Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

Unqualified English instructors seen as major problem here
When some foreigners boasted of their sexual experiences with Korean women and made fun of Korean culture on the message board of a job-recruiting Web site called English Spectrum, a group of angry Korean netizens launched an online campaign to "expel low-quality foreign teachers." Then, Gyeonggi police caught 47 foreigners who were illegally teaching English since all they had were tourist visas and no permission to work. In addition, some were only high-school graduates who language institute directors had passed off as having university degrees.

Both incidents highlighted flaws in the hiring of English-language teachers -- mainly a lack of reference checks and laws to enforce regulations. "Most teachers are surprised that there are no background checks - that you're not a pedophile or have a criminal record," said British instructor Keith Masey, who works for an English-language institute in Seoul.

And, as Masey said, "The whole industry needs tightening up."
By Jin Hyun-joo, Korea Herald (February 7, 2005)
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2005/02/07/200502070030.asp

[Cthulhu]

Reference and criminal checks are a good idea for teachers--I can't see any reason to complain about that, especially when it can catch criminals or unqualified teachers.

If only there were a similar system in place for hagwon owners, as they don't seem to need any educational qualifications outside of a fat bank account when opening up their newest business venture. At the very minimum a course in basic education or learning methods might be in order. Hagwans with no plan or teaching direction are just as bad as hagwans with bad teachers.

[hari seldon]

What's the shelf life of an illegal teachers thread?

[Cohiba]

[crazylemongirl]

[TheMrCul]

No no no wait... it's completely the foreigner's fault here - Koreans have absolutely nothing to do with this situation..

[ThePoet]

I've always wondered about the criminal record check requirement that some people push for, and maybe you can enlighten me about why you think its important.

I was always raised to believe if you commit a crime, and you do the time, then the crime has been paid for. If someone smokes a doobie and gets caught (well, in Canada it's no longer a criminal offense) then they have to do jail time and they now have a criminal record. Should that ban them for the rest of their lives from teaching ESL in another country? What if this happened 20 years ago and they've never touched dope again? it's still on their record. Why should it make any difference?

Now, I've mentioned a really minor crime...but I don't really see the difference between someone who did a crime 20 years ago, whether it be a joint, or a hit and run, or manslaughter. If he did the time for the crime, and he (hmmmm, or she) has never done it again then why should it matter? Should that person be punished for the rest of their lives for an act of stupidity they did 20 years ago...or 10....or 5?

Lets face it, we all do stupid things, and you know what, based on the number of laws on the books, we've all done illegal things. Most of us managed to wiggle out of it, or not get caught. I remember when I was 16 I had a friend who took a model rocket engine and peeled off the paper and crushed the powder up and stuck it in a glass bottle and tossed in a match to watch the smoke shoot out. Well there was so much pressure that the bottle exploded (he was so lucky all he got were a couple cuts). Hey, that is making an explosive device...and nowadays thats a 10 - 20 year stint in the slammer. But at the time he was just a curious kid. Today he is a successful bank executive.

As for the few and far between pedos that may apply at a school here, there are sex registries that will have their names on record. Canada has just enacted one that is nationwide, and I believe all of the States have them...not sure about U.K., Oz, NZ, or South Africa. With the registry you can also differentiate between a pedo and someone who got charged with inappropriate sexual conduct which is certainly not the same as untreatable pedophaelia.

So, whats the deal with the criminal record check?

Poet

[crazylemongirl]

[Canuckophile]

The KH writer didn't make a direct connection, but there are references both to (a) the English Spectrum website's "Korean girls are easy" attitude (b) the preference among almost all educational facilities (unis, public schools, and if "educ'l facility" isn't too much of a stretch - hogwons) for hiring young folks just out of college. T'aint that there might not be lotsa dirty old (western) men in SK, but the 20 something men are more likely to post the kind of stuff found on English Spectrum.

So they (these "educational facilities") get what they pay for... but sometimes more than they bargained for.

CANUCKOPHILE

[vlcupper]

All these internet dorks need to get over it. The whole "Korean girls are easy" thing is the equivalent of "For a good time call Jin Hee." And it's just as harmless and immature.

Fucking babies need to find something else to whiiine about.

[khyber]

It is totally the Koreans fault for hiring crappy teachers. It is the TEACHER's fault for being crappy.

[Canuckophile]

Granted people can definitely mend their ways after doing their time, but if I were a school or recruiter and saw someone who had even minor arrests/convictions for alcohol-related offenses, assaults, etc. (and of course any sex offense) I think it would be wise to keep them away from a job in education....

Better to err on the side of caution, etc.

Frankly, that's one of the penalties for breaking the law - it makes it rather hard to get a job again, especially a professional job. No reason these blokes should be able to head overseas and conceal these offenses IMHO.

CANUCKOPHILE

[khyber]

[bignate]

When I was in Teacher's College, my professor told me that when he was a superintendent and principle, the major reason behind the criminal record check was not necessarily to find out if you had committed crimes, but the types of offenses that were present.

He said that there were applicants who had been hired even if they had certain offences on their record such as Driving while intoxicated. However, if a person has a history of sexual offences, particularly in relation to underaged persons - they should not be teaching children. It is just common sense.

[mishlert]