Korean Job Discussion Forums

sarbonn · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Location: Michigan

This used to bother me when I was teaching college kids, and I never really found a solution there. But the situation was different because if one of those kids got me sick, I could actually just cancel classes for that upcoming day to get better. I can't do that here. How do you all handle it when you have one of those students whose parents sent them to school sick regardless, and that kid is definitely going to make you sick by the time that four hour session of class is over? I ran into that last night, and I realized I had no immediate solutions to this. I couldn't send him home because the parents are paying for this kid's education, and my school would go NUTS if I sent a kid home. I can't cancel class for pretty much the same reasons. So, is getting sick really the only option we have here?

MrRogers · Joined: 29 Jun 2008

this happened to me in Shanghai, and I put up a fuss and told the director to get modern with health care practices and parenting

it still didn't work very much and the (demented) parents still kept sending their kids to school

same and even worse here in SK - so beyond trying to think sterile all day and giving sanitation/cultural habits lectures to the students - and I also send coughing, sick looking people out of the room and to whatever (poorly provided) nurse's room facilities there are - but other than that, until the society changes and the government steps in with health education and rules to the society and the schools, I don't see there is much one can do except

don't come here if it is a concern, and if you are here and it is a concern, leave which is on my agenda! I am too old to put up with this c..p and expect to stay healthy.

sojourner1 · Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 6:58 pm Post subject:

It's typical for kids to go to school sick as there's probably no one to take care of them at home nor do grand parents help out. It's really inadequacy and a lack of planning for what can and will go wrong, but the Koreans seem to tolerate getting sick and working sick and bearing the pain of not correcting or treating things that went wrong. They have to have permission from their higher ups before doing anything as there aren't contracts that state they get sick days and vacation. I'm surprised they give and allow foreigners sick days, but this is because they've been informed that westerners expect to rest up when sick instead of dogging it through a long dreary day at work and making others sick.

Because kids are kids, they have no rights and usually would not request to take a day off in bed over feeling totally blown on having the flu. They do get quite cranky and unhappy to say the least.

To answer your question. Yes, you're only option is to get sick when working or being with sick people in a sick unsanitary cramped environment. Getting a flu shot in September or October might help as well as washing hands.

MrRogers · Joined: 29 Jun 2008

sojourner wrote:

sarbonn · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Location: Michigan

Yeah, I'm not trying to complain about Korea or anything. Was just asking other people's opinions on this particular situation.

Straphanger · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea

BrianInSuwon · Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Location: Korea

I would bring a couple of those white surgical masks rated for germ filtering. Any time a kid walks into class sick hand him a mask to wear in class. (Its up to you if its new or used Smile

Share a cup, share a toothbrush, cough on each other, why not share a mask. ) And if you are still worried. Wear one yourself.

sarbonn · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Location: Michigan

Straphanger · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea

moosehead · Joined: 05 May 2007

MrRogers · Joined: 29 Jun 2008

mooshead wrote:

Chris2007 · Joined: 20 Mar 2007

I had a pretty unbelievable experience with this too. A 7 year old threw up in my class THREE times in one morning. I wasn't about to clean it up so the Korean head teacher did it each time. YET, she kept putting him back in the classroom. To top it off, the kid's stay-at-home mom didn't show up for 2 hours, and even then it was only to see for herself if he was actually sick enough to go home.

kingplaya4 · Joined: 14 May 2006

Good luck with teaching them to cover their mouths. Some of my students were actually hostile to learning it and refused. (Others reacted as if they had been told this before somewhere). Then I had one student complain to her mother that I forced her to go to the bathroom after a juicy sneeze all over her hands. I was actually called into the hagwon manager's office over this.

I think one difference is that in the west, for healthy people it is considered abnormal to get sick more than once or twice a year. Here, it's probably once every time "weather changes" for healthy people and if you're "weak" then getting sick every month might be considered normal. I'm not sure if disease transmission is figured into this.

MrRogers · Joined: 29 Jun 2008

just because societal norms are in place, doesn't mean you can't expose them to some other health habits

moosehead · Joined: 05 May 2007

Mr. Rogers I so agree with you about the sleeve thing but most of my students are so young and it's hard enough to get their attention about anything. I do try and get them to turn their heads and use both hands at least when they sneeze. I make them practice every time someone messes up.

I actually do try and use my sleeve if possible. I also stress this is one of the reasons our hands are dirty because we sneeze and cough on them.

I posted a topic on here last month regarding the WHO and world handwashing day - not too many comments but it's worthy to note this is not just a problem here in K.

we ARE teachers, after all.