Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lindihop]

I'm a little confused.

Is the only way I can teach in a public school to go through EPIK and take their standard contract? (I know there is also GEPIK, but I presume it's the same/same, but just for a different area of Korea.)

I ask because I'm just coming up to finishing my first year in a public school and would like to return to teach again in the public sector next year, but after a break, and without extending my current contract.

I've been very lucky in relation to time off, but having read some of the posts on Dave's, of others who are teaching in public schools, it seems that working conditions/interpretation of the contract can vary greatly. In relation to time off this seeming to be dependent upon whether the school (or Education Authority) have had Winter and Summer camps organised to place teachers at while the school has been closed for those long vacations.

So my questions is; "Does everyone who is teaching at a public school have the same general EPIK contract, or is it possible to take another route in and negotiate something better?"

Thanks for your help.

[chevro1et]

I am working for a public school about 25 min outside of Busan and did NOT go thru EPIK to get my job. The public school foreign teachers in this area are paid by the Gori Nuclear Power Plant, and it is a slightly different contract, and pays slightly better. Heard about the job through a friend, and actually got the job through a recruiter.

[Yesterday]

[psychohel]

Went through a recruiter and had better holidays and pay than other local teachers using EPIK.

[Michelle]

Hi There,

Careful!

I am on an Epik contract and because I am in a bigger city the education board looks in on our school. Some teachers sign directly with the principal and I have heard they find it hard to get them to stick to the contract.

[Eedoryeong]

I applied directly with the principal of my school.

All reports so far are enormously positive. Got a house out of it, too. Principal says EPIK contract will be followed for vacation, sick days and pay scale. But we've customized it a bit. Sweet deal though. I say try it.

[Fishead soup]

Whether you work for Epik or not you will be working for the Kyo-yuk- cheong.

[tbag81]

You definitely don't have to go through EPIK to get a public school job in Korea. It all depends on which province you work in. In Jeollanamdo for instance you would go through Canadian Connections. But there are tons of smaller cities that have plants(such as nuclear power plants) that pay for a foreign teacher, also, there are some schools that are both privately and publicly funded that tend to do hiring on their own.

[Fishead soup]

One of the biggest drawbacks of working for a program like EPIK. is they are incredably disorganised. I know of more than one situation of NETS being informed of a tranfer. The day they returned from their summer home leave. The Jet lagged exhausted teachers had to prepare a moving van and move immediately. Epik supervisors are so incompitant.

[sojourner1]