Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mindmetoo]

I'm not a public school teacher but a friend working in public school heard something about this. Public schools are looking at ending the 2 month paid vacation time for their foreign teachers, citing the expense of paying for their apartment and airfare. She has no idea what that means, whether it means making them work some kind of hagwon program to earn their keep or simply not paying them. I've understood the longer vacation is the one thing that makes up for the longer work day and bigger class sizes.

What up?

[kimchi story]

I can only answer for GEPIK teachers - they don't get two months of paid vacation. During the vacations they run camps (2 weeks each vacation, 20 hours a week max) which leaves two weeks of benchwarming, total. This time gets used up pretty quick planning and modifying existing programs. I guess public schools that have hired foreign teachers privately might be steering toward that model.

[Colorado]

What are you smoking?

While I suppose it's theoretically possible, I don't know a single foreign teacher at a public school anywhere in Korea who currently gets two months paid vacation. A standard contract is 14 working days of vacation per year.

It would be interesting to watch them try to take that away.

[The_Conservative]

[cbclark4]

My contract says 14 paid vacation days.
It also states that I attend school during the summer and winter breaks and that there is a possibility of "camp". Vacation is supposed to be requested in advance and is subject to approval.

I've been asked to schedule my vacation time during the breaks.

cbc

[lulu144]

[Colorado]

[Octavius Hite]

I work in a public middle schhool, in a suburb of Seoul.

I get:

4 weeks in the winter (Went to India and Thailand)
4 weeks in the summer (Going to the Philippines)

plus I don't have to be here for exams so I get an addition 2 weekds off (In one week blocks) each semester.

Plus I don't have to be here most days when the students don't have class

Plus I get 15 paid sick days a year ( which I can use at anytime)

So in the end when you factor in national holidays I get almost 4 months of paid vacation a year and I'm allowed to take unpaid days without much of a problem.

And I do work summer and winter camps (one week only).

So thise jobs exist you just have to fight and be lucky and be a good teacher.

[Colorado]

Thanks for that, Octavius. Makes me feel warm all over.
So how do you feel about the OP's claim that you may soon be losing all that?
Good while it lasted, eh?

[Octavius Hite]

Mine won't be changing, we have an understanding. But if it did, I would finish my contract, and come back and do privates and set my own vacation schedule.

[Alyallen]

I'm not GEPIK or EPIK. I got 3 weeks in the summer and 3 weeks in the winter but then sat around the house for another 3 weeks after coming back from my winter break.

Don't care if other teachers lose their vacation time because I'm leaving. It sucks but Korea is gifted at screwing up perfectly good plans

[jvalmer]

I've heard rumours of this, but from Korean teachers and apparantly the education officals are thinking of not paying all teachers for two months during the winter vacation. But, if they are actually thinking of this, I think the Korean teacher's union would definatly fight back. However, if it's only foreign teachers, then we're out of luck and I would quit.

[ttompatz]

[oskinny1]

Four weeks off in both summer and winter for me. I am pressing for my school to continue this practice next year even though I won't be here.

[cbclark4]

Will the OP return with any relevant facts?

cbc