Job Discussion Forums

Bogey · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 13

Next year, I will have finished my 4th year of teaching at a public school in S. Korea. I will/can get very good letters of recommendation, etc.

I did some tutoring/substitute teaching back in a school in the States.

This is a 2nd career for me. My degree isn't in Education, it's in Economics, from one of the best schools in the US.

I understand all this matters not a whit, but just laying some background for better potential responses.

I'm interested in living/teaching here next year after my Korean contract runs out. I'll get a TEFL/TESOL before coming here.

I'm considering getting actually certified to teach (but this will probably take time). Hoping they're not enforcing this degree in Education only nonsense I've read about.

I wouldn't mind kicking some tires while I'm here. Any thought/suggestions,. etc???

KopiKopi · Joined: 01 May 2011 Posts: 49

Well, what kind of school are you looking for? A private language course (Hagwon, in Korea) or a regular school? Never heard of a bule (white foreigner) working in a PUBLIC school in Indonesia.

Wall Street is ALWAYS hiring. They have many branches throughout JKT. You can try EF, if you want a low pay - no stress job.

There are many National Plus schools that are hiring. Santa Laurensia in Serpong is nice, but very structured. Kanaan Global is hiring currently.

As for the degree in Education, that is not enforced. I have a degree in English Writing, as well as a k - 6 certificate, but most people I work with have nothing. One did not possess even a college degree.

Why are you leaving Korea? I am leaving Indonesia and heading back to Korea. Indonesia is getting dangerously Islam-ified.

Durian Tango · Joined: 05 Nov 2010 Posts: 65 Location: HCMC

My understanding is that some schools are sticking to the government regulations which say a new, incoming teacher has to have an English-related dgree (it's not an Education degree actually that they will accept generally). Don't quote me on this, but I think AIM, TBI and Wall Street, to name a few, are the schools doing this.

There are also many other schools that are circumventing the regulations and it would be easy for you to work with them though the pay not be as good there.

I would highly recommend you get TEFL certified. TBI offers the CELTA course in Jakarta and you can also get it done in Bali.

Good luck.

Shroob · Joined: 02 Aug 2010 Posts: 1339

Bogey · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 13

Demigod · Joined: 15 Dec 2009 Posts: 77

Atoms for Peace · Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 135 Location: NKRI

Durian Tango · Joined: 05 Nov 2010 Posts: 65 Location: HCMC

I would agree that Indonesia is becoming a little more Islamified, but to be honest, we know this more from how it's portrayed in the media than in personal life (I can only speak for my own personal life of course). If I didn't read newspapers here then I would say Indonesia, in terms of Islamification, was exactly as it was when I arrived a number of years ago.

In terms of Ramadan, this past Ramadan was the same for me as it has been for every year before this. Yes it's true the cops pull over more people and squeeze them for a few extra dollars, but my life was hardly disrupted by this and in general it came and went without major incident as usual.

I guess ultimately Indonesia goes through periods much like others where it is more secular at times or more religious. We can certainly see this in the United States.

To bring it back to TESL though, the Islamification or lack thereof, of Indonesia generally has little to no bearing on teachers here, as far as I have experienced.