Korean Job Discussion Forums

jkrishnamurtidotorg · Joined: 04 Oct 2012

Obviously one needs to be aware of the potential to make generalizations when responding to this topic, given the wide-ranging factors available. However, it would be interesting to engage in a discourse about the sincerity applied to learning English in the variety of educational arena's.

I'm interested because I've only taught in Hagkwons. I am curious about the levels of dedication to the subject/work by students who attend Public School. I'd also like to know what other Hagkwon NET's experience in this regard. From my particular angle, I'd like to know whether students in Public School take lessons more seriously? Or, is such a judgment incredibly random and particular to each institution/school/student?

Tangents are acceptable.

itiswhatitis · Joined: 08 Aug 2011

It's getting increasingly difficult to tell the difference.

The public schools are getting hagwonized and turning into a zoo.

Teaching in a public school (for both Koreans and foreign teachers)
is all about personal survival more than anything else. That used to be reserved for hagwons.

If my wife/gf/daughter worked in a middle/high school I would fear for their safety.

Waygeek · Joined: 27 Feb 2013

I've only worked in a Hagwon, but I would assume, considering the fact that this is an extra financial step being taken by the parents, kids take Hagwons a little more seriously (behaviour wise, not workload wise). I can definitely see public schoolers running wild, they kinda have to be there and there's less attached guilt if they aren't doing so well.

My kids can be energetic and mischievous, but only a small percentage would classify as badly behaved kids.

metalhead · Joined: 18 May 2010 Location: Toilet

With a hakwon, it depends a lot on how serious the owner is about the kids learning English. With a public school, a lot depends on your co-teacher. If your co-teacher knows how to keep the kids in line, and you are well-prepared and friendly/get along with the kids, I'd say in public school they work harder.

Of course, in both cases there will be kids that are angels and work hard, I just found a public school in the sticks to be far more gratifying. Nothing better than seeing a kid from a poor broken home with no chance to go to a hakwon learning English, and doing well in it, too.

My high school boys were a bit tough, but that was a small minority. Middle school kids were great, elementary school kids still very rude in general I found.

NohopeSeriously · Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 5:59 am Post subject:

bmaw01 · Joined: 13 May 2013

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

The difference lies mostly in the motivation.

From a parents view (not my opinion) public school caters to the lowest end of the spectrum in the class. That is why there is such a great pressure for parents to send their kids to the right public school ...

The hagwons are plentiful and you PAY for service, so you expect it back.

From the kids perspective, public schools are immensly boring cause the teachers have no time to give attention to the one kid. Often the programs are easier then the hagwons they attend. The kids who don't go to hagwons slow it down (not making a judgement call here) cause otherwise they would fall behind or become disruptive.
Hagwons are either fun or hard (in their minds), to keep the parents happy hagwons will push every little bit of energy out of those brains, and to keep the kids happy, the lessons will be interspersed by "fun" elements. The fun is often justbefore class or after class,when they can spend a few precious minutes talking to their classmates.

NohopeSeriously · Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 4:22 am Post subject:

Based on my experience of talking to K-teachers in both math and English hagweon. There are largely three kinds of hagweon for kids in Korea.

1. hagweon that do better in training academically poor kids
2. hagweon that do better in maintaining academically smart kids
3. hagweon that are exclusively for rich kids

My hagweon does better in training academically poor kids.

maximmm · Joined: 01 Feb 2008

I only have a limited amount of hagwon experience - so take that into consideration. Still, having taught in hagwon and public schools, I would say that students go to public schools to learn, and to hagwons to play. This is one reason why student discipline is often a big issue in hagwons.

Of course, there are good hagwons out there - if you find one, it may actually prove to be much better than an average public school. Still, on average students in public schools behave better and are more prone to study rather than only play.