Korean Job Discussion Forums

[dbee]

Just some quick questions on working at a public school in korea.

* The working hours are usually 9-3 or around there somewhere like in public schools at home ?

* Holidays are for 3 months paid if i'm correct ? I guess that leaves alot of time to travel etc...

Any other info on working at public schools is greatly appreciated ...

[Welsh Canadian]

[Zaria32]

Very often public schools do not permit you to take the same vacation as the Korean teachers get. You may be required to come into the school every day of vacation, even with nothing to do. It's called "desk warming."

[blonde researcher]

Public schools in Korea have two vacation times in summer and winter. The students are out of class officially for 4- 6 weeks each time, but this does not mean the foreign teacher can be out as well.
All public schools must use the EPIK contract template which gives 18- 21 work day paid vacation. A few variances of up to 5+ weeks for remote or hard to fill areas like Gangwon. BUT your contract means you can (and most likely will) be required to do' desk warming' or camps during the main vacation periods.
The EPIK contract always splits your vacation to be taken half the days at a time ( half winter and half Summer break)

The 22 contract hours you are required to teach is usually between 9-4, BUT your EPIK contract states you have to stay the 8 hours in the school- often to about 4.30- 5pm.

There are many after school hagwon type programs that happen inside public schools and often these will have less vacation time, more like the hagwons with 10-12 days. The after school program work hours will usually be about 11am-6pm.

It is difficult to get leave without pay or swap your winter vacation etc in between the main vacation times unless you can show it is a very special event

There is an EPIK contract all schools must follow, but there is individual flexibility on a case by case basis inside all schools across Korea. You may get an easy relaxed environment where you are not heavily monitored for leaving early or you may get a school that has you clocking in and being at school every contract minute you have to be.

[oldfatfarang]

Don't count on getting any more vacation days than your contract days. Last year the Provincial Office of Education (POE) cracked down in my area, and I was made to 'deskwarm' the entire school vacation - while the K teachers were absent.

Also, the EPIK contract states you have to work the 'normal hours of a K public servant', i.e., 8.20am - 4.30pm (including a 40 min paid lunch break (where you are sometimes expected to work)). It is rare for a 'lucky' teacher to be able to go home early after their last class. In fact, POE's are dreaming up all sorts of ways to extract the most English hours from their GET's, i..e., supplimentary afterschool classes, teachers' English classes etc (should be paid after 4.30pm).

However, these hours are misleading. If you land a rural school, you may have an hour long commute/waiting time to get to school. And you may have even longer waiting to start work at 8.20am. However, if you are lucky, you may get a room 5 mins from school.

[jonpurdy]

Most of what I say applies to city POEs like Busan and Ulsan that use EPIK. It may vary for rural areas significantly.

[Manuel_the_Bandito]

[MattAwesome]

8:40 - 4:40. public school contracts give you 21 vacation days plus national holidays. if school is out and you dont have vacation, you will have to warm your desk or do english camps.

[thoreau]

[Michelle]

bump