Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nicam]

I signed an EPIK contract and filled out an EPIK application, etc. I always thought it was strange that I didn't go to any of the mandatory training, or get invited to any of the reunions or events.

So, when one of my friends was approved by her school for an overseas vacation, and the school suddenly changed their minds and threatened to FIRE her if she left the country, she contacted EPIK and the official she spoke to told her that none but 2 of us (out of 6) on the entire island of Geoje were actually hired by EPIK. The rest of us were just hired by the provincial ed dep't and were led to believe we worked for EPIK.

The EPIK official told my friend they've had quite a problem with schools doing this, and that many schools were firing teachers suddenly and improperly, or treating teachers in other ways not in accordance with EPIK standards.

Um, WTF? My schools have always been wonderful, and have given me a generous vacation both times this year, but my friends have been put through the ringer. Has anyone heard about this sort of deception and is there anything we can do to protect ourselves and our rights?

[Manner of Speaking]

Jesus, man...if I were you I would get a Korean friend who speaks English really well, get your contract and go straight to the local prosecutor's office and talk to a DA. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

What they did to you and your friend is fraud. I don't know much about contract law in Korea, but in the US or Canada that kind of fraud instantly dissolves the contract, and one is no longer under any obligation to follow it.

[DeLaRed]

I remember doing an interview for an independent PS in Seoul recently who used the SMOE contract as a template and then actual contract to sign......but it was not SMOE. Didn't sign with them anyway

[D.D.]

There is so many of us working for an office of education that were made to think we were signing epic contracts. It was just a template as the other guy said. Some of us work for the government and others for the local city, but it is not epic. It doesn't really matter as I am sure epic has some bad schools and don't stick up for the teacher. Some of our public schools are also more private than some private schools. I know that doesn't make sense but some private schools get more funding from the government.

[lifeinkorea]

[nicam]

Yeah, I like my schools, so I'm not really complaining per se, but if they are going to use the EPIK contracts and applications as templates then they should probably block out where it says, "EPIK" in really big letters at the top (or anywhere else in the contract).

The other thing that happened is, since our schools don't have the funding for an FT 2 years in a row, NONE of the teachers got offered a renewal contract. Again, doesn't pertain to me because I'm off to another country, but a couple of the teachers really wanted to renew, or at least wanted the option, and apparently they just kept asking and asking their schools, who'd stonewall them, and when they contacted EPIK directly they found out that a) they don't work for EPIK, and b) all of the EPIK positions are full already, so they are SOL.

I can't believe it. Don't think EPIK is too happy about it either, and I will say that everyone here has gone out of their way to make us believe we were employed by EPIK...

[nicam]

[blonde researcher]

The EPIK you probably phoned is most likely just the main EPIK recruitment center/website in Seoul. This is really just a big recruitment agency used by nearly all offices of education in Korea to source their teachers. .

The reason there are delays in teachers getting their contracts sent to them ( another forum thread) is because EPIK in Seoul has to send their papers to the city or province they are going to first for checking and signing.

There is a huge misunderstanding on who this mysterious 'EPIK ' really is and many recruiters spin the truth and make it out to be an amazingly prestigious organisation .
EPIK (English Program In Korea) is just a program! - A government endorsed program education offices and schools have to follow.

There is no EPIK professional body or big office you can get all the help you need from. There may be one help phone line maybe, but from 2007 on all recruiters used by EPIK were supposed to do the 'aftercare' and help for their ' troublesome' and 'worried' teachers for their full 12 month contracts. (government devolution of tasks ??)

You will almost certainly be under a genuine government EPIK contract if you are in a public school- not a template as you may imagine. All EPIK teachers are under the control and funding of their allocated schools, from the government budget. This means if the funding dries up to the school, then the position is gone. All contracts are for 12 months. There is no guarantee you can stay a second year and there never has been.

Every person who gets interviewed by 'EPIK' in Seoul gets their papers given to the office of education in the city or province they are allocted to and then they are then managed by that city or province.

Some cities and provinces offices of education now do all their own EPIK hiring and firing anyway. Gyeongnam is one of these. All teachers are real EPIK teachers hired directly by the office of education. Gangwon does the same. GEPIK is just the Gyeonggi Do EPIK program, managed by the Gyeonggi office of education.

This year "EPIK" are also helping out the Seoul office of Education SMOE to get 100 teachers for them. The 100 teachers hired by EPIK for Seoul will be under the Seoul Education office management - not EPIK

BUT beware -Some after school private businesses selling programs to after school classes in public schools and have cut and pasted the EPIK contract to match what they want.

[FistFace]

It used to be that you would rather NOT work for Epik. Schools used to offer more than Epik would allow, and when Epik/Gepik, et. al. started pushing in , the contracts all went to hell.

[Chambertin]

From what I can tell EPIK is a large government agency that then passes teachers down to the local schools.

Many provinces have begun their own programs like GEPIK - JEPIK - (insert first letter of province here)EPIK. This way they are more flexible with the timeline, who they are receiving and I believe most importantly : They are at their own digression for hireling and firing of teachers.

The contracts are still placed with the government but the local government gets more autonomy in the process. As I look back through the contracts I was given they are all specifically tailored for the Province, even some of the applications were different from the main EPIK one.

I might be wrong but take a closer look, sure the EPIK stuff is used as a template, but it should be specific to the region.
If not, get your butt to the labor department, something is very strange.
Good luck