Korean Job Discussion Forums

[garykasparov]

Parents Want More Native English Teachers

By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

Parents in Seoul are demanding more native English-speaking teachers for their children at schools. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE), more and more ward offices in Seoul have allotted money to recruit foreign teachers because of the growing demand from parents in each district.

Last year, some 5.24 billion won was collected from four ward offices and the Seoul Metropolitan Government to employ native English teachers at schools in the capital.

The education authority expects the amount of money will double this year to 10 billion won.

``Many ward office chiefs vowed to increase the number of native-speaking teachers in their election campaigns. To that extent, they are increasing the necessary funds,�� said Choi Chun-ok, a supervisor in charge of recruiting foreign English teachers at the office.

As the ward offices do not have staff to select qualified foreign teachers, except Gangnam-gu, they are leaving recruitment to the SMOE, she added.

More than five ward offices plan to make an agreement with SMOE on Thursday and Friday this week for the employment of foreign teachers in their districts.

Jongno-Gu Office has reserved 750 million won for the project; Nowon-Gu, 520 million won; Dobong-Gu, 400 billion won; Jungnang-Gu, 300 million won; and Gwanak-Gu 200 million won.

Under the agreement, 31 elementary and 15 secondary schools will have foreign English teachers from the spring semester.

SMOE has recruited native English-speaking teachers for schools since September 2005 to teach at 572 elementary and 665 secondary schools.

[email protected]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/nation_view.asp?newsIdx=18891&categoryCode=117

[Cheonmunka]

Like a dog that keeps biting its own tail.

[crusher_of_heads]

[marlow]

[Biblethumper]

I can wager that most of these funds allotted are spent on salaries and offices for the bureaucrats who will recruit, supervise and harass the foreign teachers.

[Mi Yum mi]

[brandon adams]

I can only say GOOD LUCK!!!
With the current degrading and repressive visa regs, they'll find it impossible to fill the quota. Yes, they've shot themselves in the foot, ladies and gentlemen! So much for EMP's new English education policies!
Typical Korean: First you do and then you think:, "Oh, what've I done???"

[Julius]

What happened to the date they revoke the new regulatioons 'dead pool' thread? I had june 1st as the day of the meltdown.

[midwest]

[Pyongshin Sangja]

We must endure.

[brandon adams]

June 1st? No. They are so stubborn, they will not want to lose face. The regs will prevail and they'll start importing cheaper teachers from India, Philippines, etc. The only problem is that parents will object to it! Maybe the regs will change after a major parental outcry, but not this year, I bet.

On the other hand, the new admin may do it using the excuse: "We are not the bad ones; it was the other guys..." Only time will tell.

My argument has always been that teachers who have lived and worked in Korea for years have already proven themselves by virtue of their lengthy residence. So, at least they should be exempt from the CRC's.

Maybe I'm asking for too much logic here.

[mishlert]

[mistermasan]

kinda stunning that the public school system doesn't harvest teachers from the academies. such teachers are already in country, have some experience and are readily observable/interviewable.

not that the public schools should "steal" teachers but rather scout out the academy teachers around, consult with the students that go to both and make an tenative offer pending the completion of the teacher's current contract.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[bassexpander]

The evidence is in people sending their children overseas for education.

Actually, in my opinion, there's a whole lot of fund misappropriation going on, and some Koreans are really getting rich off of it. The figures that they quote compared to what we're getting paid don't make any sense.