Korean Job Discussion Forums

[HamuHamu]

Has anyone else heard about this? I really thought this would be the place to find more information...but is it possible that less people know about this than me?

Three other teachers I know have heard this same rumour - that there is some big reform happening by the gov't and that all hagwan teachers (could it be E-2 holders...I don't know...) haev a mandatory meeting in December on a Satuday morning.

I do actually have the times and dates and locations written down at school, but only remember that Korean teachers are at one time, foreigners a few hours later, the same Saturday (I think the 4th...is the 4th a Saturday?)

Ironically my supervisor had heard nothing, and I'm at a large chain hagwan. She's told usnot to worry, that the school would appoint someone to be the one representative to go (...me hiding in the corner makingmyself as small and invisible as possible). Other friends of mine have the same situation at their academy - only one or two people going as representatives.

Does ANYONE know even the SLIGHTEST detail more about this than me???????????????

What on Earth is this all about??? I think it seems a bit ridiculous, no? Like, call ALL foreign teachers to a meeting...do they know what they are getting into??????????? Am I surprised that the Korean gov't would do such a pabo thing???

And why don't they get themselves a userid on Dave's and save everyone's time?????

[kylehawkins2000]

Sounds like someone got their wires crossed. Foreign Hogwan teachers number in the tens of thousands. I doubt they'd have a meeting in a football stadium, and where else would they fit them? Sounds ridiculous to me.

[schwa]

Happens every year. every province. Always a big ruckus on the forum here. Just know that you can cause your hagwon some considerable grief by refusing to attend. Its one saturday a year, not such a big deal to keep the peace.

[j2halibu]

Will there be any repercussions if we don't show up? I mean, are they cross-referencing us with our visas or something?

It all seems a little sketchy to me, as nobody seems to know what the hell this is all about.

Our supervisor has made this a mandatory meeting for all the staff at our school, which is also slightly bending the rules as it's unpaind and our contracts give us saturdays off.

We're supposed to be going on Dec. 4th in the morning. Is everyone else going to this dealy that day/time or is it being chopped up into different meetings.

The only thing that I can possibly imagine about this meeting is that they'll be instituting testing to make sure teachers are qualified, or some 3 hour long diatribe on privates. But that's pure speculation.

[Zed]

[Yangkho]

I guess I'm curious.

If this is true, there must be someone on this forum that's been to one.

OK, then: what's it like?

[eamo]

er?.. annual meeting?....yes!...that's right!...I go every year...everybody has to go or you'll be hauled out of your apartment in the dead of night, force-fed kimchi, and put on the first flight to Taiwan.

[Ihavenolips]

This sounds a rumour that has got out of hand. I seriously doubt that Korean officials would have the budget or extra time to force over 10,000 foreign teachers to spend a weekend at a government produced seminar. First off, they would have to track down over 25,000 hagwons in the country and thousands of non-official private schools, second they would have to distribute all information about how to gather and organize the meeting space, and finally they would have to find enough English speaking officials to deliver speeches and answer questions.

Granted, President Roh does plan on making major changes to Korea's education system but his plans are not exactly clear yet. I doubt that any country would want the negative publicity of bumping thousands of expatriates out of their country.

I would be willing to sacrifice a Saturday, however, if it gave me the opportunity to offer my imput about ESL in Korea and how to improve the hagwons.

[trevorcollins]

[keithinkorea]

Never heard of this thing and it sounds completely nonsensical, this howevere in 'the land of the not wuite right' doesn't rule it out as not true.

It sounds weird. I've been here for a bit over three years and haven' heard of this, never mind attended it.

If anyone goes then please tell us what it's like. I'm curious.

[trevorcollins]

[the eye]

[JongnoGuru]

This is certainly not a "show up, sign in & leave whenever you like " type of event. Saturday's seminars won't even finish until late afternoon/early evening, and you're required to sign out as well as sign in.

Earlier in this thread or on the other thread, some posters referred to this as a regular annual event, which it is not -- this is the first mandatory nationwide meeting of English hagwon teachers ever held.

Things You AND Your Hagwon Should Know:

Getting There
Your employer is REQUIRED to either arrange transportation or pay for your transportation to the meeting.

Where to Meet / Where to Go
Employers paying for (rather than arranging) their teachers' transportation will provide maps directing you to your designated "Foreigners' Concentration & Pick-up Centre" in each province or special administrative city (Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Taegu, etc.) Pick-up times vary, so ask your employer.

What to Bring
Passport & foreign alien registration card
Diploma or other academic certificate (original is fine, but notarised copy is safest)
* Employers must reimburse teachers for the cost of notarising diplomas / certificates.
Pen & notebook
Sorry, but cellphones are not permitted and will be collected at the gate of the concentration & pick-up centre. The phones will be returned to their owners after the meeting is over.)
Warm clothing (Remember, it's December already )

What to Expect
To accommodate the large numbers of teachers expected, the day-long meetings will be held at corporate training institutes across the nation. Upon arriving, you should proceed to the athletic grounds for assembly and ID verification . (Again, dress warm!)

Processing should take most of the morning, after which VIPs and education gurus will deliver keynote speeches, followed by a light lunch and coffee or green tea. Seminars, workshops and mass examinations will continue throughout the afternoon until 5 or 6 o'clock. Hourly bathroom breaks will be scheduled.

Cost of Event
There is no "participation fee" as such for teachers or their employers. However, keychains, T-shirts and other souvenirs will be on sale to commemorate an unforgettable day of fun and friendship. Proceeds go to a number of charitable foundations.

or maybe i just dreamt all this...

[prairieboy]

No official notice delivered to me or my hagwon. The hagwon has scheduled classes on Saturdays with adults. Short story, not going.

If this meeting were so important, you'd think that the notice of it would have been sent out to the hagwons and to the teachers.

Mandatory meeting? Then they better let the people who are required to attend know about it. But then again, this is Korea and I've not known anything to be done in a completely logical manner. Usually just this last minute, word of mouth discussion.

Have fun at the meeting.

[Grotto]

sounds like a truckload of fertilizer to me.

They cant make a meeting mandatory. The logistics of it would be staggering.


I have been here 3 years and have never attended any meeting nor have I ever met anyone who has gone. Its a bullcrap post/troll