Korean Job Discussion Forums

PatrickBateman

Apparently this is pretty common?
It's sad when you're in class and a reply you get from a student about what they like in a teacher is the fact they don't hit them.

Is this method still condoned in public schools? Do Korean teachers hit students at Hagwons?

Are the students getting beaten at home as well?

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

chonga · Joined: 15 Mar 2009

I grew up in Korea until age 8 and it is pretty common. I was raised in a school on a military base but I went to a hogwon to learn Korean after school.

They don't "hit" you like a slap across the face or a punch in the head. It's more of a means to get you to listen or pay attention, not to hurt the child.
I used to get a ruler across the arm or knuckles or a smack in the back of the hamstrings with a bamboo stick.

I know it's a personal opinion, and I've never hit a child, but I find it to be an effective means of discipline when done within the boundaries.

PatrickBateman · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:58 am Post subject:

The way a lot of the kids made it out sounded pretty awful. I just wasn't sure if it was still a common practice.

E_athlete · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Location: Korea sparkling

it has to do with the bible condoning it (for those that have read the bible front to back). If you go to south in the US they still do it as well. It's a religiously ingrained Korean culture thing.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

Patrick Baitman.

Rolling Eyes

cruisemonkey · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:23 pm Post subject:

saw6436 · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon, ROK

Sometimes a kid needs a good smack. Children are not entirely rational beings. Appealing to their "logic" to promote good behaviour is, at best, a waste of time during their formative years.

Not beatings mind you. But a swift smack can produce wonders.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

billietea · Joined: 03 May 2009 Location: South Korea

I haven't seen hitting in the school. There is the threat of the "love stick" but it is used as only a threat in my school (thankfully). There is a lot of punching (daily) between the kids and that makes me sad. I have zero tolerance for hitting in my class...but that doesn't mean much when there is no support by the staff. I have no authority and just the other day dismissed a repeat offender from my class after it was made clear that the KTs were too busy to be in my after-school classes (as I thought was required by law). This didn't work as the principal told the student to return to my class within 3 seconds of her leaving. The girl snickered at me as if to say...see, I can do whatever I want in your class. The only option I had was to have her write lines. But my power was completely dissolved by that principal not supporting me even though I did gesture to him the reason for her being punished. (He doesn't speak any English) I have seen parents hitting and kicking their kids on the street (only twice) and it makes me sad. I guess the only hope is for me to try and teach my students that hitting is not acceptable when they are around me. I do my best. Many students do respect my teaching and there are lots of smiles and kids running up to me with hugs. There is a lot of reward in teaching. One teacher, that I often enjoy a coffee with, stated that she will try and be available for 4 of my 10 after-school classes...that is a relief as they tend to behave a lot better when there is someone in the room with authority. This better behavior allows me to teach and the kids to learn...it is in everybody's best interest IF English is the goal. Sometimes I wonder, but then there is always that one person who seems to support me and my efforts on behalf of the kids.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

PatrickBateman · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:10 pm Post subject:

E_athlete · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Location: Korea sparkling

warmachinenkorea · Joined: 12 Oct 2008

If it's still legal in the South then you can't say it's illegal in the US. What we(southerner's) got, and to a far lesser extent today, what students get is very different than what these kids get.

First day this semester I got to school earlyand I was sitting in the office and a kid gets brought in by a female teacher and she hands him over to the old school History guy. He is calmly talking to the kid for about 10 minutes. My Korean is very limited but I kept hearing another schools name. Ironically it's my wife's main school. Still the teacher is very cool and in the midst of his calm Q&A session he is making phone calls to someone. Then out of no where comes a over the top right hand to the head. The kid goes flyin' back into the wall. Then here comes another. After the first one my adrenaline kicks in almost like it's me getting hit. I have seen some good wacks in my HS but this was almost like a fight. Then he starts yelling at the kid and makes him get in the butt-up push up position on his knuckles. I am bit pissed now and as I get up to exit the room he kicks the kid in side and he boy falls over. I wanted to help but was afraid I would be doin' the same to the KT as he was to the student. I asked my co-teacher about it and told her how it made me feel. She was embarassed and apologized but I couldn't help wondering what the kid did, on the first day of the semester none the less, to deserve that.