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cmxc
Joined: 19 May 2008
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 Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 6:12 pm Post subject: 'Chonji,' bribe or virtue? |
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A piece in the Korea Times explains the tradition of gift-giving expected by many teachers in Korea:
'Chonji,' bribe or virtue?
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2014/05/399_157069.html
OK - 'fess up! How many of you are getting this?
If you aren't why the hell aren't you? |
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happiness
Joined: 04 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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| I got a nice haul yesterday, I dont think my co-teachers nearly got half. I also made sure my boss saw that. I just take it and say thank you. I dont think the white envelope thing has been as much as before. Who cares? |
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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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I get candy. Lots of candy. Where do I turn myself in?  |
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yodanole
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: La Florida
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2014 8:16 am Post subject: |
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I suppose socks are better than neckties  |
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EdmundFairweather
Joined: 08 May 2014
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 2014 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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I got given a gigantic, and I imagine, very expensive, tea set. Unfortunately for the kid, the parents only wrote down the name in Hangul.
I sympathise with those whole criticise the system, which is why I didn't try to work out who I was meant to be giving an unfair advantage. |
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wanderkind
Joined: 01 Jan 2012
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon May 19, 2014 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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| EdmundFairweather wrote: |
| I got given a gigantic, and I imagine, very expensive, tea set. Unfortunately for the kid, the parents only wrote down the name in Hangul. |
Bahaha! Would it not take only a moment's effort to solve that mystery?
Are you sure it was even for you? Maybe you just absconded with another teacher's swag... |
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EdmundFairweather
Joined: 08 May 2014
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| Posted: Tue May 20, 2014 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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| wanderkind wrote: |
Bahaha! Would it not take only a moment's effort to solve that mystery?
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I could have taken two minutes out of my day to work it out but I decided to just be extra nice to all the kids that day. After all, gifts are from parents, not their kids.
What I also found amusing about it was how there wasn't even an attempt at subtlety. A card attached said something along the lines of "Dear Edmund Teacher, please show kindness to _____". |
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rainman3277
Joined: 13 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Tue May 20, 2014 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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| This phenomenon has very little to do with ESL teachers. socks, candy and tea sets are gifts. The bribes are in cash to Korean teachers who write the grades that determine which uni. kids will get into. Its common for some teachers to even expect it, but the trend is towards rejecting them when they are offered. |
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EdmundFairweather
Joined: 08 May 2014
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 6:01 am Post subject: |
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| rainman3277 wrote: |
| This phenomenon has very little to do with ESL teachers. socks, candy and tea sets are gifts. The bribes are in cash to Korean teachers who write the grades that determine which uni. kids will get into. Its common for some teachers to even expect it, but the trend is towards rejecting them when they are offered. |
Giving expensive gifts with a view to encouraging a teacher to giveyour child more attention (and better grades) can at least be considered improper conduct.
I would consider it tantamount to bribery, however. Just as I would view buying a member of parliament a holiday in exchange for preferential treatment would be, even if no cash changed hands. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 9:09 am Post subject: |
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| Virtuous bribe? Scandalous gift? |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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| EdmundFairweather wrote: |
| Giving expensive gifts with a view to encouraging a teacher to giveyour child more attention (and better grades) can at least be considered improper conduct. |
Also, in the past Korean teachers were not paid well, with no job security (especially if you were a woman). Principals were able to fire teachers on the spot. Parents knew this. So the bribing (whatever you want to call it) was, way more prevalent, and way more tempting to take. |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2014 4:58 am Post subject: |
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| I've never been "bribed", but the first year I was here I did get quite a few nice gifts from the parents of my students. |
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wanderkind
Joined: 01 Jan 2012
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2014 4:21 pm Post subject: |
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| EdmundFairweather wrote: |
| wanderkind wrote: |
Bahaha! Would it not take only a moment's effort to solve that mystery?
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I could have taken two minutes out of my day to work it out but I decided to just be extra nice to all the kids that day. After all, gifts are from parents, not their kids.
What I also found amusing about it was how there wasn't even an attempt at subtlety. A card attached said something along the lines of "Dear Edmund Teacher, please show kindness to _____". |
"Dear Edmund Teacher, this is a bribe. We are bribing you. Please treat our child better than the other children. (You know...because of the bribe.)" |
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