Korean Job Discussion Forums

[shantaram]

The number of times I've read on here about people having their degrees 'lost' by hagwon owners or schools claiming to have passed them on to immigration when in fact they have been misplaced... struth.

When I was a complete Korea virgin, applying for a place with EPIK, I sent my original degree to the Korean embassy in Sydney, Australia. I foolishly didn't include a return envelope and called them to ask them to send it back, offering to mail them a postal order for the costs. They said it was impossible to send it back because it wouldn't fit in an envelope. I pointed out that it obviously could fit in an envelope, because that's how I sent it to them in the first place. I asked the man to take it out of its plastic folder and roll it up and send it in a tube, if he couldn't find an envelope big enough. I received the degree in the mail about a week later, in an already used envelope, bent out of shape and creased everywhere. It is now unpresentable. My first impression of Korea was, if that's the way they treat people's degrees, they can't really be serious about education.

It is only AFTER that experience that I come to realise that in Korea, teachers have their degrees taken from them and mysteriously hoarded away, sometimes to be lost forever.

I call upon any Korean in education who might be reading this board to treat our degrees with more respect.

[VirginIslander]

[Tony_Balony]

The funny part is that according to US education system, the diplomas have no legal value whatsoever. None. For all US schools care, it could be a subway ticket stub or a candy wrapper. Your diploma symbolizes the one time you meet the dean and finish a significant part of your life.
Its a trophy of sorts. It's not intended to be a legal document.

The fat headed Koreans then ruin the whole life-experience. The diplomas undoubtedly become mangled and then subsequently unworthy of of reframing. You can get another one but its not the same.

Why do they lose it? Crassness and disrespect. Hakwans never "lose" the diploma, its a ploy to keep you chained.

[jajdude]

[Bibbitybop]

[wylies99]

They think their community colleges are better than Ivy League colleges.

[tob55]

The general consensus is correct in large part due to the fact that the EFL-ESL industry has made it possible for places like Korea to develop this sense or perception of unimportance. This is why there should be a major overhaul regarding the requirements for people teaching in this country.

You have "professional educators" and I use the term lightly, who place a judgment on people who come here when they have a system that is in great need of improvement. Think about it, what would it look like if Korea was actually interested in hiring professional teachers to come here and work? They could not have people coming into their country that would make their own look incompetent in anyway, now could they?

This whole topic could take up a lot of my time this morning, but suffice it to say the perception of Koreans regarding what we do is the way it is because they don't want to change the system they have in place...

[Wondering]

[OiGirl]

Why are you so hung up on this piece of paper?

[mrsquirrel]

It is probably down to the fact that most of the degrees are from fresh graduates who bring nothing to the countries education system other than their desire to make money and f.ck Korean women.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

When I was in Canada last summer I got replacements of both my degrees. I think I may do the same this summer. Unfortunately you can never trust Koreans, even government officials, with the very documents they need to employ you.

[duns0014]

I sent my degree to my recruiter, didn't get it back. I'm like, hey joyce, where's my degree? She doesn't know, apparently they never got it back. She sent me 50,000 won though, which was cool, for a replacement. Then a few days ago she says she has it, somehow another teacher got it. This was two months after I started at the school.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[some waygug-in]

Some universities will issue copies for a nominal fee. Others like mine want to charge an arm and a leg for one and submit you to an intensive interrogation on the reasons why you need a new copy.

So I can understand why we might place some value on them.

I've always gotten mine back, except in one case where I had to take it back. They kept it in the receptionist's counter and often I was the only person there.

[hari seldon]