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agentX
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Location: Jeolla province
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 Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:14 am Post subject: The E2 Visa Changes are having an effect; ie., you're right! |
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It has been barely a month since the new visa rules took effect and already the Hakwon industry is feeling the pain.
Whoever here (since I forgot) said that this would happen...well it happened. You sir or ma'am, are an oracle.
From the JoongAng Daily.
| Quote: |
Tougher teacher visas squeeze cram schools
January 15, 2008
The private study academy in eastern Seoul was unusually quiet yesterday afternoon. Normally abuzz with activity, it is now without the American teacher who used to draw elementary school students trying to hone their English skills. The teacher left suddenly last month, said the school�s owner, who asked that her school not be identified.
�The teacher asked for a raise of 300,000 won [$320] from her previous monthly pay of 2 million won, and she left after I told her our financial situation does not allow that,� said the 45-year-old owner, who only gave her family name, Kim. After posting a series of want ads on various Internet notice boards, Kim realized it was hard to find a replacement, a situation also faced by other private schools.
Known as hagwon in Korea, the schools are a fixture for academically driven students who use them to cram for mathematics and to learn English, sometimes starting as young as four years old. Tougher visa requirements now in effect requiring criminal background checks and in-person screening for foreign teachers are driving up pay for teachers, and causing some to leave Korea altogether.
�Everyone says it will be harder to get English-speaking teachers because of the new visa rules, so teachers are asking for more pay,� Kim said.
Wall Street Institute, one of the largest English cram-school chains here, is also having trouble hiring new teachers. Among five foreign teachers scheduled to work at a new branch in Busan, two are still stuck at home trying to get their documents in order.
�Two Canadian teachers haven�t arrived because they do not have all the documents required for visa approval,� said Kim Joon-hee, the institute�s hiring manager. �We can�t even get temporary teachers because demand far outstrips the supply these days.�
New Justice Ministry requirements for E-2 visas took effect on Dec. 15 last year in the aftermath of a scandal involving an accused pedophile who was teaching in Gwangju and concerns about forged academic credentials by other teachers. It has had the effect of tightening the supply of English teachers.
Foreigners hoping to teach here are now required to submit official documents showing their criminal and medical history, and then to go through a separate screening interview at a Korean consulate in their home countries.
The new rule also applies to those who already have an E-2 visa. They have until March 15 to extend their visas without additional documents, but once their current visa expires, they must go through the same screening process, meaning an expensive trip home for some teachers. The change is particularly difficult for teachers from Canada and China, since the two countries have not signed a so-called apostille pact with Korea, in which documents issued in one country are recognized by the other. The hassle and expense of the new rules are causing some teachers to just give up on Korea.
The crunch means some private schools have to cancel courses. A private English school owner, who refused to name his school, said he closed two of four afternoon English conversation classes after three of his five foreign teachers quit.
�I promised them a raise, but they said extending the visa is too time-consuming and taxing,� said the school owner, who only gave his name as Park. �They said they would rather move to other places like Japan.�
As the exodus cuts into supply, wage and recruitment costs are rising. Kim Soo-ho, who runs a recruitment agency for English teachers, said the firm has raised the fees it charges schools to 1.2 million won per teacher, up from 800,000 won before the visa changes.
�We used to recruit about 30 foreigners a month for private English schools, but the number is down to just five since the visa change took effect,� Park said.
Ultimately, the costs will get passed along to parents, say hagwon owners, who may soon have to raise tuition fees if wages keep going up.
�I found just one teacher and that was after I increased the monthly wage by 500,000 won,� said a school owner in Suwon, Gyeonggi province. A representative of the Korea Hagwon Association said wage increases are squeezing the entire industry. �We can no longer bear the rising labor cost,� he said. |
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2885106
Pay special attention to the last part.
If they lobby the government hard enough, we may see these rules dropped. And soon.
So now things get interesting. Will the new pres stand fast on the rule changes, or will they come down?
For those of us who bet in the Visa Rules Dead Pool thread, especially whomever had February or March, you might want to start preparing your address for the influx of 10k won bills coming your way. |
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Kwangjuchicken
Joined: 01 Sep 2003
Location: I was abducted by aliens on my way to Korea and forced to be an EFL teacher on this crazy planet.
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:37 am Post subject: Re: The E2 Visa Changes are having an effect; ie., you're ri |
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| agentX wrote: |
It has been barely a month since the new visa rules took effect and already the Hakwon industry is feeling the pain.
Whoever here (since I forgot) said that this would happen...well it happened. You sir or ma'am, are an oracle.
From the JoongAng Daily.
| Quote: |
Tougher teacher visas squeeze cram schools
January 15, 2008
The private study academy in eastern Seoul was unusually quiet yesterday afternoon. Normally abuzz with activity, it is now without the American teacher who used to draw elementary school students trying to hone their English skills. The teacher left suddenly last month, said the school�s owner, who asked that her school not be identified.
�The teacher asked for a raise of 300,000 won [$320] from her previous monthly pay of 2 million won, and she left after I told her our financial situation does not allow that,� said the 45-year-old owner, who only gave her family name, Kim. After posting a series of want ads on various Internet notice boards, Kim realized it was hard to find a replacement, a situation also faced by other private schools.
Known as hagwon in Korea, the schools are a fixture for academically driven students who use them to cram for mathematics and to learn English, sometimes starting as young as four years old. Tougher visa requirements now in effect requiring criminal background checks and in-person screening for foreign teachers are driving up pay for teachers, and causing some to leave Korea altogether.
�Everyone says it will be harder to get English-speaking teachers because of the new visa rules, so teachers are asking for more pay,� Kim said.
Wall Street Institute, one of the largest English cram-school chains here, is also having trouble hiring new teachers. Among five foreign teachers scheduled to work at a new branch in Busan, two are still stuck at home trying to get their documents in order.
�Two Canadian teachers haven�t arrived because they do not have all the documents required for visa approval,� said Kim Joon-hee, the institute�s hiring manager. �We can�t even get temporary teachers because demand far outstrips the supply these days.�
New Justice Ministry requirements for E-2 visas took effect on Dec. 15 last year in the aftermath of a scandal involving an accused pedophile who was teaching in Gwangju and concerns about forged academic credentials by other teachers. It has had the effect of tightening the supply of English teachers.
Foreigners hoping to teach here are now required to submit official documents showing their criminal and medical history, and then to go through a separate screening interview at a Korean consulate in their home countries.
The new rule also applies to those who already have an E-2 visa. They have until March 15 to extend their visas without additional documents, but once their current visa expires, they must go through the same screening process, meaning an expensive trip home for some teachers. The change is particularly difficult for teachers from Canada and China, since the two countries have not signed a so-called apostille pact with Korea, in which documents issued in one country are recognized by the other. The hassle and expense of the new rules are causing some teachers to just give up on Korea.
The crunch means some private schools have to cancel courses. A private English school owner, who refused to name his school, said he closed two of four afternoon English conversation classes after three of his five foreign teachers quit.
�I promised them a raise, but they said extending the visa is too time-consuming and taxing,� said the school owner, who only gave his name as Park. �They said they would rather move to other places like Japan.�
As the exodus cuts into supply, wage and recruitment costs are rising. Kim Soo-ho, who runs a recruitment agency for English teachers, said the firm has raised the fees it charges schools to 1.2 million won per teacher, up from 800,000 won before the visa changes.
�We used to recruit about 30 foreigners a month for private English schools, but the number is down to just five since the visa change took effect,� Park said.
Ultimately, the costs will get passed along to parents, say hagwon owners, who may soon have to raise tuition fees if wages keep going up.
�I found just one teacher and that was after I increased the monthly wage by 500,000 won,� said a school owner in Suwon, Gyeonggi province. A representative of the Korea Hagwon Association said wage increases are squeezing the entire industry. �We can no longer bear the rising labor cost,� he said. |
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2885106
Pay special attention to the last part.
If they lobby the government hard enough, we may see these rules dropped. And soon.
So now things get interesting. Will the new pres stand fast on the rule changes, or will they come down?
For those of us who bet in the Visa Rules Dead Pool thread, especially whomever had February or March, you might want to start preparing your address for the influx of 10k won bills coming your way. |
I have read over and over this article. I can not find this part.!!!!?? |
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babtangee
Joined: 18 Dec 2004
Location: OMG! Charlie has me surrounded!
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:42 am Post subject: Re: The E2 Visa Changes are having an effect; ie., you're ri |
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| Kwangjuchicken wrote: |
I have read over and over this article. I can not find this part.!!!!?? |
Can't make the connection, chicken? Maybe due to your bird brain, I don't know. |
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Kwangjuchicken
Joined: 01 Sep 2003
Location: I was abducted by aliens on my way to Korea and forced to be an EFL teacher on this crazy planet.
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:45 am Post subject: Re: The E2 Visa Changes are having an effect; ie., you're ri |
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| babtangee wrote: |
| Kwangjuchicken wrote: |
I have read over and over this article. I can not find this part.!!!!?? |
Can't make the connection, chicken? Maybe due to your bird brain, I don't know. |
If you can find it, then highlite it for me. |
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babtangee
Joined: 18 Dec 2004
Location: OMG! Charlie has me surrounded!
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:47 am Post subject: Re: The E2 Visa Changes are having an effect; ie., you're ri |
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| Kwangjuchicken wrote: |
| babtangee wrote: |
| Kwangjuchicken wrote: |
I have read over and over this article. I can not find this part.!!!!?? |
Can't make the connection, chicken? Maybe due to your bird brain, I don't know. |
If you can find it, then highlite it for me. |
He said pay attention to the last part, as it relates to his comment... not because his comment is paraphrasing it.
The hagwon association claims:
| Quote: |
| �We can no longer bear the rising labor cost,� |
Thus the OP suggests that the hagwon association will lobby the government to have these new regulations stripped away. Geez, I can't believe I had to point that out for you. You're screwin' with me, ain' you, you dastardly chicken, you! (If not, go punch yourself in the head.) |
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hagwonnewbie
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Location: Asia
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:52 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
It has been barely a month since the new visa rules took effect and already the Hakwon industry is feeling the pain.
Whoever here (since I forgot) said that this would happen...well it happened. You sir or ma'am, are an oracle. |
I'm no oracle. I heard it from an owner myself about a month ago. I'll quote him again. "It's gonna cost 2.5 just to get a new teacher over here."
Recruiter's fees should hit 1.5, so you should see some really poorly written ads on the Korean Jobs list soon. That's gonna be priceless. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:53 am Post subject: |
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Lets see,
Hagwons will have to pay more and offer more benefits to get teachers.
Public school teachers flock to hagwons for the higher pay/better benefits.
Public schools will then have to sweeten their pot to keep teachers.
I like it. |
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babtangee
Joined: 18 Dec 2004
Location: OMG! Charlie has me surrounded!
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:56 am Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
Lets see,
Hagwons will have to pay more and offer more benefits to get teachers.
Public school teachers flock to hagwons for the higher pay/better benefits.
Public schools will then have to sweeten their pot to keep teachers.
I like it. |
Haha. Yeah. They have no idea what they've done. If someone had introduced forethought to Korea, along with the SPAM, imagine how awesome their economy would be now. |
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fruitcake
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Location: shinchon
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:58 am Post subject: |
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I'm still waiting for Mr Kim, Hogwon owner, to roll into an immigration office with a baseball bat and a sour-mash soju stench to show the government how much he appreciated the new regs, which ruined his business, left him penniless and caused his wife to leave him.
oh...dare to dream! |
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hagwonnewbie
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Location: Asia
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:02 am Post subject: |
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| Do you guys think the cost of private lessons will increase? Maybe all the formerly legit teachers will just come and go on tourist visas and do privates, flooding the market and hourly fees.......What's your prediction? |
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sniperteam6
Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Location: Thailand, for now!
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:10 am Post subject: lol Here I come |
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I wish I knew how to write it in Korean... GOH SOH HAH DAH. Serves them right.
I may just drop in and work on a tourist visa. Why not?
Here I comes...  |
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Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:25 am Post subject: |
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| hagwonnewbie wrote: |
| Do you guys think the cost of private lessons will increase? Maybe all the formerly legit teachers will just come and go on tourist visas and do privates, flooding the market and hourly fees.......What's your prediction? |
Ofcourse it will.
It's a perfect substitute, therefore will follow in its tracks. |
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Netz
Joined: 11 Oct 2004
Location: a parallel universe where people and places seem to be the exact opposite of "normal"
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:54 am Post subject: |
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| Bobby McFerrin is coming to Korea, I bet he'll be dedicating "Don't Worry be Happy" to more than a few Englsih Teachers........haha |
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tob55
Joined: 29 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:02 pm Post subject: Article cites the real problem |
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| Quote: |
| A representative of the Korea Hagwon Association said wage increases are squeezing the entire industry. �We can no longer bear the rising labor cost,� he said. |
The crux of the article is enclosed in the last statement. I would be interested in an explanation as to why the hagwon association whose members singled handedly took more than 65% of the money spent on English training in this country last year would feel so pressured since they have been taking advantage of the milk cow for so long. They have more than made the money they deserve by lying, cheating and stealing their way to prominence as an educational group in Korea.
I personally feel no sense of sadness or sympathy for an industry that has used greed and money as their foundation blocks rather than wanting to hire teachers who will help this country move forward in the promotion of English education, and pay them what they should have been paid in the first place. Had it not been for the narrow sightedness of this group in the early days of the industry, they would have no reason to cry foul now. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Juregen wrote: |
| hagwonnewbie wrote: |
| Do you guys think the cost of private lessons will increase? Maybe all the formerly legit teachers will just come and go on tourist visas and do privates, flooding the market and hourly fees.......What's your prediction? |
Ofcourse it will.
It's a perfect substitute, therefore will follow in its tracks. |
Would it be worth it just to teach 90 days? If you are on a tourist visa, its not like you have an apartment ready to go as soon as you step off the plane. Can you even GET an apartment without a Resident ID number?
With the expenses you have to pay, you wouldn't start making money (after paying off things like lodging, flight, food, etc..) until you've been here a month. |
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