Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MasanTeacher]

We, Masan 2007 public school teachers, are writing to make all prospective teachers aware of what we have experienced in the city of Masan this year. In the standard English Program In Korea (EPIK) contract which covers most public school teachers in Korea, there is a requirement to pay foreign teachers an extra month�s severance pay when they successfully complete their contract and also to provide a free return airfare, whether the teacher has elected to remain with the school, or not, after finishing their first contract.

Unfortunately, in early 2008, when many teachers� contracts finished, the Masan Office of Education did neither of these things (the Office of Education insisted teachers pay for their own airfares and be reimbursed. This is not in the EPIK contract and thus is illegal) and only about half of the foreign teachers in Masan received their money on time.

After more than a month of waiting, the remaining teachers decided to initiate a letter and email writing campaign together to the Masan Office of Education and the EPIK office in Seoul. Eventually, this campaign had the desired affect, and those teachers who had not been paid were paid, with the last teacher receiving their money 2 months after they should have been paid.

NB - Remember, while you may be supervised day to day by your school, the Office of Education is the body with whom you have actually signed your contract, and so they administer your contract, have authority over your school and may make decisions that directly affect you.

Signed

Masan 2007 public school teachers

[TBirdMG]

A black eye on EPIK and PS schemes in general. And a shame that even government organized programs can't get their act together. And it's not the first time!

When I was with EPIK back in the day, I gave serious consideration to renewing for a 2nd year. At the last moment, all the teachers in my province were summoned to a general meeting at our POE and an officer thrust new contracts into our hands. No discussion, no negotiation, no time to consider the contents. We were told to sign the contracts at that precise moment or forever waive our right to renew.

Anyways, the approximate 35 of us sort of improvised a huddle, noted major and minor changes from the previous year, and attempted to get clarifications to said changes. It was a sad scene.

The POE did the following:
- In order to avoid severance, the new contract was 11 months in length
- Annual vacation was reduced from 20 days to 10 days
- 2 weeks additional vacation was given for renewal, but no flight or equivalent compensation was offered
- Renewing teachers would have to submit to a second health review
- Addition of Saturday work at the discretion of the school

Out of the 35, maybe 6 or 7 signed and the rest walked away confident intent on returning to their home countries or finding better deals from another school program or private institute.

EPIK could be great, but instead, it's an uphill battle for decency. My schools were awesome hosts. Most of my teachers were friendly, cooperative, and competent in the classroom. The students were generally fun to work with. But man, any time I had a contractual issue, the POE just tried to bend me over, and my schools ended up paying the price when I had to fight for my just rights as stated in the EPIK contract.

EPIK. At your own risk.

[Chamchiman]

[BS.Dos.]

Yeah, thanks for the heads up.

Just out of interest, how many EPIK FTs are going to be re-signing over the next couple of months? I'm planning on doing so.

*Edit*
Ta-da!

*Double edit*
That's not me in the photo.

[TBirdMG]

It was Kyonggi before it was known as Gyeonggi, and before it split with EPIK and became G-EPIK....but it was still HIGHLY disorganized.

I remember being told late in the week before winter break that I would be giving a 2 week training course for elementary teachers. No way, I said. I already had a ticket to Vietnam for vacation, and the time had already been approved by my principal. My POE supervisor had a fit.

...'But we have already notified all the elementary teachers in the region to report for training!!' he said.

No problem, I replied. They can still come to training.

...The supervisor breathed a sigh of relief and thanked me for my cooperation.

I told him that I was not cooperating, just clarifying that the teachers could still come to the training. The POE simply needed to find a new teacher.

The POE supervisor started making all sorts of hemming, hawing, and hissing sounds. Then he went away speechless. The next day he offered to refund my ticket and pay me 40,000/hour for the training. Teacher training was not in my contract, and so there was little he could do. He was in a pickle, and a full sour at that.

I accepted and ended up earning a little over 2.0m in 2 weeks. And the POE told my principal to let me take my vacation some other time. My principal was so confused. He just shrugged his shoulders and told me to work hard for the elementary teachers. Weird.

[mrsquirrel]

[TBirdMG]

Missus Quirrel,

No, this 11 month contract extension occurred more than 5 years ago. Many teachers challenged the legality of it, and eventually the Kyonggi POE had to back down. Apparently, even for contract 're-signing', in order to get the E-2 extension, the contract be offered had to be for a full 12 months. And as it was a government contract for a minimum of one year, the severance pay had to be reinstated.

But like I said, this was several years ago, and who knows what shenanigans and loopholes EPIK and the like are seeking this time around.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[squexx]

Like the prior incarnations of EPIK, it gets worse as the years go on. I expect a huge recession this fall and like happened back in 1997, benefits were cut, teachers were cheated and the program deteriorated until it was reborn again. I expect this EPIK to last 2-3 years before it is bureaucratically reincarnated.

[Stormy]

[BS.Dos.]

Here -, in fact, fill your boots and have two --

[Dances With Wolves]

I am not happy to hear this! I am currently trying to get a job with EPIK.

[Stormy]

[Ramen]