Korean Job Discussion Forums

pollyplummer · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Location: McMinnvillve, Oregon

I've been teaching at a public high school for about a month now, and I've noticed that there are no janitors. The students do all the cleaning before and after school. I've never seen a school building like this before- litter everywhere and dirt-caked floors, despite daily mopping. I guess the public schools in Korea have no janitors. The students are at school an extra hour ...or two?.... doing various cleaning tasks. They don't do a good job. The make the motions of cleaning, but they're really just passing the time- I've watched them. Korea has the laziest culture I have ever encountered. Perhaps there are people somewhere who are more lazy, but I have never met them. Don't get me wrong- I love Korean people, but I have no illusions about their work ethic. My question is... are all public schools cleaned by the students? Why don't they just hire a couple janitors and then have the students go home earlier? That saves money by not having to pay the teachers to supervise them and the school gets cleaner as a result.

JacktheCat · Joined: 08 May 2004

Yep, same thing at my high school. 'Cept sounds like they're a little stricter here. After the students are done their cleaning, the teacher supervisor goes through and gives it a finger test. If his finger comes away dirty, then the team leader is given a beating and the whole team is assigned extra work. The result: spotless hallways and classrooms.

And it's not that Koreans are any lazier than other people. They're just being kids. Think what you were like in high school. Would you have done anymore work than you absolutely had to?

pollyplummer · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Location: McMinnvillve, Oregon

Unfortunately, I'm not refering to just the kids... I'm refering to the culture that is shaping them. However, that is just my opinion. Man, I wish they'd start doing cleaning checks at my school! A little strictness about cleanliness never hurt anybody.

ladyandthetramp · Joined: 21 Nov 2003

My middle school has janitors, but their job isn't to clean the rooms. That's the students' job. I think it's usually a punishment, and the teachers don't stay in school any longer because of it (not sure why they do at your school).

I actually think it's a way to save money (free labor is cheaper than paid labor).

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

I alternate middleschools year by year & theres a world of difference betweens girls & boys schools. Hm, why doesnt that surprise me ..

Boys school this year is typically sty-like (personally it doesnt bother me) but I know it will get at least one spic & span treatment this year just before an outside bunch of teachers & bigwigs comes to observe my demo class.

I think every school has a custodian of sorts but he doesnt clean, just fixes things.

JacktheCat · Joined: 08 May 2004

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

umm...at my elementary school the kids clean and the teachers also do lots of cleaning.

When I first arrived at the school I was quite shocked and I asked why they were cleaning. The answer I was given was, "children need to learn how to clean too."

Homer · Guest

I think the idea of the kids cleaning the classroom is a good one.

The rest of the school is another matter.

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

What about you getting off your duff and showing these poor people how to do it? Razz

VanIslander · Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 3:46 am Post subject: Re: No Janitors?

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

It doesn't cost the schools anything to have the kids clean. the teachers are drawing a salary and have to be there anyway.

Personally I think that it installs a sense of collective responsbilty in the kids. They literally have to clean up after themselves so there is a lot of self policing. The other day I walked past the school captain giving a first year a good ear bashing for wearing his exercise shoes inside.

There are custodial staff here, including a guy who stays overnight but they are in charge of repairs not cleaning.

fidel · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: North Shore NZ

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

YOu would think that all that cleaning would teach them not to litter, but they just throw garbage all over the place.

Ekuboko · Joined: 22 Dec 2004 Location: ex-Gyeonggi

I was dreading my switch from a 3 year old co-ed middle school to a much older girls' middle school. At the co-ed school, everything about the buildings looked much older than they were due to much wear and tear and the toilets were rank!

I was pleasantly surprised that the condition of the buildings and toilets at my new school are pretty good considering its age. The toilets don't smell at all and I don't see as much discarded rubbish around compared to my first school.

I supervise 1st graders cleaning my English classroom and am very impressed that I get 2 girls who wipe all the surfaces (desk tops, shelves, windows even!) as well as the 'sweepers' and moppers. The kids who cleaned my room at my other school struggled to even sweep properly, and they never wiped desks!

What grosses me out though, is the cloths and mops are obviously soooo filthy to begin with that all the wipers and moppers are doing is spreading the germs -- 'cos they sure aren't using any disinfectant!

Derrek · Joined: 15 Jan 2003