoa
STS:n mukaan tyttö oli antanut puutteellisia tietoja allergioistaan ja jos yritys olisi tiennyt totuuden, häntä ei olisi otettu vaihto-ohjelmaan.
Uudessa paikassa tyttö oli ilmoittanut olevansa allerginen myös tomaatille. STS oli saanut myös tietää, että tyttö oli saanut oireita huonepölystä.
STS tiedusteli tilanteesta tytön vanhemmilta, joiden mukaan allergiaoireet olivat sen verran vakavia, että tytöllä oli mukanaan epipen-kynä varmuuden vuoksi. Tässä vaiheessa STS keskeytti matkan. Tyttö palasi suomeen tammikuussa 2012.
“Uutta perhettä ei löytynyt”
Tytön käsityksen mukaan keskeyttämisen taustalla oli se, että STS ei kyennyt löytämään sijoitusperhettä. Tyttö oli joulun alla saanut tietää kakkosperheen äidiltä, ettei perhe pysty pitämään häntä enää tammikuun jälkeen. Kotimatkasta kerrottiin vain kaksi päivää ennen lentoa.
STS totesi, että allergisille on ylipäätään erittäin vaikea löytää isäntäperhettä Kanadassa. STS:n mukaan moniallergisuuden paljastuttua, tyttöä ei olisi pystytty ”myymään” mihinkään perheeseen. Kotimatkasta kerrottiin tytölle myöhään, jottei tämä karkaisi, kuten oli joskus käynyt.
Väärät perusteet kotiuttaa
Käräjäoikeus katsoi, että tyttö oli antanut riittävät terveystiedot ennen matkaa, vaikka ne olivat jossain määrin puutteellisia. Allergiat olivat STS:n tiedossa. Oikeus totesi myös, että tytön palauttaminen Suomeen tehtiin perusteetta. STS:llä ei siis ollut oikeutta keskeyttää vaihto-oppilasvuotta.
Käräjäoikeus lausui kuitenkin, että koko matka ei mennyt hukkaan, koska tyttö oli ollut Kanadassa 5 kuukautta eli yhden lukukauden. Hinnanalennusta ei hyväksytty ensimmäisen perheen asunnon väitetystä epäsiisteydestä, koska siitä ei ollut näyttöä.
Oikeus arvosteli sitä, että kolmatta perhettä ei edes yritetty löytää.
Käräjäoikeus päätyi siihen, että STS Kielimatkojen on palautettava tytölle 5000 euroa.
Koska STS oli jo tammikuussa 2013 ja uudestaan jutun valmisteluistunnossa tarjoutunut sopimaan asian ja palauttamaan tytölle 5000 euroa, käräjäoikeus totesi, että molemmat saavat itse maksaa oikeudenkäyntikulunsa.
Jarkko Sipilä | jarkko.sipila(at)mtv.fi | @sipilamtv3
Google translation of the article:
Canadian exchange studentwasa studentapplied forthe HelsinkiDistrict Court forcompensationout of a ruined, paid in advanceof the academic yearto just over10000euros.Court ruled that the17-year-old girlwas dischargedfrom Canadawrongly, but the claims werehalfrequired.
17-year-old girlwent toFrench-speakingCanadain the autumn of2011STS LanguageOy.
The girl wasbefore the tripexpressed itsallergic to cats, dogsand pollen.View,he wason the wayveryallergenicconditions. Advertisement(news continued below)
The familywas supposed to bein French, butcould not be found. The girlwas forced toliving alone62-year-old Jamaicanwomanto him.
According tothe girl’sapartment wasabsolutelyfilthyandmessy.The duointervalsinflamed, when the17-year-old and his parentsbegan to explore thewife ofsuspectedmarijuana use. This turned outlaterto be false.
The girlended up beinga newfamily withtwo dogs.In the end,STS Language Schoolsdecidedin January 2012to withdrawthe girl.
The casewas also toldYLEMOTprogramin October2013. STS: Incorrect
STS, the girlhad givenincomplete informationabout allergies andifthe company had knownthe truth, he would not havebeenan exchange program.
The new location,the girlhad expressed itsallergic totomatoes. STShadalsolearned thatthe girlhadsymptoms ofindoor dust.
STSinquired aboutthe situation ofthe girl’sparents, according to which theallergysymptomswere sosevere thatshe hadwiththe EpiPenpenjust in case.At this point,the STScut thetrip. The girlreturned to Finlandin January 2012. “The new familywas not found”
The girl’sview of thesuspensionin the backgroundwas the fact thatSTSwas not able tofind thepositionof the family.The girl wasjust before Christmasgot to knowthe familyrightfrom the motherthat thefamilycan not keepher anymoreafterjanuary. The triphomewas reportedjust two daysbefore the flight.
STSstated that theanti-allergyisgenerallyvery difficult to finda host familyin Canada.STS: According to moniallergisuudenhad been discovered, the girlwould not beable to“sell” to anyfamily.The triphomewas toldthe girllate,so as not tobreak outof this, as wassometimesthe case.
Incorrectcriteriato repatriate
The district courtfound that thegirlhad givenadequate healthinformationbefore the trip, even though they weresomewhat incomplete. AllergieswereSTSknown.The Court noted,also, that the girl’srestorationto Finlandwasunjustified. STSwas therefore not entitledto suspend theexchange studentyears.
The District Courtstated, however, that the whole tripdid not goto waste,because the girlhad beenin Canadafive months, ie one semester. The pricereduction is notapproved for the firstfamily residenceof the allegeduntidiness, since it was notevidence.
Legalcriticized the fact thatthe thirdfamilydoes not evenattemptto find.
The District Courtconcluded that theSTSexchange tripsmust be returnedto her5000euros.
Since theSTSwas alreadyin January2013, andagainthe storya preliminary hearing,offered tofit thecase andreturn thegirlto EUR 5000, the District Courtfound that bothareself-pay costs.
Foreign student exchange 