Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Justice540]

I was wondering what everyone's thoughts were on Public vs. Private schools in Seoul. My questions are:

1)Has anyone ever worked in both?
2)Which do you find better?
3)If one is better than the other Why?

I'll be going to SK later in the year and want to start researching beforehand. It will be my first year. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Omkara]

My experience in a public school is much better. It's more stable; the support is better; the contracts are firmer; they are not trying to make money from your good looks.

I just re-signed my P.S. contract.

A P.S. is a far safer bet. A hagwan is a gamble.

[Justice540]

[nashvegas]

I agree with Omkara. I'm in the same boat you are (just starting the process) but I can pass on what I've gathered and hope that it helps.

1. P.S. is almost always better, but harder to get.
2. Hogwans can be good, especially if you are not a morning person, but make sure to do plenty of research about the school and always talk to past and present teachers.
3. You are less likely to have problems with pay/severence/insurance/pension with a P.S.
4. You will have smaller classes in a Hogwan (usually less than 12 vs. 20-30 in P.S.).

I've been told that in order to get a P.S. job later this year, make sure you get your documents in early. They tend to fill up with first come/first serve. For myself, I'll be leaving the USA for the first time ever (I don't count vacationing in Mexico) so I'm doing everything I can to get a P.S. job because I feel safer with one. Once I get to Korea, I may find Hogwan that I like and want to work at once my P.S. contract is finished. Hope this helps.


BTW...Did I spell "Hogwan" correctly? I've seen it spelled a million different ways

Edit: A good thing I've done is to do a general search using google (or your favorite search engine) for blogs posted by people living in the area that you're interested in. Ex: Pusan blogs, Seoul blogs, Hongdae blogs. They are a wealth of knowledge.

[Zaria32]

Spellings of Korean words are iffy...

Some people insist it should be spelled "hakwon," but my Korean tutor says that when the Hangul character which can be pronounced either k or g (I can't use Hangul on here, unfortunately) has a vowel sound on either side of it, it softens from the k sound to the g sound. Therefore
"hogwon."

I'm sure some will argue with me and for all I know they're right.

[suneV]

I've worked both jobs and always tell people -

Public school is tohakwan what steak is to spam.

Unless it paid like 3 million, you'd be an idiot to take a hakwan job over a ps job, plain and simple, no more to say about it as it's been done to death and I've written this same post around a hundred times.

Just trust me on this one.

[anyangoldboy]

Public school might be safer and with slightly more pay but there is a lot of BS involved...You have like the whole school

admin to deal with...

teachers outings...

bigger classes...I teach after school and the class sizes are around 20 and you spend a good bit of it shouting just to get them to listen etc...

Not the best material to work with...sometimes...I know people who make up their own material because the school material is just too bad...

You have a lot of down time after teaching...

You'd have to be a morning person...

My next job in August will be with a Hagwon...because...

I won't have to wake up early...Especially good for monday because having to wake up early for monday isn't my cup of tea...I do it now but just looking forward to a hagwon job in August...(I finish early June)

The material is generally better because if you go to a school who have had a few years of Foreign teachers they have usually suggested new books etc...

The class sizes are smaller and the parents want the kids to learn more because they are actually paying for the class...

You generally only have to deal with one boss where as in the public school you have to deal with the head master, VP, admin etc...

You generally get more hours teaching but if you can get a good hagwon there are sometimes school outings etc...I've been to the cinema, theme park etc...

Less prep time i've found...Also the level of the kids English is generally better compared to public school kids...

You can actually have more of an involvement in a kids development...If you have a bad student you can tell your boss and they I think are more likely to do something about it where as if in public school you are pretty much stuck with the kid...

That's just my view though...Everyone has their own view and their own situation so it might be different for everyone else...

Just my two cents...

[suneV]

[anyangoldboy]