Korean Job Discussion Forums

[iggyb]

The free lunch was an opposition party idea. A NSET in every school was that of the current presiden't party.

I haven't been reading the Korean news, so I don't know if the opposition party is still favored to retake the Blue House this election, but if they do, I'd expect the cutbacks in NSETs to continue.

It might possibly be different if the economy were robust, but it isn't, and bad economies always put pressure on the education budget.

There will be some resistance to getting rid of the foreigners - especially from parents who don't want to or can't pay hakwon fees - but in a bad economy, the opposition should be able to get what it wants if it becomes the majority party...

[Sam1]

[viciousdinosaur]

Sam1 your post is just completely uncalled for. I'm no apologist, but you're out of line here.

For one, learning English is not the end all be all of the Korean economy. Sure it helps when they are copying products from American companies and then producing them cheaper, but not knowing English isn't a death kneal for them. You forget that English education in this country and is primarily driven by the university entrance exam.

And we are not ones to judge Korea. Just look at our home countries! We're a mess. We exported all our manufacturing to China, then ran up huge up deficits to mask our failure, and now we refuse to raise taxes or tariffs to stop this train wreck. If any country is going to crash and burn, it's the United States.

Koreans might be inefficient, illogical, and redundant, but at the end of the day they enough enough sense to implement a national economic policy and they are whooping our a$$ because of it.

[Sam1]

I did not mention economic policy. I noted the disastrous failure in English education and the continued ineptitude and inability to look at themselves as the problem.

I'll go further about English education. Koreans need to get as completely out of the way as possible to have any hope of changing the superbly low success level in this specific educational catastrophe.

They need to act as assistants to native English teachers. They have it backwards, as an extremely nationalistic nation, I understand that.

Beyond that, if they were to be removed from all but only the desperately skill-lacking classrooms, it would move the education along. Last, when they are ready to teach the English language as a language where you are placed in your skill group for learning rather than as a subject where you move ahead with your class regardless of mastery, they may have a fighting chance.

They also need to remove themselves as administrators of any English language programs and as arbiters of what native English teachers need in order to thrive in the position.

To be clear, I am not speaking of economic policy or the heady success this nation is experiencing.

[viciousdinosaur]

You're still out of line. Koreans don't need to do anything of the sort. It's their decision whether or not they want a professional education system or not. Maybe they don't want a system that works. Did you ever think about that? I mean the way it is around here is we pretend to teach and they pretend to learn. And that's the way they like it. And it's totally out of line for foreigners to come in and say what you want is wrong and you should want what I want. That's arrogant. We can give our opinion. We can give helpful advice, but it's THEIR F**CKING COUNTRY and they'll do as they please.

Foreigners as administrators? Ha! That'll be the day. We aren't even allowed to take a dump without a handler watching us. And would we let foreigners, not even permanent residents but guest workers, hold any sort of management position back home. No we wouldn't and why should they?

[Dodge7]

[Who's Your Daddy?]

[Sam1]

I thought I was clear in my original post. Perhaps not.

Let me clarify - if they want anything remotely resembling a successful English educational system rather than the massive body-count train wreck that is currently in place...

Foreign workers are in numerous management positions in the USA as their credentials and positions dictate. That's just silly to say otherwise.

Now to your point of that protocol ever being considered here...Koreans would rather cut off their arm than admit they are wrong and/or a foreigner could possibly do something better...like teach their own native language.

You get my point. I know you do.

[some waygug-in]

What you're missing is this:

English education in Korea is largely controlled by the Chaebols through

book publishers and the leading universities.


They don't want too many people to get good at English. (despite what they may tell you)

They want to keep them as dumb as possible, as long as possible.

Why?

Because they can make a lot more money from them selling them

junky books, tapes, crappy university courses, etc.

The biggest threat to their control over education has been the large

influx of foreign teachers.


It's a way of controlling society. Only the chosen few get access to good

educational materials, good teachers etc. Only those chosen few get into

the top universities. Only those chosen few get the good jobs.

The rest just grovel with the scraps they are handed.

[Sam1]

That's interesting.

[PatrickGHBusan]

[Sam1]

[viciousdinosaur]

[some waygug-in]

[Sam1]

For frick's sake, VD

It's a message board.

My apologies to all who had their sensibilities offended.

Nothing I said is untrue.

I understand the culture and its amazing successes and its massive failings.

As ESL teachers, we are part of one of the most massive failings and deepest frauds in education.

Truth is....obvious at times and painful most others.