Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ronald]

Yes, most Korean people and many foreigners that have worked in public schools will admit that Korea education system has taken some positive steps, but there's still a LONG ways to go. Yes, Korean students can wear their hair a little longer now, high schools are a little less powerful and have less control over a students future, and teachers are hitting students less.
However, I've seen brand new Korean teacher's right out of college coming into the public schools and you would think that after their own torment through school, they would have more understanding and compassion toward their students education. YEAH RIGHT. As soon as they start, they subject to Ajoshi's demands and their mentality takes on this view; I've struggled through school so these students should too. These "new age" teacher's are no different than the 50 year old men in charge. YOU think things are getting better? Students are still studying 12 hours a day, there's parents are spending more than ever on education, and their still getting yelled at, humiliated, and even hit. I see it everyday and those of you that work in public schools knw what I'm talking about. Just because Korean now has foreign teacher's doesn't mean things are getting better. We're just here by law anyway. Who know's what's in these Korean texts books and men that have virtually no organization skills are still in charge 8 to 1. KOrean school look like dumps and at the same time, Korea has some of the most advanced mall, subway stations, transportation, etc. It doesn't make sense.
NOw, we've all seen some of our Korean friends that speak two or more languages and even some with advanced foreign education that still cannot find a decent job here and women are basically laughed at when they apply for a "man's position". That's the benefit of this monster we are witness on a daily basis. What do you really think would change the system here in a positive direction? I'm not talking about the direction of western education either. I'm not ethnocentric. I'm talking about an education system that educates in an organized manner that is comfortable, the students can be proud of, fair, standardized discipline, text books with a global perspective, etc, etc ,etc.
I think it will not happen until the days students get through their years of 10-12 hour a day education experience and find no job waiting on the other side. It will change then when the college students rebel andsay no more. Yes, it has to be the college students. They have to be the one's that say NO MORE, this isn't working. Until that day, things are not changing. That's a joke

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Ronald]

That's an excellent point also. I don't understand why Korea hasn't attempted to explore a teacher exchange program with English speaking countries at the collegiate level or in public schooling. Don't get me wrong either; I'm not insinuating that western education is the best alternative. I'm not ethnocentric or nationalist. Many westerners are also extremely narrow minded as wel, but we don't go to school 10 hours a day and spend mllions of Won on private education and tutors either. There's no excuse for it here.

The quality of the education and how it's administered is the problem.

The best alternative is public education that instills pride in one's culture and understanding of others at the same time, teachers that understand the new global age, books that are not biased, a clean, structured learning environment, activities that foster leadership and positive involvement, and standardized discipline.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Ronald]

Well said, our presence creates an underlying animosity among Korean teachers. Actually, they just don't know what to think of us. They're either jealous of us or just laughing at us. The fact that a school HAS a native speaker is more important than the education recieved from the native speaker. At the same time, we're laughiing at them. We're not here to broaden Korean students minds, we're just here for conversation period Korean know their system is flawed, but they think so highly of themselves they will not question it's existence

Korean education has no interest in globalizing. Korean education is for Korean, by Korean, and with Foreign English teachers to benefit Koreans. We're not here for the global perspective. We're not here to enlighten. We would like to thing we are, but we're not.

[Justin Kimberlake]

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Three words: What's the point?

[ED209]

Please let's send ajoshi teacher to an inner city school in the projects

[Dome Vans]

Koreans teach and test English like it's a science. Hence the multiple choice tests. English is not a science, get them doing open ended questions earlier.

This idea was put forward at a Chungnam EPIK meeting. All I could think was, 'Yes, finally'. If students get 100% in their exams all the time, they'll think that they're there. Make them open ended and get them to work on their weak areas.

[Scotticus]

[BS.Dos.]

The old adage 'there's always resistance to change' is as relevant here as it is in the West. I agree with the replies posted, but would add that one of the other significant factors that could facilitate greater improvements within the education system over here is a change from the narrow and high managerial hierarchical chain of command to a structure which is wide and shallow.

Now, I'm not suggesting that SK should suddenly empower their teachers with greater autonomy as I think most of them wouldn't know what to do with it, but at present, decisions and ideas etc trickle down (if at all) far too slowly and when ideas are suggested, they're invariably discounted as not fitting in with 'the way things are done around here', which further reinforces the wider cultural ambivalence displayed towards doing things differently. It would seem that tapping into the tacit knowledge of some of your key resources i.e. your teachers, is something that isn't being fully realised, but IMO is something that could go someway to improving things.

[bogey666]

I'm not entirely sure that teachers' hitting students less is a step in the positive direction, like you ascertain that it is.

obviously I think such a thing is the last absolute resort, but at my school, several of the classes, even freshman classes are boisterous enough and so disruptive that I have been told that they have made several of the female teachers CRY.

they won't be making me cry.

I'm going break these little fuckers down. Physical intimidation works, they're all deathly scared of me since I'm easily the biggest/widest teacher in the school, I'm hoping between that and making them do pushups, etc or making them stand in corner, humiliation with make them understand that I cannot force them to learn, pay attention but I will not tolerate them disrupting the class.

what's interesting is as disruptive as these kids are, they will for e.g. do pushups or go to a corner.. follow any punishment, without any resistance.

try doing that in the States.. little Rasheed or little Johnny or little Jose would likely tell you he's coming back the next day to "cap your ass".

some of these kids definitely need a slap upside the head.. and the fault lies with the parents 99% of the time. They spoiled these children and there was no parental discipline. They didn't raise these children properly and now it's a matter of not rescuing the situation but merely controlling it.

[VirginIslander]

[mikekim]

Fail their stupid asses if they don't get 50%

And if they fail a grade twice its early military school and extra military duty. No hair, no phones.

That will straighten out everything.

[angelgirl]

That's an excellent point also. I don't understand why Korea hasn't attempted to explore a teacher exchange program with English speaking countries at the collegiate level or in public schooling. Don't get me wrong either; I'm not insinuating that western education is the best alternative. I'm not ethnocentric or nationalist. Many westerners are also extremely narrow minded as wel, but we don't go to school 10 hours a day and spend mllions of Won on private education and tutors either. There's no excuse for it here.

I contacted several Education Depts. in my home counrty woth with the view to exchnge programs. It can't happen until Korean will offer similiar conditions to my home country. i.e salary, housing, transportaiotn, health care vacations and work conditions. Not one dept. would touch it. In my home country- eucation is run on state lines not local or federal.