Korean Job Discussion Forums

korea.teacher · Joined: 04 Feb 2009

I thought that bribing teachers was a dying system in the Korean education system, but last night the women in my class made it sound like bribng elementary school teachers is commonplace and ordinary.

Apparently, the homeroom teacher is the favored target because they have a lot of influence over student reports. The parents said that even with rules restricting their access to the school, they all know the teacher's addresses, so on special teacher days they send them gifts.

One parent in my class says she gives $100 gift certificates which she said is much lower than what other parents give ($200-300).

Do the visiting English teachers here also get gifts from parents so their children can get extra attention?

harlowethrombey · Joined: 17 Mar 2009 Location: Seoul

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

crosbystillsstash · Joined: 12 Oct 2008

One parent who lived in the states many years told me she was sick to death of it. It's common for some teachers to actually call and hint.".....Yujin is falling behind in class.......".

I returned anything I was given in cash or certificates. the Koean teacher had to save face and do the same. Very Happy

ChinaBoy · Joined: 17 Feb 2007

cdninkorea · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

The bribery system can be explained, but not justified, but the fact that Korean teachers used be very poorly compensated. If it's still happening there's no reasonable explanation at all, let alone justice.

Unfortunately this kind of thing will probably go on for a long time, no matter how hard administrators try to crack down on it. Still, a few investigations and harsh punishments (loss of job) would do a lot of good.

*sigh*

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

I would like some apple boxes, please.

nomad-ish · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 6:53 pm Post subject:

i didn't see it happen at my last school (a poorer school), but at my new school, which is really rich, i was surprised at how blatant it was. there was a meeting for parents at the beginning of the new school year, which all the teachers attended (except me), and when it was finished they brought back bags and boxes of things into the office. nothing was all that expensive, and they tended to divide up their gift sets among teachers in the office.