Korean Job Discussion Forums

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

The problem is the Confucian obsession with face prevents parents from analyzing their children's education outside of the context of "do I look OK by doing this?"
Maybe some of them realize that their kids aren't being taught right but they think sending their kid to a cram school hagwon that teaches little to no communicative skills is what is expected of a Korean parent in their neighborhood--ergo that's what is done, even in the parents KNOW it's not effective.

Sushi · Joined: 24 Apr 2008 Location: North Korea

Medic · Joined: 11 Mar 2003

Foreign schools , International schools or private schools are nortorious for the work load they give to their teachers and the moderate to low pay. Public schools would never load a teacher up with the work these foreign, international, private schools require and they pay more. The allure of teaching in a foreign country is the big attraction, but their are many a horror story no different from the stuff you read on Daves.

You do get travel allowances of course regardless of where you were hired from. Some of course will try to screw you on that. Heard from someone here in Korea that a teacher was made to teach a history class even though she was a math science teacher. Dumkoff administrator who would have had his but kicked if he had tried that in a public school. These schools are out of the loop with regards to the proper working conditions that are imposed by the public schools, so they take sometimes very excessive liberties.

Private schools are money making concerns. They are buisnesses first, and many crop up when big companies are in town who employe expats and are willing to pay whatever fees a school requires to lure expats with families.

Sushi · Joined: 24 Apr 2008 Location: North Korea

Daves has a lot of complaints and gripes, because ESL is a fly by night Industry. No one really cares where you are going or where you came from. Nor are potental employers that interested in your past experience. That's good in a sense, because an ESL teacher can learn from his or her past mistakes and improve on his or her performance next time round. Unfortunately some don't of course and just drag the majority of ESLers down.

In the case of private schools, teachers teach specific subjects in what's supposed to be a regular school environment. They desperately need a reference to move on to another school when their contract is up. Some who are fortunate enough to have a lot of experience can let a crappy school slide and use references from previous schools. Teachers in these schools have to therefore grit their teeth when conditions suck. They can't gripe either, because their remarks will come back and haunt them for the rest of their career.

I heard that at Holleys school a lot of hogwan teachers have used their school as a means to get certified through on line courses, and then go back to their home countries and work in public schools. That's a positive side to working at the place, but you gotta have your act to-gether to go that route, because it's a lot of work.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Yeah, I saw one school hiring a 'principal' down in Cheolla Do. What a joke! Uh, some time in country, uh, some experience, and uh, likes kids.

These places are money makers in Korea, pure and simple. Sad, really. And, yes, this is ONE instance where the government might be handy.

Medic · Joined: 11 Mar 2003

The International school in Seoul pays it's teachers way above that of other International schools and hogwons, but the teachers have to be certified. I think it's also where the U.S. Embassy recomends expats to send their kids. An Embssay will only recommend one school of course so the school does everything it can to maintain certain standards. There are two other big International schools, one of which is sponsored by Samsung. Then again maybe both of them are.
The Moonies have an international school too, and it's really expensive. The majority of the other schools pay no better than your average hogwon, and don't require their teachers to be certified. If International schools require certification then they gotta pay their teachers a whole lot more than they would otherwise. Many first time International teachers use these Hogwon International schools and their low pay as starting points for their International careers. Others with more experience will come for the novelty, but only stay for a short time.

Sushi · Joined: 24 Apr 2008 Location: North Korea

Found this on a blog about the Gwangju foreign school school

LA's Finest

Robert Holley, the CIA the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), are all trying to prove that they are the best at apprehending criminals. The President decides to give them a test. He releases a rabbit into the forest and each of them has to catch it.

Robert Holley goes in. He can't find the rabbit. He tries to hire adjoshis to help, but they balk knowing of his reputation as a shonkey lawyer. He then goes to a run down pet shop and buys one. After 6 months he's still in the forest , because he lost and can't find his rabbit . He then prays to the Gods to give him another one. A dark angel comes down and touches his nose, his face, and his bum. Wamo! He turns into a big ugly, stinky, fat, dirty disease ridden rabbit. He runs out of the forest saying " It's me, it's me. Please don't shoot. Please don't shoot" . They shoot him anyway.

The CIA goes in. They place animal informants throughout the forest. They question all plant and mineral witnesses. After three months of extensive investigations they conclude that rabbits do not exist.

The FBI goes in. After two weeks with no leads they burn the forest, killing everything in it, including the rabbit. They make no apologies. The rabbit had it coming.

The LAPD goes in. They come out two hours later with a badly beaten bear. The bear is yelling: "OK! OK! I'm a rabbit! I'm a rabbit!"