Korean Job Discussion Forums

[charonstmu]

Ok heres the deal, I'm being asked to do this online 100 Hour course. I said ok I would do it. Now I'm being told I should also goto some training.

Little background. When I originally signed up for this job I wasnt told about any of this... Nothing in my contract has any mention about these so called trainings...

Many of the forums are saying this training is nothing more good than for networking... (which in itself is a good idea)

However,~

I have been teaching and living in Korea +5 years and a F-2-1 Visa holder. I already have a sizable network base.

Am I really being forced to do this? I already have many other things to do.

Thank you for your understanding^^

[tanklor1]

I'm surprised that someone who has lived here for five years doesn't know the golden rule of just saying "ok".

You and I both know that your school doesn't care how long you've been here. They're just checking off a list of things for a new teacher to do as so should you.

It's your battle but you should have known that BS like this was going to crop up.

[nathanrutledge]

[charonstmu]

it also says in the contract that any duties outside of teaching hours is entitled to W7000 overtime pay. If I am going to do this mandatory training, which is officially school business well, then I am going to agree to it, knowing that I will get 72 hours of that overtime pay.

If not. Simply I will say no thank you.

Nice thing about being an F-2, I don't need to take this lying down.

[nathanrutledge]

[Countrygirl]

[wylies99]

The rumor is that what tends to happen is that many experienced teachers refuse to go to these "waste of time" GEPIK get togethers, and then GEPIK calls the school and threatens the funding they give to the school for the foreign teacher.
Your school may not tell you this but the rumor is that it is a common thing. Yes, we all know GEPIK passes on large sums of money, from the Korean government, to schools to pay for everything foreign teachers receive, and, yes the rumor is that GEPIK commonly threatens the school with a loss of funding if the foreign teacher doesn't attend the pathetic orientations and culture lectures. The rumor is that GEPIK plays hardball with schools and many school officials don't like them for doing it but it gets more butts in the seats for the GEPIK culture lectures. I'm not sure who told me this rumor but does sound believable.

[sojusucks]

The schools think that this is a valuable learning experience. They have no idea that it's all a waste of time.

[lifeinkorea]

I had one school agree with me and they didn't want me to go. Another school expected me to go to training without overtime pay or reimbursement for transportation costs.

It's your choice. Do you really want to continue working under unrealistic managers? If not, give them a reason to not want you and they will make arrangements for you to quit. This is much better than waiting for them to fire you where you won't get any support from them.

[sojusucks]

Someone with an F visa should be exempt from orientation. After all, do they actually need to hear the hours of "Kimchi is good" speeches? The networking at these things is more about adding friends to your facebook account and adding potential drinking buddies to your Saturday night cell phone call list. That has its place for newbies, but not with 5+ years Korean veterans.

[Chollian]

[quote="tanklor1"]I'm surprised that someone who has lived here for five years doesn't know the golden rule of just saying "ok". [/quote]

Another person on the board who thinks everyone else should be as pliable as himself The OP should tell his supervisor to shove the training session where the sun doesn't shine. What are they going to do about it? Fire you? Unlikely considering the disrupting impact dismissal would have on classes but even if they do, big deal. I don't know for sure, but my guess is that the OP has a bigger pair than you.

[nathanrutledge]

[Chollian]

[quote="nathanrutledge"][quote="Chollian"][quote="tanklor1"]I'm surprised that someone who has lived here for five years doesn't know the golden rule of just saying "ok". [/quote]

Another person on the board who thinks everyone else should be as pliable as himself The OP should tell his supervisor to shove the training session where the sun doesn't shine. What are they going to do about it? Fire you? Unlikely considering the disrupting impact dismissal would have on classes but even if they do, big deal. I don't know for sure, but my guess is that the OP has a bigger pair than you.[/quote]

[/quote]

So what are you saying? You like getting shafted too?

[kiwipenny]

OP~ I've been here over 6 years and was told by my school it's a waste of time to do the training unless you are a newbie.. they said it is not compulsory.. perhaps call GEPIK and get them to inform your school you don't have to do it. Or just tell them yourself that it's not useful to you ~^^

[nathanrutledge]