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monkeyteacher
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Location: near the magic mountain
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 Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:15 am Post subject: Namyangju Public School hasn't paid severance, apt. deposit |
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Just a warning to any newbies applying and also to you with contracts finishing soon. Don't believe the school's verbal blather that they will wire your money to your account in your home country after you leave. I finished my GEPIK contract at the end of Nov., and no funds yet. Sparkling, yes? If you'd like to know the name of the school, e-mail me at < [email protected] > Any helpful advice would be appreciated, too. I hope to file a complaint with the labor board, but have to get back to Korea from the US first, it appears. [/b]  |
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expat2001
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 11:25 am Post subject: |
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| This doesnt surprise me at all. I ve always known ,that sooner or later , public schools would develop the hogwon mentality. |
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dmbfan
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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| doesnt surprise me at all. I ve always known ,that sooner or later , public schools would develop the hogwon mentality |
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OP, sorry to hear about this. Although, I hope you take this as a lesson to never, never, NEVER trust ANY Korean when it comes to money and verbal agreements. These people don't have any honour and are truly the scrubs of Asia.
And, I"ve been saying this for awhile as well. Public schools will and are turning into hogwans.
But, hopefully this is a lesson learned for you. Have you tried contacting ATEK?
dmbfan |
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fromtheuk
Joined: 31 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Contact GEPIK and demand an answer. |
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monkeyteacher
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Location: near the magic mountain
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:08 am Post subject: How to contact ATEK? |
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| I'm interested in contacting ATEK but don't know how. Any info.? I haven't contacted GEPIK yet. I just heard a horror story about D.B. at GEPIK being rude and lying about another teacher. This teacher arrived in Dec. and has gotten ZERO from her school or GEPIK except lies and mistreatment-----no work and not a single won! WARNING! |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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| I thought Dain Bae was in charge of this kinda crap. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:45 pm Post subject: Re: How to contact ATEK? |
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| monkeyteacher wrote: |
| I'm interested in contacting ATEK but don't know how. Any info.? I haven't contacted GEPIK yet. I just heard a horror story about D.B. at GEPIK being rude and lying about another teacher. This teacher arrived in Dec. and has gotten ZERO from her school or GEPIK except lies and mistreatment-----no work and not a single won! WARNING! |
I thought the ATEK spokesman said that they wouldn't get involved in contract problems? |
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marlow
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:52 pm Post subject: Re: Namyangju Public School hasn't paid severance, apt. depo |
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| monkeyteacher wrote: |
| Don't believe the school's verbal blather that they will wire your money to your account in your home country after you leave. |
Took me three months. They pay yearly instead of at the end, so technically it's not a labor violation. When I finish this year they're up shit creek if they try to **** me.
Just because it's a public school doesn't mean they can be trusted with money. I have monthly money issues--10,000 here, 20,000 there. Pisses me off. |
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ED209
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 6:00 pm Post subject: Re: How to contact ATEK? |
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| monkeyteacher wrote: |
| I haven't contacted GEPIK yet. |
Not to be funny, but shouldn't you at least try. I don't care what I've heard about how useless GEPIK may be, I'd be giving them shit. |
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monkeyteacher
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Location: near the magic mountain
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| Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:52 am Post subject: How to contact GEPIK? |
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| OK, could anyone share DB or anyone else's e-mail addy at GEPIK? I don't seem to have it. |
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Gamecock
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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| A tip to anyone working here. NEVER EVER, EVER, EVER LEAVE KOREA WITHOUT ALL YOUR MONEY. PERIOD. |
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MrRogers
Joined: 29 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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Marlow wrote:
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| Just because it's a public school doesn't mean they can be trusted with money. I have monthly money issues--10,000 here, 20,000 there. Pisses me off. |
same thing happened to me with a public school district in the south - screwed around with pension, and refused to give me receipts for monthly salary as I requested
Last edited by MrRogers on Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:02 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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GEPIK shouldn't let this happen or else GEPIK will lose many, many, mnay teachers.  |
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monkeyteacher
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Location: near the magic mountain
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| Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:44 am Post subject: Maybe GEPIK should & will lose many teachers |
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| for not treating them professionally. Why not just play tapes if they want pronunciation machines? Otherwise, get a clue about actually teaching kids E. What I didn't state in my OP, was that a K English teacher was hired and brought in on a 3 month contract, which overlapped with the last 2 months of my contract. Now I learn that the K teacher has gotten a job at an elem. school nearer her home for next year. So I'm thinking that GEPIK was behind this, perhaps? Any thoughts? |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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I've heard a lot of schools do this. Many teachers have told me that it's pretty bad south of Suwon. I have heard that Pyeongtaek is "low-class" and "scummy." I know one guy that is complaining about the Mechanical & Technical High School down there and a couple complaining about a hogwon as well.
GEPIK also seems more interested in fleecing teachers as well.
Education is a business here, where quality doesn't even factor in.
Let's see what foreign embassies in Korea have to say about the matter (in alphabetical order):
Australia: I didn't see anything specific mentioned. http://www.southkorea.embassy.gov.au/
New Zealand: http://www.nzembassy.com/topic.cfm?CFID=22786254&CFTOKEN=29012857&c=8&l=39&s=nz
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Koreans see business less as a rational, legally based interaction than as a relationship. Consequently there is a much weaker sense of law in Korean business relations than in international business. For many Koreans, a contract is part of the symbolism involved in beginning a relationship, and 'beginning' is the important word. The contract, thus, is only as binding as the personal relations.
It is not surprising, therefore, that foreign instructors in Korea occasionally have contract disputes with their employers. The employer may, indeed, consider the contract a simple working agreement, subject to change depending upon the circumstances- and usually after the foreigner has arrived in Korea. Most Koreans do not view deviations from a contract as a "breach" and few Koreans would consider taking an employer to court over a contract dispute. |
There are links on the right down the page that links to more information.
South Africa: I didn't see anything specific mentioned.
The United States:
http://seoul.usembassy.gov/teach.html
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The U.S. Embassy receives many inquiries about teaching English in Korea. We have prepared this informal guide to give teachers basic information on the business of teaching English here so they can better inform themselves before committing to a particular job.
Unfortunately, some American citizens come to Korea under contract�with promises of generous salaries, bonuses and other amenities�only to find themselves in tenuous situations, often lacking funds to return to the U.S. The Embassy, by regulation, cannot enter into any case, conduct an investigation, or act as a lawyer regarding legal or contractual mishaps experienced by U.S. citizens. We can neither investigate nor certify employers. It is up to each individual to evaluate potential employers before signing a contract.
We hope this information will prove to be useful. If you have any problems, please contact the American Citizen Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy. Please see our website, www.asktheconsul.org, for further information or for contact information. |
There's a link on the right that provides more information.
United Kingdom: I didn't see anything specific mentioned. http://ukinkorea.fco.gov.uk/en
This is quite intriguing. Only two out of five embassies seem to caution potential teachers.
I guess the other three embassies aren't in tough enough with their citizens to be aware of such problems. |
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