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Cerebroden

Joined: 27 Dec 2006
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:55 am Post subject: Hagwons Vs. Public Schools |
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Can you guys give me a difinitive pros vs. cons of both? I'm wondering what the differences are, if any. |
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rvintage
Joined: 05 Jul 2005
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:15 am Post subject: |
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Every week it seems there is this same exact question posted!!
FIND THE SEARCH TOOL ON THIS WEBSITE AND PUT IT TO GOOD USE! |
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Cerebroden

Joined: 27 Dec 2006
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:00 am Post subject: |
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umm...have you used the search function on this site? What am I supposed to type in? Hagwons? or maybe just school.
So I pose the question again.
Any help would be appreciated. |
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Voyeur
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:30 am Post subject: |
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Public School is safer.
Hogwon is like more risk, more reward.
A really good Hogwan can be better in every way - esp. cash.
A really bad one can just be horrific though.
You feel lucky? |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:28 am Post subject: |
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rvintage wrote: |
Every week it seems there is this same exact question posted!!
FIND THE SEARCH TOOL ON THIS WEBSITE AND PUT IT TO GOOD USE! |
Have you ever actually tried using the search function? And is it really going to kill you to show a little restraint and just pass over the thread if the topic bothers you rather than taking the time to post this garbage? Man.. and people say I'm an assh*le who blasts people for asking questions..
To the OP, I've never worked in a public school, but I can give you the pros and cons of hagwon work. Furthermore, I'd like to point out that I hate working at a hagwon, because the cons outweigh the pros imo.
PROS:
- no waking up early for work.
- small class size (generally)
- more relaxed atmosphere and dress code
- sometimes, more or even total control given to the teacher regarding how to run the class
CONS:
- some hagwons change their schedules during winter and summer breaks, causing you to have to work morning hours; additionally, some may simply add a bunch of extra hours to your schedule during this time. rest assured that you will not be made aware of these practises prior to hiring, and may even be lied to about it.
- students constantly joining and dropping out
- schedule changing a lot; new classes added spontaneously
- sometimes, ridiculous behavior from students with no support from the director
- next to no vacation time
- many directors try to cheat you out of insurance, pension, and proper tax rate
- idiotic complaints from parents and directors; student as customer mentality
- in some cases, problems receiving full pay, on time |
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Fresh Prince

Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Location: The glorious nation of Korea
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:42 am Post subject: |
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If you don't have teaching experience then you are more likely then not to get a hogwan job. Some people like hogwans and some people dislike them. The hours are shorter (usually), the classes are less formal and they don't expect much from their foriegn teachers. If this is your first job then hogwans are a good opportunity to learn. I personally like working at a hogwan because of the ability to negotiate and the ability to learn.
If you have teaching experience then I suggest first look at public schools. The reward might not be as great but the risk will be less. There is a considerable amount of risk when you accept a job without seeing the school or the apartment.
There are good and bad experiences at both hogwans and public schools. There are a lot of hogwan jobs out there and they aren't all bad. There are a lot of people that complain here at Dave's but that's just because people don't normally post about the good things that they experience.
You can always quit your job after you have built up a little money. If you do your research and ask a lot of questions then you should be fine. |
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Cerebroden

Joined: 27 Dec 2006
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:34 am Post subject: |
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Thanx for the feedback,
It looks as if I'll be looking in to public school. I've heard too many nightmares from hagwons. |
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Bibbitybop

Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:06 am Post subject: |
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The stickies and FAQs give a decent rundown of the pros and cons, too. |
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Yu_Bum_suk

Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:32 am Post subject: |
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I could contribute many paragraphs to this topic but I already have, so figure out how to use the search engine. |
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trinity24651

Joined: 05 Nov 2006
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Cerebroden

Joined: 27 Dec 2006
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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THANK YOU TRINITY!
self righteous people and their search function. ::slap:: |
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crazylemongirl

Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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see my rant here |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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That just pulled up the search engine for me. But I did my own search, using the string "hagwon public" and got a slew of pages with topics having nothing to do with that.
It's funny how people b*tch and moan about how bad the search engine on this site is, but then when someone comes on and asks a question that has been discussed, people start demanding s/he "learn how to use the search function".  |
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VanIslander

Joined: 18 Aug 2003 Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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Type into the search: "hagwon" "public school" "compare" and remember to click the "search ALL terms" category. And you'll find several previous threads making the comparisons.
The search command may not be the most straightforward but it's very useful. |
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VanIslander

Joined: 18 Aug 2003 Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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if you are someone who does his homework and researches the hell out out of it before making a decision then...
it's much easier to ensure you get a good hagwon than a good public school
at least you can meet who would be your coworkers and visit what would be your apartment at a hagwon; at public schools you often can't, have no idea if you'll get the one psycho korean co-teacher who breathes down your neck and judges you at every instant, and forget trying to see what accommodations you'd be getting.
since I'm in Korea and I investigate my options thoroughly, I have found public school positions risky simply because a lot of info is not available (often decisions not yet made as to school location and accommodation). Introduce me to the co-teacher and show me the apartment then I would consider public positions. Until then, I'll take hagwons. |
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