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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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 Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 8:17 am Post subject: Gov't wants F-2,F-4's to undergo drug/criminal screening |
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Sounds like they have some work to do to get it in place for F-2's as far as public school jobs. It's sort of dubious as to when or how. Also interesting, because the drug check was removed for E-2s. I also don't see the visa type Christopher Neil was on mentioned in this article. Hmmmm.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/10/117_32920.html
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By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporters
The authorities are moving to require ethnic Koreans to submit documents proving they have no criminal record and undergo drug testing when they apply for English teaching positions here.
``We understand hagwon (private language institutes) and after-school programs lack the system of weeding out unqualified teachers among those ethnic Koreans and foreigners holding visas other than E-2,�� said Seo Myung-bum, director general from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
``We are considering measures to screen their criminal and drug records.��
The move comes even though the immigration authorities say they have no plan to change the current visa policy favoring ethnic Koreans as reported by The Korea Times (Oct. 6).
Under the Korean visa rules, native English speakers applying for English teaching visa or E-2 visa are obliged to submit police background checks and medical documents.
However, ethnic Koreans or spouses of Korean nationals are exempted from the obligations as they are eligible for F-4 and F-2 visas, respectively.
There are diverse ways to block ``unqualified�� foreign teachers with F-type visas, the director general said. The ministry will revise related rules to require schools and hagwon to receive criminal records and medical documents from ethnic Korean teachers, he said.
Seo said the government would discuss the issue with other government agencies as ``it was not a simple job.��
Currently more than 500 teachers with F-2 (spouses of Koreans) or F-4 (ethnic Koreans) visas are teaching English in regular classes at elementary and secondary schools across the country, according to the ministry.
However, the government is unable to find the number of F-visa holding foreign teachers for after-school programs and hagwon.
The criminal and drug checkups for foreigners seeking English teaching jobs were introduced last year following the arrest of pedophile suspect Christopher Neil in Thailand. Neil had taught children in Korea.
In another case, David Heyon Nam, a Korean American wanted by the FBI for murder was arrested last March here and the news that he had been teaching English at hagwon in Gyeonggi Province for almost 10 years shocked the country.
However, the government has not come up with any steps to ease underlying concerns over unqualified English teachers.
According to the Korea Immigration Service, among the 38,689 F-4 visa holders, there are 26,010 Americans, 6,249 Canadians and 2,106 Australians in August.
As an initial step, the government is considering obliging elementary and secondary schools to screen foreign holding F visas.
``Under the current law, it takes more time to screen foreigners working for after-school programs and hagwon,�� said Oh Sei-an, an official of the English Education Policy Team at the ministry.
In the case of the ``Teach and Learn in Korea�� (TaLK) program that has invited a number of ethnic Koreans, the government required all participants to submit criminal records and health checkups.
``It�s not fair to give exemptions in screening unqualified educators dealing with children,�� said Park Bum-yi, director of the National Association of Parents for True Education. ``The government must strengthen screening system for foreign teachers. And gyopo also must be screened for criminal and drug records.��
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 9:09 am Post subject: |
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You mean the marijuana testing was dropped for E-2s? Yes, but they still want tests for all other drugs (which are the harmful ones).
If they are going to test some teachers, test them all, not only F-series, but ALL the public school teachers.
It's hard to believe how lax they are on Korean teachers. Over a year ago SMOE reinstated a convicted sex offender (touched female students inappropriately). Last week, a teacher got less than a year for molesting a student.
Test no one or test them all, background checks for no one for background checks for all, lets be consistent. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 9:48 am Post subject: |
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I agree. Test Korean teachers, too.
Only the Korean Teachers Union would NEVER let that fly.
It's going to become yet another unconstitutional issue that won't be taken to court because it costs too much money to do it. Just like the unconstitutional Letter of Release requirement. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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| This article is kinda moot. All public schools require drug testing/health checks for employment, regardless of E or F visa. |
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AussieGav
Joined: 02 Sep 2007
Location: Uijeongbu
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:22 pm Post subject: |
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Not sure about the overall requirement. I recently joined GEPIK, I have an F2 visa but originally came here to teach in a Hagwon on and E2. For the move to GEPIK they required all the normal documentation (criminal history, transcripts etc) but I was not required to undergo the medical exam. Personally I would have thought this to be the most important.
I do agree though that it should be a case of all or noe for each elment of the test criteria. |
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Hank the Iconoclast
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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| I am required to undergo a medical exam and obtain criminal record check for my public school position in Gyeongnam province. I have an F2 visa, so I don't see what the difference is. As long as the school is asking for it and not immigration for visa processing, then I am fine with it. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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Open your eyes people. If hagwon Boss Kim hires a gyopo who is a convicted felon back home, So what? You think the police are going to arrest Hagwon Boss Kim? Just like how the police arrested people in the sex trafficking, prostitution sting?
Lets make this VERY CLEAR.
F VISA HOLDERS HAVE TO HAVE CRIMINAL AND MEDICAL CHECKS TO WORK IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS JUST LIKE E2 VISA HOLDERS!!!
As for Hagwons:
NO LAW IS GOING TO STOP A HAGWON BOSS FROM HIRING PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CHECKED OUT.
Like Aphase said before, the F Visa holder is NOT MEANT TO BE A TEACHING VISA. It is a residence VISA. It just so happens it lets you teach with that VISA. Let me repeat what I said before:
F VISA HOLDERS HAVE TO HAVE CRIMINAL AND MEDICAL CHECKS TO WORK IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS JUST LIKE E2 VISA HOLDERS!!!
As for Hagwons:
NO LAW IS GOING TO STOP A HAGWON BOSS FROM HIRING PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CHECKED OUT.
Are we all on the same page now? |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry for the caps and the large font. I wanted to get my message across.
Pointless though, I'm sure next week there will be another thread that says F Visa holders don't need checks. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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pkang wrote
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All public schools require drug testing/health checks for employment, regardless of E or F visa.
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That's SMOE. Do GEPIK and EPIK and others test?
That's also for foreign teachers, just want to clarify Korean teachers don't get tested.
For anyone who thinks foreigners commit more crimes (per capita) than Koreans:
http://rokdrop.com/2007/09/24/exposing-the-myth-of-foreigner-crime-in-korea/
There's also a link I can't find about drug statistics. Per capita, Koreans use more drugs than foreigners in Korea. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Bibbitybop wrote: |
pkang wrote
| Quote: |
All public schools require drug testing/health checks for employment, regardless of E or F visa.
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That's SMOE. Do GEPIK and EPIK and others test?
That's also for foreign teachers, just want to clarify Korean teachers don't get tested.
For anyone who thinks foreigners commit more crimes (per capita) than Koreans:
http://rokdrop.com/2007/09/24/exposing-the-myth-of-foreigner-crime-in-korea/
There's also a link I can't find about drug statistics. Per capita, Koreans use more drugs than foreigners in Korea. |
I know GEPIK and SMOE does. I'm not sure about EPIK since I've never worked for EPIK, but I'm sure its the same case. I don't see why EPIK would be different than GEPIK or SMOE when it comes to screening native teachers. |
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saw6436
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Daejeon, ROK
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| I have an F5. I work at a public elementary school. No health check, drug check or background check for me. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Bibbitybop wrote: |
That's SMOE. Do GEPIK and EPIK and others test?
That's also for foreign teachers, just want to clarify Korean teachers don't get tested. |
Actually, I've seen new Korean teachers in the public schools get a health check. The guy drove me for a health check and he also had to get one too. The criminal record part I've heard, not seen. But, again only with new hires, even for Korean teachers. |
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citizen erased
Joined: 06 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:20 am Post subject: |
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i think this is disheartening. it means that theyre still willing to make more restrictions and maybe make things more difficult. i was hoping things would start loosening up after they said they were removing some of the drug tests but this doesnt seem to be the case.
i think im going to finish one more year and then its time to move to thailand and open a bar or something. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:42 am Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| Bibbitybop wrote: |
That's SMOE. Do GEPIK and EPIK and others test?
That's also for foreign teachers, just want to clarify Korean teachers don't get tested. |
Actually, I've seen new Korean teachers in the public schools get a health check. The guy drove me for a health check and he also had to get one too. The criminal record part I've heard, not seen. But, again only with new hires, even for Korean teachers. |
Korean public school teacher DO have to get medical checks, and not only the new hires. But they do NOT have to have drug or HIV/AIDS tests, nor do they have to have a background check. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:41 am Post subject: |
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| The Korean Teachers Union would throw a kimchi-jihad fit if the gov't even breathed a word of requiring Korean teachers to take a drug test. |
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