Korean Job Discussion Forums

Been There, Taught That

I've been reading various threads regarding teacher relations with K-teachers, students, directors, etc, and I ran across a problem with a class that included a mentally handicapped student, and it ran into a discussion of the degree to which hagwon students have those kinds of problems.

"Hagwon students?" That was my first reaction. In my 21 months teaching at three different schools in various parts of Korea, it never crossed my mind that a less than fully mentally and physically capable student would darken the hagwon's doorstep. To my knowledge, these two things have always been high priorities in a Korea pledged to commit every possible resource to overcompeting with the modern world: English as a key to existence and the willing away/concealment of societal blemishes that make for bad global press.

If that was the perspective from just my own little world, fine; but I never have experienced any Korean mindset that even came close to acknowledging that mental deficiency was a trait to be nurtured instead of avoided in conversation. No matter how much Korea may care for its own, mainstreaming is just not a societal effort that Korea seems willing to engage in.

So maybe there is a reason these types of learners would be sent to hagwon. The best one I can come up with is that Korea really is desperate for English coverage. In that case, do old people and infants (now, infants are a potential target group, I bet!) qualify for hagwon classes?

What is the reality of English learning and the "special" groups in Korea?

The_Conservative · Joined: 15 Mar 2007

Scotticus · Joined: 18 Mar 2007

Milwaukiedave · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Location: Goseong

I'm a little surprised to hear of a disabled student in a hagwon. I've worked at several schools and never encountered one. At the public school I'm at, there are several disabled students that are in my classes.

One of the student's in my fourth grade class has a serious disablity (my guess is Down's Syndrome) and has a helper with him. Most of the other students are fine without a helper. I've specifically asked for the teachers to let me know who the disabled students are, so if there is an opprountunity I can help them. It's hard to get them to identify who they are though.

Been There, Taught That · Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 6:19 pm Post subject:

Yes, I guess I should have categorized mainstreaming as that aggressive kind practiced in schools (and other public spaces) in the US, whether everyone is comfortable with it or not. It's really the only comparison I've ever had to work with.

The_Conservative · Joined: 15 Mar 2007

poet13 · Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 12:22 am Post subject:

"I'm a little surprised to hear of a disabled student in a hagwon."

I don't know if extreme ADD qualifies as disabled. (I'm also not qualified to diagnose it) I had a couple of kids a my haggie who were off the wall bonkers. Couldn't sit still long enough, or pay attention long enough to say their name.

Parents have money, children are in. I think it's cheaper than a babysitter.