Korean Job Discussion Forums

[garykasparov]

Backlash on stronger E-2 visa rules



The chief education officials of 16 major cities and provinces called for further easing of the new visa rules for foreign teachers, which they claim impede the recruitment of English teachers.
The request was made during their meeting with Minister of Education, Science and Technology Kim Doh-yeon. The two-day conference ended yesterday.

Despite the surging demand triggered by the governments initiative to enhance public English education, the strict rules of qualification for the E-2 visa has made it difficult to hire native speaking teachers, they said. The regulations took effect Dec. 15. English teachers applying for the visa must be citizens of English-speaking countries with at least a bachelors degree. Applicants must submit a criminal background check and health data, including HIV-AIDS and drug-test results.

The government has already eased some of the regulations. The validity of the criminal background check has been extended and applicants will no longer be required to test for marijuana use.

The chief education officials also called on the government to reinforce the roles of the department dealing with foreign teachers at the National Institute for International Education Development, so as to systematically recruit, manage and retrain them.

They asserted that increasing the number of foreign assistant teachers was imperative to bridge the regional divide in education levels, which was highlighted following the basic skills test taken by seventh-graders nationwide on March 6.

During the meeting the officials discussed an array of pending education issues, including the ministrys planned tasks for this year.

Minister Kim said that the government would coordinate with relevant organizations on its plan to invite English-speaking ethnic Koreans and foreign students who major in Korean studies as English instructors to teach after-school English lessons in rural areas from as early as this summer.

Ethnic Koreans or foreigners who volunteer to teach in Korea for between six months and a year will be given a chance to experience Korean culture, Kim said.

The ministry has yet to decide on the details such as the qualifications, selection process and how many will be selected. It plans to recruit the volunteers through Korean embassies and Korean student associations abroad.

The new visa rule was introduced amid widespread unease over the credibility of foreign English teachers. A series of foreign teachers have recently been arrested, including Christopher Paul Neil, a Canadian English teacher who taught here for four years.

He was arrested in late October in Thailand, on charges of molesting children in Southeast Asia.

The government transition team in January announced English education plans aimed at enhancing students conversational skills by teaching students English exclusively in the language.

The government also plans to recruit 23,000 TEE (Teaching English in English) teachers over the next five years.

By Song Sang-ho

([email protected])





2008.04.04

[Typhoon]

[Hank the Iconoclast]

It's official. They are the ones who need to be drug tested.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

"The chief education officials of 16 major cities and provinces"

I wonder on whose behalf their speaking, public or private education?

[Bibbitybop]

I like the fact they are still mentioning CPN as a main reason for these tightened E-2 regulations, but failing to mention he wasn't on an E-2 nor would a CBC or drug test stopped him from teaching in Korea (where he didn't molest children).

[TexasPete]

They're nuts if they think people are going to volunteer to teach in rural areas for "cultural experience". Ok, they may get a few suckers to do it, but not anywhere near the demand they have. I mean really, getting paid to put up with the BS here is one thing, but I couldn't possibly imagine working here for free. I mean this isn't some 3rd world country where people come to volunteer out of the goodness of their hearts or for some personal fulfillment (though local thinking may seem 3rd world at times). This is a top economy and frankly they can afford to pay teachers to work where they want them to--they just have to be willing to pay enough.

[bacasper]

[SHANE02]

[crsandus]

[DrunkenMaster]

[bassexpander]

[spliff]

I, for one, feel the Visa restrictions are laudable and indispensable in screening teacher applicants. I hope the authorities don't intend relaxing them.

[Ilsanman]

It's almost pathetic how deluded some people are. If people are refusing to come here and work for $2500 a month, just lower the pay to 0 and they'll come running, right?

[Oreovictim]

[expat2001]