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tausha12
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:11 pm Post subject: Public versus Private schools |
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I've taught at two private schools in Korea. This time around I'm interested in teaching at a public school. I don't have a reason except I want a change. Could someone who has taught at a private AND a public school tell me exactly how they are different?
Thanks in advance. |
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ttompatz

Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:19 am Post subject: Re: Public versus Private schools |
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tausha12 wrote: |
I've taught at two private schools in Korea. This time around I'm interested in teaching at a public school. I don't have a reason except I want a change. Could someone who has taught at a private AND a public school tell me exactly how they are different?
Thanks in advance. |
Private school or hagwan? They are NOT the same animal.
If you really meant private school and public school then the differences (other than foolishness like desk warming and holiday time) are minimal.
If you mean a hagwan and a public school then the differences are like night and day and not all for the better in either direction.
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Skippy

Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:20 am Post subject: |
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This one has been argued to death. Please consider looking at the couple hundred threads and flame wars about this.
www.searcheslcafe.com
or
GOOGLE
site:forums.eslcafe.com/Korea "Public School" "Hagwon" "better"
Last edited by Skippy on Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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tausha12
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry I meant hagwons. I've worked at two over the last few years. I'm interested in trying a public school. I've done a google search and found that public school's have larger class sizes, a day schedule from around 8am-5pm, and usually only one foreign teacher. I was just wondering if someone could give me some first hand experience...their preference from a hagwon vs. public school.
I HAVE tried to search this topic on this site but every time I do I am greeted with a blank white page instead of a list of topics. So I do apologize for the inconvience of me asking a question that has been asked before! I've also tried viewing random pages in the forum and have come up with a few threads but none that are too helpful! |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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tausha12 wrote: |
Sorry I meant hagwons. I've worked at two over the last few years. I'm interested in trying a public school. I've done a google search and found that public school's have larger class sizes, a day schedule from around 8am-5pm, and usually only one foreign teacher. I was just wondering if someone could give me some first hand experience...their preference from a hagwon vs. public school.
I HAVE tried to search this topic on this site but every time I do I am greeted with a blank white page instead of a list of topics. So I do apologize for the inconvience of me asking a question that has been asked before! I've also tried viewing random pages in the forum and have come up with a few threads but none that are too helpful! |
Here's someone's take...I'd give my own...but I pretty much agree with what this guy says. (except about being revered).
http://www.eslchronicle.com/7-reasons-public-schools-are-better-than-private-academies/
And here's one of the thread debates
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?p=2681075&highlight=#2681075 |
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tausha12
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 11:04 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks TheUrbanMyth! |
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ThingsComeAround

Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:53 am Post subject: |
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Public pro-
Never miss pay.
Guaranteed vacations of 2 weeks every 6 months
Less teaching time
Guaranteed health insurance & pension
Public con-
You can get stiffed on pay same as private school
Co-workers are sometimes crazier
The only foreigner in your school
Deskwarming/"free time" is to be spent at school generally
Hagwon pro-
Higher pay potential
Free time to do banking/doctor visits
Closer relationship with your students
Other foreigners you meet easily
Hagwon con-
May not get paid
Less vacation time
Longer working hours
Hagwons usually swing further on the better-worse scale than public schools. It has been said several times on this board "A good hagwon trumps a good public school but a bad hagwon is far worse than a bad public school". |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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ThingsComeAround wrote: |
Public pro-
Never miss pay.
Guaranteed vacations of 2 weeks every 6 months
Less teaching time
Guaranteed health insurance & pension
Public con-
You can get stiffed on pay same as private school
Co-workers are sometimes crazier
The only foreigner in your school
Deskwarming/"free time" is to be spent at school generally
Hagwon pro-
Higher pay potential
Free time to do banking/doctor visits
Closer relationship with your students
Other foreigners you meet easily
Hagwon con-
May not get paid
Less vacation time
Longer working hours
Hagwons usually swing further on the better-worse scale than public schools. It has been said several times on this board "A good hagwon trumps a good public school but a bad hagwon is far worse than a bad public school". |
"A good hakwon trumps a good public school"
And as far as this part of the saying goes...it's true generally for newbies but not for people with experience and credentials.
The P.S payscale goes up to 2.8 million a month (for 22 classes a week) so with just a few extra classes a week (3 or more) you can easily reach 3 million a month or more.
VERY few hakwons pay that much and even fewer for only 25 classes a week.
All other things being equal if you have got experience and credentials you can not only earn more at a P.S but have longer vacations and develop more professional contacts. And you also may have better housing...they have no incentive to stick you in a rathole to save money (although some bad P.S's have been known to do so.) |
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