Korean Job Discussion Forums

[dominic]

I heard today that the korean government is starting a program, starting tuesday, where students stay after school at their korean school and a korean english teacher teaches them for way less than a hagwan charges. The government is trying to shut down hogwans for good, and especailly trying to stop new ones from opening. has anyone else heard this? i thought my boss was funny today because he said, oh we have to give the kids special attention so they wont leave the school. special attention????? how does he think this is going to work with 20 kids on average in each class

[just because]

This won't have much effect as the main reason parents send their children to hagwon is to have contact with foreign teachers. So one of 2 things could happen
1. The only hagwons to be effected are ones that don't employ foreigners so there could be a rise in demand for us.
2. If it does become regulated and out of schools, schools may start employing foreigners which I see as something we are looking for. A regulated ESL industry would be great.

Thanks for the good news dominic

[kangnamdragon]

They cannot learn English from Korean teachers.

[dominic]

u think public schools are going to regulate the esl industry, that's a laugh, we would be treated more like slaves than we are now. my boss seems to think that it is a big problem, and demand will go down since there are less schools for foreigners to be employed at. and the public schools are hiring korean teachers who speak english not foreigners

[rapier]

I've heard about it briefly. Basically the govt is trying to bring credibility to the English teaching program in schools, and lessen the need for parents to send their kids to a whole lot of extra classes at hagwons.
Whatever happens, parents will still prefer their kids to be taught by a native speaker...so govt schools will employ more native teachers, and at a competitive salary.
On an international level Korea still has to attract eslteachers against fellow competitors Taiwan, Japan, etc. I see things improving, not getting worse. If the big switch from hagwon to school comes, it appears govt. schools often pay better , and have better working conditions anyway. the kids are properly disciplined for a start- not the crazy zoos that hagwons often degenerate into.

[just because]

When do you fly out dominic????? better get going or you might not have a job

[Gollum]

Actually, my school is doing that as an experiment -- by the goverment -- for all of Kyunngi-Do. We were told this by the administration. The school hired 2 new foreign teachers to teach here (accredited school, not hagwon) -- funded by government funds. If it "works", other schools will follow.

They are simply elective conversation classes.

By the way, it's not "after hours". About 20 to 37 students as a norm. That's not exacty a great ratio for the students, but that's what hagwons are for -- right?

Pay, however, is smack dab in the middle of hagwon pay -- although only teaching 3 to 4 classes a day (at the moment) including and between "office hours" of 9 to 5.

If I were you guys though, I'd see it as a wonderful opportunity. A VERY wonderful one; especially if you have credentials or a background, and can deal with larger classes. Even if you don't -- one teacher has 2 years of teaching experience in Korea, but no Masters or anything else special.

This is a big plus for foriengers here. It opens up the chance for more of us to teach at a real school that is more credible, reputable, and overall a better situation.

And I doubt all of the hagwons are going to collapse, either. Maybe some of those that should anyway, but on a whole, I don't see it doing massive damage.

[FUBAR]

I don't see it as a problem at all. The Korean government can offer all the free English classes they want. The parents will still have to take their children out of the hogwon system. I don't see that happening in a society where "keeping up with the Jones'" seems to be the norm.

However, I think that will cause the hogwans to offer more incentives to keep the kids happy. Unfortunately that means more work for the same. At least for a short while.

Even then, English hogwons aren't really the problem here. There are many other hogwons out there focusing on other subjects besides just English. In my opinion, the government is going after the wrong area. They are focusing on a symptom of the problem and not the cause.

The whole Korean Education system needs an overhaul. The college entrance exam needs to be changed AND parents attitudes will have to change. Once that all happens, hogwon workers can kiss their jobs goodbye. And we all know when that will happen.

[dominic]

i fly out june 22nd, and never coming back, why r u gonna throw me a party?

[Alex Buffa]

The only people who would suffer are those with less credentials here. I don't find this circumstance a bad thing at all. Fewer bad hogwans, moving into a REAL classroom where you can work with better facilities and better working conditions. I don't see the problem.

There will mostly likely be fewer jobs here. But those people who are left out can find work elsewhere.

On the plus side, our salaries may improve as well as the stress level goes down.

Alex

[just because]

dominic, I don't throw parties for cynics or condescending people.

[Homer]

June 22nd!!!!

Dominic...you better bump up that departure date man!

Haven't you heard? A new program has been implemented and ALL hagwons will be closed by June 6th.
This program will be enforced by the army in a combined efforts to shut down the hagwons....

So, Dom, dude, run..run..run while you still can!

[dominic]

i am running i hate korea, this country made me hate korean people beause of the way i have been treated over the last three years. and just because, i dont fu*king like u, u dont know me so dont assume things, u are hanging out with too many korea people, i guess ur friends taught u to be one sided and judge people u dont know

[just because]

mate,
Sorry if its been hard for you but you've been here 3 years and run into bad luck then your brain ain't ticking over right is it. Boo hoo, you don't like me, I'll put that on my list of things to think about in 2050. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out fellow.

No look, sorry man. Basically if you have been here three years and you hated it here SOOO much why didn't you buzz over to japan or china. Don't be a victim and bring everyone else down with you.

[dominic]

im in cultural burnout and cant stand living in a box anymore, you guys can stay here forever and die here i dont care, im going home to get a career that has a future, teaching english to korean kids isnt a career. i didnt hate it until this year, i made the mistake of coming back because i had a gf here but we broke up and i was stuck in the contract, im calling you in 2050