Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Lost Seoul]

It appears to me that poeple who work at smaller family run hagwons seem to get treated better and seem much happier than those who work for the larger franchise schools. However I'm sure this not always the case so I would be interested to hear other peoples viewpoints on this subject.

[FliptheCoin]

Well this is one opinion, of what I'm sure is many. Just read a post on a teacher who had horror stories of horror stories happen to him at an GnB school in Incheon. Was surprised, because I work for the same franchise in Suncheon, and my experience has been incredibly different. In fact, I have the business card of the manager in Seoul, who on my second day visited and told me in private if there were any problems with my director to call or email him. I haven't even had to use it.

So yeah I consider myself really lucky. But I have had nothing but good experiences. We just moved to a new building, which is huge and fabulous compared to the last. My director is sincerely nice (although a little busy), and the other teachers are like family. Am I deceiving myself, no I dont think so. I really like it here.

Anyways there is hope. Although its easy to generalize about smaller family run hagwons beings better and larger franchises not, heres one exception I guess me! I think its more dependant upon who is running the school, family run or franchise.

Good luck to you all!

[kimcheeking]

I would say it is a mixed bag. The family run operation that I worked at in my first year in Seoul was both good and bad, but mostly bad. The name is Snappy English - Moonhwachun near hongje Station, they are also known as HanSeo English Hogwan.

Anyhow we got paid on time every month and the housing was great 32 pyoung apartment shared with 3 teachers. (In 97 this was really good)

However the owners wife was a hypocritcal psychotic bitch from the nether regions of hell. She goes by Mrs Baek or Crystal. Her husband appears to be nice but he follows her orders.

Basically they acted like all the foreign teachers were indentured labour. Random schedule changes, worst splits imaginable. I had an accident where I was unable to walk and couldn't go to work for 2-3 days and I was accused of doing it on purpose so that I would get some vacation time. I lost it and told the owner where to go in very explicit terms.

Another incident one of the teachers was shot, yes shot, in the eye with a BB gun. fortuneately for him he was wearing hard lenses and didn't lose his site. The school didn't want to pay for new lens and we going to let the kid back in the next day. However every teacher quit that night so they changed thier minds.. we only stayed 'cause it was a matter of weeks till getting our final pay.

They are still in business as far as I know.

[gomurr]

I'd have to go with the independents over franchise schools. Although remember teaching over here is a crapshoot, sometimes your lucky and sometimes your not.

I spent 3 years at an independent in kangnung called MAC English school. The owner was one of the few who cares about learning. He spent 5 years in the States so he knows what it's like for foreigners. Also Mr. lee used to be one of the biggest schools there but downsized in order to spend more time teaching. He is not only the director but also the Korean/English teacher.

I also spent a year in ECC Chung-ju and it was okay but the housing sucked. High utility rates, cockroaches and no kitchen taps (I used to carry water from the bathroom to the sink. The schedule was okay but the director was pretty useless.

The worst was Kid's Herald in dae-cheong Seoul. I spent 4 months there before getting fired while my wife was giving birth. In less than a year the directors had fired 5 foreign teachers and 4 more have done the run. One of the teachers who did stay a year was badly ripped off. The schedule sucked (split shift), video cameras in the classroom and a file kept on you for anything they didn't like. They also searched apartments when teachers were at school.

Now I'm ye-cheon at a Jung-chul school but my director is a nice lady who gives me alot of leeway. I don't have to use Jung-chul books and have a pretty good schedule (23 hours a week).

Basically small schools can't afford to bring new teachers so they treat their teachers reasonably well while big franchises tend to think that we are easy to replace.

[mysteriousdeltarays]

Kid's Herald. Oh My! The less said the better.

[Seatangle]

I work for just such a small, family run hogwan. They treat me very well. While I've never worked for a larger, franchised institute, the teachers I know who do seem to get a lot worse treatment.

There are always exceptions of course, but in general I'd say if you absolutely must work in a hogwan, smaller ones are the way to go.

[The Bobster]

I weigh in on the side of the mom&pop places these days. I prefer having only one boss, even if he changes his mind about things from day to day, rather than than having three or four bosses each interpreting company policy to their own advantages and playing politics against each other - regardless of who wins these power struggles, the lowly teacher (me) is likley to bear the brunt, and none of it likley to make my job easier.

Small shops often pay a little better, too. Another upside is that they are often more flexible, will do a little more for you from time to time than just what is the strict letter of the contract.

The downside of THAT is that they will sometimes ASK more than what is the strict letter of the contract. Big chains might offer you a sucky deal but the sucky deal they offer on paper is pretty much the sucky deal you'll get, no surprises.

By the way, a true corproate chain (ELS, e.g.) should be distinguished form a franchise (Kid's Herald, e.g.), in which texts and some interior decorating, perhaps a seminar or two, are pretty much the extent of what the head office does. Franchise schools have individual owners and the contracts and schedule requirements vary from one place to another - at my KH 3 different teachers have 3 different contracts and pay rates because we negotiated them that way. The large corporate chain will give you the same salary and an identical contract whether you work in Seoul or Pusan or some tiny little town no one has heard from.

A lot of your happiness here depends on your relationsip with your coworkers and superiors. That's why I like a smaller place ... fewer people to annoy me and vice versa.

[VanIslander]

I've wondered whether I'd ever want to work for a larger institute where there are several other foreigners to offer solidarity, support and unfortunately whine and cheesy stuff too.

My small hogwan is wonderful but I suspect that a small hogwan could be the worst, depending on the director. (Sort of like the philosopher Plato spoke about politics.) If you are a newbie with no idea of the work environment, jumping into an academy with many other foreigners would be better than going it alone. I should talk! I chose a small academy (because other considerations outweighed this one).

I was lucky.

After being here for over a year I won't have to consider which is better: I'd find out the specifics of a workplace from visiting it and talking to present and past teachers of the academy.

So, is bigger better? Well, I say smallest can be best but biggest may be better (riskwise).

[Ilsanman]

At least with a big place, you will get paid, even if there is bureaucratic crap going on. So many small hagwons go bankrupt, I don't need it.

[Harvard Material]

Hey Lost Seoul!! Happy New Year!

I have worked for both; they both stunk. Not due to square footage though; due to greed, deciet and blatant theft.

I am at a small institute now that is very nice, and I have known the owner for a very long time. Just teach the children how to speak English, improve/correct spelling mistakes, share cultural experiences. That's what is expected. It isn't a difficult job, especially with younger students, but the management can make it very difficult. Both of my former institutes made demands that had nothing to do with 'education'. What the hell is an 'Intensive Kindergarten Program'?? Twice the Tiny Talk and finger painting as a 'regular' program? The parent's actually buy into this propaganda?? My god; it isn't university...

The size, to answer the question, I don't think matters. It is the integrity and honesty of the person/s running the operation. Could be good or bad at either. Crossing fingers isn't a good way to land/hold down a job! Do your research before you commit to a contract.

You have a certain amount of rights with a smaller hakwon, from what I have experienced. If you have a legal complaint it gets thrown out if there are less than 5 employees. That's what the Seoul prosecution's office says, regardless of the crime. Believe that! Theft is legal...as long as you don't have 6 employees.

Each have benefits that the other doesn't, but it comes down to the people running it, the teaching staff, and their combined ethics.

[osangrl]

omigod........why delete my post.....it wasn't dirty!!!!


I said......YES size does matter, it always matters!

so take that!

grrrrrrrrrr

[Son Deureo!]

I am happily moving from a mom and pop hogwon to a large corporate chain. I am tired of the mind games, penny ante stinginess, bosses who are willing to risk my health by not providing me with health insurance so they can save W40,000 a month, and all the other nonsense that comes with working for a struggling small hogwon. Oh, but we're "family".

I'll find out soon enough if the grass is greener.