Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SHANE02]

To the best of his knowledge, rife exploitation of English teachers by unscrupulous school directors does not exist in Korea, and there does not seem to be a need for a designated liaison for disgruntled English teachers at the embassy, Canadian Ambassador Marius R. Grinius said in an interview with The Korea Herald.
"I do meet a lot of teachers and I have yet to meet somebody that said to me, 'I have a really serious problem.' It hasn't happened to me yet," said the ambassador.



https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/03/21/200703210017.asp

[wylies99]

OMG- that is truly scary! The Canadian Ambassador is out of touch with reality!
Not one teacher has come to him with a problem? That's a load of BS.
No wonder we (teachers) have so little help here in Korea. Those who should be watching out for us have, ahem, OTHER PRIORITIES.

He needs to spend less time running the beer tap, and more time taking care of the needs of his citizens.

[JeJuJitsu]

He meets a lot of teachers, and not one has had any serious problems? What does he consider a serious problem? A hagwon boss beheading his teachers? Sure, if that's the standard, move along people, nothing to see here...

[inverse_narcissus]

It soudns like teh Esteemed Gentleman from Canada needs to spend some time hanging around these boards. I think he'd change his tune pretty sharpish once he read some of the horror stories.

[heeckan]

That's funny.
But seriously; of course he hasn't spoken with many teachers who have work-related problems... When you phone the embassy with a problem, you land up talking to some lacky who picks up the phone and just gives you contact information for a bunch of lawyers. They don't take your information down or do anything to help you. Do you think this lacky goes in and bothers the Ambassador with these problems? I think not.
He's got ostrich syndrome... if he doesn't see it, it doesn't exist.

[plutodog18]

For all of my Canadian friends:

I truly feel your embarrassment for the statements of this ignorant civil servant.

And if this is not enough to write your MP and get out and vote next time around, then I guess you get what you get.......

<------shakes his head as he walks into the sunset

[JeJuJitsu]

[gsxr750r]

Is this the same Canadian ambassador who "one-upped" the American ambassador?

At least one (I assume) Canadian was so proud of this, he made it a post earlier. Kind of funny how it all turned out, eh?

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=81383

Wow....

[mrd]

Oh please, he IS in touch with reality. Foreign English teachers make more money than the average Korean family, and yet they are the biggest group of selfish, greedy and ignorant whiners in the country.

Let's admit it: it's an easy job with great hours and great pay with excellent opportunties to make tons of extra cash. If you don't let yourself get taken advantage of you won't. You can't always hide behind a union or a government and expect them to solve all your problems.

[TheUrbanMyth]

If the people on this board feel they are being taken advantage of...then go there and complain. Whining about it on a message board isn't going to change things. I doubt he reads this. So the next time a Canadian teacher gets ripped off he should go to the embassy. If enough people do t