Korean Job Discussion Forums

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

How much do they get in their budget for having a teacher? I ask because this public school claimed they could not afford more than the 8 pyong apartment they wanted to give me after they jettisoned the 15 pyong one and telling me about it only at the last moment. Of course, I couldn't use that as a legal reason for not starting the job, but it happened. I am not working there at any rate. Do they get 50 million? 60 million for us?

I have a feeling many of the schools are trying to give the least amount of money possible, so they could use it for other things, departments or other things. The school I applied to in the Suwon area initially didn't want to provide me with a computer. If there is a budget for the foreigner, then use it only on the foreigner. I heard they get 50-60 million won, but I am not sure. Anyone know?

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I am curious too. I have to wonder about a very new, modern school where I work that has money for all kinds of 'soju nights' for the staff, but no money to buy the basic resources for the English program.

KYC · Joined: 11 May 2006

Don't quote me on this but I heard it was one lump sum of 50 mil. Off course, how each school uses those funds is entire up to the principal.

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

KYC · Joined: 11 May 2006

Meh, I'm the 3rd English teacher here and I don't even have an English classroom. I had to use the computer room. My students didn't even have desks! They sat on the floor...on a dirty piece of foam mat. Most of the time they would just wrestle each other while I try not to lose it.

Approximately 2 months ago, the projector broke. Something was wrong with the lens. The shcool tells me that it costs too much to have it replaced so they wont even bother with it. The textbook lessons use the cds and my extra lessons are ppt based. I have to hop from room to room to teach.

I did noticed that LAST year, the computer room had really old computers & big bulky screens. This year, they've all been replaced with new comps & nice flat screen monitors Very Happy

Pssh the comp they told me to use is at least 10 years old Very Happy

Whatever. I don't care. I'm sure there's an English fund but I have yet to hear about it. I don't prepare anything extravagant for my classes because I dont want to spend my own money. I even recycle the old paper folders the kids had from last year. I'm haivng them use it agian this year. It's not worth it for me to even bother. I know the money they get for having me is going somewhere else.

ED209 · Joined: 17 Oct 2006

Your principal is driving your English fund to the room salon then home every night.

nomad-ish · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:24 pm Post subject:

i do have an English Zone, but even then it's very basic.... however, at least i have desks for the kids!

is 50mil for a 1st level teacher? what about for 2nd or 3rd level teachers?

KoreanAmbition · Joined: 03 Feb 2008

Adventurer,

Don't forget, you calculated key deposit up above.

Isn't that money they get returned?

Technically that's not even spent.

In fact, the key deposit was probably given a zillion years ago and they probably don't even pay for it...just monthly rent.

I think they're screwing teachers for a lot more than you think. hehe

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

50 million won for each year? What happens if there's a runner? Do they have to give the money back? Or do they keep it and make an even bigger profit?

Hmmmmm, a financial incentive to drive teachers out of Korea?

Boodleheimer · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:27 pm Post subject:

is the sum the same for all ELTs --- level one, two, etc?

it would be in the schools' interests to get teachers with less experience then.

it's full of stars · Joined: 26 Dec 2007

I'd be really interested to know how much money there is in the guest teacher's budget too.

My K co-teacher always avoids the issue when I ask. I've asked 3 times for a copy of windows in English and been told it's too expensive. I bought some resources, card, large sheets of paper and the like because they took 2 weeks to buy them and then they refused to refund me. All the old teachers have new computers, even the new teachers got a new computer, I got a recycled monitor to go with my POS computer.

Stingy SOBs, suppose I need to show Jung or Han or something and buy a load a cakes for their fat, stupid faces so they think I'm a team player, maybe I'll get some stuff then.

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

At my public school last year they didn't want to use native speakers, but they were stuck with me for a year because the original school I was contracted to never opened. I was only teaching 9 classes a week first semester, although my coteacher and principal fudged my time cards to get it over the contracted minimum in order to not lose their funding.

Likewise, as I posted before, they didn't find me a place to live until the day before I arrived. Because they put it off so long they couldn't actually rent one, so a friend of somebody at the education office let me stay above his bookstore rentfree for 4 months. In late-December the county had to show documentation of how much they were paying for rent, in order (again) to not lose their funding, so they moved me out with a few hours' notice.

Even though we are allotted money in the budget for supplies, I never saw a won of it. I was also not paid for a 3-week winter camp I did, even though the going-rate is nearly $1,000 a week. I was also not paid overtime my second semester. The blatant corruption there and the half-assedness really put me off re-signing with a rural county again. Things are completely different this time around, which is very nice.

nomad-ish · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:59 am Post subject:

Kimchieluver · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I don't know how things work in other areas of Korea, but here in Gimhae, the city rents out all the apartments for the teachers and the schools receive money for the teachers' salaries and resources.

If each school is getting 50 mil/ year / waygukin teacher, they are making a killing.

By the way, some free resources can be found here:

www.mes-english.com

Best of luck.