Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gsxr750r]

https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/03/21/200703210051.asp

[pkang0202]

I'm still waiting for the "pledge" every US politician has made to lower the cost of higher education.

They must think "lowering" means raising tuition 5% every year.

[inverse_narcissus]

A government "pledge" is just lip-service. It's 50-50 as to whether they'll actually do something.
Case in point: Western governments' pledge to eradicate child poverty by 2010. The last I heard, not one of them had done anything of substance.

I doubt this pledge will go very far. Even if it does, I don't think they'll be able to throw anything at the private education industry that'll make even a dent in it.
It might mean that future TEFL teachers will be obliged to do more work, though.

[thebomb]

From the quote the OP posted, I read it as pertaining to "privite institutes" i.e hagwons rather than actual privite tutoring.

[rothkowitz]

Did they go a room salon afterwards to congratulate themseves on such a rigorous commitment?

[yingwenlaoshi]

It's a pretty silly law.

[Homer]

No talking about tutoring but rather about private schools and the fees they charge.

That sounds like a good idea anyway. More PS positions, more regulations (hopefully) and idealy asking for better qualifications from teachers. Let just see what impact this has if any.

But, it sounds like a step in a positive direction.

[gsxr750r]

There are a whole lot of Koreans tutoring too.

Had a high school student paying her Korean math tutor a bundle. He told her he was making 7 million a month off of tutoring, and she believed him, because she knew a lot of her friends who were paying the guy something like 700,000 a month each. He was a Yonsei grad in Math.

That must irk the heck out of some rich folk.

[ChuckECheese]

With private tutor or hagwon cost of 500K - 1 million Won per child. I guess the K-gov't is trying to relieve the burden and provide equal opportunity to average K-family who has difficulty in footing the bill.

But isn't this measure already in place? What else are they gonna do different?

[Homer]

Perhaps apply the law more forcefully or make the law more restictive chuck?

I don't know.


It does still sound like a decent idea.

[wylies99]

It's just an election year press release.

[just because]

I hate to be a pessimist but.....

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

This will never work...basically because:
Koreans are always looking for that edge....it won't matter if they boost the english in the schools, they will still bring them out of the schools to get ahead...

the government is missing the whole point(which i am sure they are aware of, they are just giving lip-service as somebody mentioned)

[Cheonmunka]

I heard that news broadcast and they talked about public school after-school programs as being the best way for Little Johnny and Mary to learn English. Classes are less burden on parents, money wise and schedule wise.
But, schools are not legally allowed to hire teachers through a management company, and are reluctant to direct-hire. Their own rules and reluctance trip them up. Then, many parents have little faith in public schools being the best place for little Johnny and Mary to become proficient in English.
So, I believe there will always be private institutes. But, I expect an increasing number of new after school management agents and individuals will make a living using the public school environment to do it.

If you get involved in these programs, in a system where tuition fees go through a bank account in your name, you may very well find taxation problems from this if you decide to stay in Korea a few years.
In one case, after a year stint in one of these programs, a teacher would have been liable for 3 million won in unpaid taxes, not including a non-declaration penalty fee.
It's pretty hard to get this tax stuff done properly when you are working the job. Be aware of that.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[MikeNelson]

There are already laws in place as to the maximum a hogwon can charge for classes based on time spent in the classroom. 99.999% of all schools overcharge. Then local "Hogwon Associations" collect "membership fees" from schools and pay off government inspecters. Failure to show up to a hogwon association meeting, meens your school goes on the top of the inspection list.
My school in not a member and we have been inspected 3 times in one year, where as other schools that have been running for years have never had a visit. Luckly my school does not overcharge and follows all the gov regulations to the letter.
Koreans can pass as many new laws as they want. With no proper enforcement and high corruption on all levels, it makes little difference.