Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sadebugo1]

This seems to run counter to the recent regulations making the E-2 more difficult to get. Also, I have to ask, What happened to the Nova influx of teachers? I had thought that Korea was overwhelmed with teachers escaping the collapse of the Japanese EFL industry. Was I wrong?

Sadebugo
Djibouti, Horn of Africa
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/




Academic Standards Easing for Foreign English Teachers

By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

The government is considering loosening academic requirements for native-English speaking teachers as a means to meet growing demand in rural areas that are shunned by foreign teachers.

Currently, the jobs are only open to those with bachelor degrees at four-year universities. As education authorities in rural areas have had difficulty hiring native-English speaking teachers, they are now calling on the central government to ease the qualifications for English-teaching or E-2 visas to those who have completed 2-year courses at universities or colleges.

In response, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and other government agencies said they are positively considering accepting the demand for the relaxation of the academic requirements. The ministry has already asked the Korean Immigration Service to ease the English-teaching or E-2 visa.

Top educators in 15 cities and provinces recently asked the ministry to accept two demands regarding foreign English teachers ― lowering academic criteria and allowing the hiring of those from countries where English is spoken as one of the official languages.

Kim Young-guen, spokesperson of the immigration authority reacted positively to the proposals but expressed concern over easing academic requirements. ``I see some hurdles to lowering academic standards for foreigners. I doubt whether Korean teachers will be okay with foreign English teachers who don't have bachelor's as Koreans need to complete a 4-year program at a university to be a teacher,'' he said.

Nevertheless he said it would be in order to issue E-2 visas to foreigners from all English-speaking countries.

Korean teachers' groups also questioned the education ministry's move to ease academic requirements. ``We understand that schools in rural areas have difficulty finding English native teachers. Still, the ministry's move to create programs to attract quality foreign teachers to the alienated schools should not be sacrificed,'' said Kim Dong-seok, spokesperson of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Association.

Even, some foreign teachers are negative about lowering academic standards for English teachers, a move they say will degrade the quality of teaching in the end. Some say Korean graduates could prove to be better teachers than those foreigners who will be picked under easier standards.

``Honestly, why not just hire more Korean English teachers? There are thousands of young university graduates with excellent English skills who are looking for work. Is the government recruiting people from overseas because they don't want to pay language instructors as much as what Korean teachers earn?'' said Jason Thomas, teacher educator in Gyeonggido Insitute for Foreign Language Education.

Commenting on these concerns, Oh Seok-hwan, the official in charge of English education at the ministry, told The Korea Times that they will prepare measures to counter possible side effects.

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[ttompatz]

Old news - where have you been hiding.

[pkang0202]

BA's were never the only requirement. BS's were qualified to teach English too.


Also, the Education department can whine and complain all they want. Immigration will never loosen their restrictions. Immi has a hard enough time trying to keep track of people with or without 4 year degrees. Imagine throwing in 2 year degrees into that mix. They wouldn't be able to tell a 2 year degree from a 4 year.

[some waygug-in]

This is probably the stupidest thing they could do. From the article, it all looks like speculation anyway, but just imagine the whining that would ensue if say 1000 high-school graduates (or even non-grads) showed up and started dealing with a year of enslavement for XYZ hagwans.

Then imagine the counter whining about the lack of skills said teachers exibit.......

Not saying that some of the baby-sitting jobs here really require any kind of degree, but at least it's something.

No mention of changing the visas to allow teachers more freedom....as in Japan. No, that would make too much sense for Korea.

Sparkling.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[TexasPete]

Instead of lowering standards, why don't they increase incentives? What's the hardship bonus for EPIC...something like W100,000/month? That's peanuts in exchange for having to live in the middle of nowhere surrounded by completely foreign stuff. Do rural EPIC teachers also have to do that ridiculous "stay-here-while-all-the-other-K-teachers-have-vacation-weigook" thing? If so, eliminating that dumb requirement and increasing vacation time could get some people down there. How about providing a car or some sort of personal transportation so that the foreign teacher doesn't feel so trapped and isolated by the bus schedule? A sweet pad would be good too. There's all kinds of things they could do to sweeten the pot and get foreigners to the rural areas, but i doubt that occurs to the peepz in charge. But, nooooo...their solution is to lower academic requirements.

[Sadebugo1]