Korean Job Discussion Forums

thatwhitegirl · Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Location: ROK

Well,
Just been informed by our 'handler' that the 'office of education has decided to enforce more things.....
such as sick leave.
paid leave.
seat warming.

We did NOT sign a contract or come to Korea with any organization (ie. EPIK), but signed directly with our academic high school. We've been here for 3 years, being treated well and having lots of nice holidays and NO seat warming.

Suddenly, today, the handler comes in and tells us about these new regulations.
Which include seat warming. For 3 weeks. She says that it comes from the Department of Education and is part of a new scheme in dealing with foreign teachers.

I will quit rather than suddenly cave to this absolutely irrational and illogical 'demand'.

Have any of you heard this from your handlers? I am not about to give up my traditional 5 week winter (and summer!) holiday!

grandpa · Joined: 19 Oct 2009

My co-teacher mentioned something regarding this (GEPIK).

I'll see what actually happens. I do have to do a spring camp on top of my winter and summer camps.

Does your co-teacher have to be at school along with you, or are you stuck at school alone?

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

Demand to see the person in charge explain the concept" Ivory Tower"
get someone to translate it. Explain that's where they live.

Show them the word" empathy" tell them that's something they don't have.

gillod · Joined: 02 Sep 2009

They pay you for 22 hours a week, right? So, show up. I know it's goofy, but welcome to every fucking job ever. You get paid pretty well, you can chill out on the internet. Start a novel or something. Would you rather they just didn't pay you for those weeks?

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

ippy · Joined: 25 Aug 2009

As i understand it korean teachers have to fill out a form saying theyre working on school things at home. Foreign teachers dont. Play the game, find that form, sign it, voila you are now part of the normal school bureaucracy. Dont throw temper tantrums, just find a way around it.

hobakmorinam · Joined: 22 Dec 2008

Don't try to compare this to a job 'back home'. We're not back home.

Coming in to school when there are no students, no other teachers and nothing to do is stupid. You're a teacher, not a security guard.

I agree, quit. If you don't get big fat vacations there's no reason to work at a public school. Hagwons offer more money, shorter hours, smaller classes less office politics (usually) and you aren't isolated.

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

hobakmorinam · Joined: 22 Dec 2008

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

asylum seeker · Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Location: On your computer screen.

thatwhitegirl · Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Location: ROK

I only have 16 teaching hours, we can take reaaaaaaaaaly long lunch breaks...like when I have the 1st period class then the next is at 6th period...

And hobakmorinam is right: this ISN'T a job 'back home'. Which is why we took it.

The fact that we are a married couple working at the same school is one reason I'm thinking they'll work things out. That's usually the big factor in their decisions. If they decided to suddenly follow these bizarre DOE demands, they'd be losing both their foreign teachers.

Sure, they could hire a couple of 22 year old kids who have no experience. But then all their hard work of trying to become the most 'prestigious' academic high school in Chungnam would fall right through.

If they do decide to stay illogical, then we're gone.
It's OUR apartment. We paid the key money. We can stay on, change our visas, whatever.

Ippy, thanks for the reminder about the form thing. I'll just fill that out.

Dodgy Al · Joined: 15 May 2004 Location: Seoul

You sound a little arrogant to me if you think your staying at the school is contributing to the prestige of the school, and also for thinking that you are any better than those who will replace you. They may actually be better teachers than both of you, if you can possibly entertain such a thing. Smile

Having said that, I totally understand why you are angry. I know how difficult it is to give up the perks, and there is a certain amount of pride that has to be swallowed when accepting worse conditions. However, I don't think you should base your decision to stay or leave on this. It sounds like you still have a pretty sweet gig and it will be difficult to find something better, even with the shorter vacation time. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face, as it were.

One final thought. It's not just ex-pat teachers who are under the cosh. This government is making life difficult for many public school teachers (in my humble opinion!)

cincynate · Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Location: Jeju-do, South Korea

I think that the DOE is realizing that they are now in the driver's seat with the number of applications that are coming in. But why are they making us sit here, with nothing to do, for 40 hours a week. It just accomplishes nothing, except burning out teachers. Luckily my school has a 'sick room' with a bed. I think that's where I will be doing my sleeping