Korean Job Discussion Forums

[StephPoet]

I've been offered two pretty different jobs with similar pay (2.0 million won) and benefits (though the public school offers less teaching hours and a settlement allowance).

I've heard some negative things about both hagwons and public schools. In general, is it a fair statement to say it's probably better for a new teacher to go with a public school?

I do not want to be shorted pay. The hagwon is in the YES chain, and I haven't heard much about it either way.

Any help?

Thanks, Steph

[changmee]

I've worked for both a hagwon and a public school. In my experience, the public school was by far better than the hagwon. Teaching hours and preparation time were significantly less for me at a pubic school. Also, the politics at the schools are a bit different. Keep in mind, at a hagwon profit is usually more important than education. I'd go for the public school.

[crazylemongirl]

If you are applying with either GEPIK or EPIK there are a ton of posts on these two programmes, do a search on here and you'll come up with heaps of comments on both programmes. The SMOE programme is new but I'm pretty sure that the problems you encounter there will be the same.

The big thing to remember on the public school versus hagwon debate is that there are good and bad hagwons just as good and bad public school gigs. I'm always wary of people who give blanket statements like 'hogwons are crap' and 'public schools are better' as their experience is unique to them.

Benefits to public schools
1. Less issues with pay. Most public school teachers don't complain about pay on daves.
2. Students. In general because you're seeing them when they are a bit more alert the kids tend to be better behaved.
3. Feeling more like a 'real teacher.' But this also means you are doing 'real teaching' If you're in a middle or high school your classes may be assessed on and you are doing the assessment on high stakes stuff.
4. Less teaching time.
5. Set hours. No split shifts.

Problems.
1. Class sizes. You'll be thrown into a classroom with 40 kids. Some people have co-teachers who may or may not speak english depending on where you teach.. If you haven't taught before this is a concern.

2. Stupid adminstrators. Co-teachers, vice principal, principal, district education admin people are all going to have an impact on your life. They don't play by western rules, and if you run afoul of any of these people they will make your life hell with dozens of low level things.

3. A lot of time sitting on your ass. Be prepared to spend a lot of time sitting on your butt doing nothing. Most public schools will require you to come in even if there are no classes, nor any other teachers there so that you can sit on your butt.

4. You will likely be the only foreigner in your school. Having expats around who know the 'lay of the land' is helpful in adjusting to life in korea. Also good to have someone to vent to about korea and teaching who understands where you're coming from.

5. Isolated locations. Some public school jobs are right out in the boonies. Be prepared to live in 'real korea.' Small town living carries with it a whole bunch of extra problems.

Vacation, apartment size, salary, class size, number of classes, adimn, testing, grading, extra cirrucular crap is all highly variable. A lot of it comes down to different schools, particularly the principal and your minder can make a difference in whether things are pleasurable or not. Unfourtantly being able to know how good your minder, principal and vice-principal are going to make your life hell or not is impossbile to tell without working there first.

Hagwons.
Benefits.
1. Small class sizes. Biggest class I taught was 20.
2. You generally get to teach a variety of ages.
3. More used to dealing with foreigners. A good hagwon will know what you need to get set up.
4. A chance to work with other foreigners. There are mixed reviews about this but if you are a social person this is important.
5. Less sitting on your ass time.

Problems.
1. Dodgy bosses. Bad apartments. pay problems, scheduling changes, and just generally nightmare stuff all comes back to the 'dodgy boss' problem.
2. Discpline. Because the kids are paying coustmers, the lunatics run the aslyum.
3. Hours. Split shifts are often to be found. These can make your day a lot longer.
4. Highly volatile market. Good hagwons can go bad. Bad ones can go out of business.

However there are ways to avoid the bad hagwons. Saxiif's Hagwon Search Guide gives some really good pointers.

My advice to people new to both teaching and korea really need to think hard about whether a public school job is for them. A lot of these gigs will have you being the only waygook, sometimes in isolated areas, with a staff that may or may not speak much english (not so bad in the middle and high school where there are korean english teachers). Also a crash course in classroom management with 12 kids who don't speak english is infinetly easier than when you have 40.

Also just as a general observation at the moment I think that hogwons in general are used to having to deal with foreigners, so being thrown into the day to day mine field of dealing with koreans. Obviously this will change over time, but a lot of westerners get frustrated dealing with adminstrators who have no idea how the west functons while they themselves have little idea of how korean adminstration functions.

Please try and look at yourself and your abilities as a teacher before you make this decision. If you're not confident that you'll be able to adapt quickly korea and teaching and like having a full social schedule then perhaps you'd be better to teaching in a large hagwon in seoul or a big city. If you're a bit more indepedent and want to experience the 'real korea' without a security blanket then perhaps a public school is for you.

[Rteacher]

Re Crazylemongirl's post: Very good summary - a "must (or really should) read" for all serious new candidates for teaching gigs in Korea...

[zappadelta]

[SweetLou]

like how to get properly drunk in front of the su-paw every night of the week because your job blows

[Kimchieluver]

I'm going to do the public school thing this September. I have had okay experiences with many hagkwons but a crap load of problems as well. I think if the public school offered you the job you are qualified enough to get into the groove after a couple of weeks. You will hear many bad stories about public schools on this forum but it's ten-fold when it comes to hakwons. Also You never know if you are getting a good hakwon job until you actually arrive. They all state that they are great and have been open for years.

In short, if you think you can hack the public school gig than go for the public school.

[Grotto]

I will never go back to a hogwan(knock on wood)
Public schools have their problems but you dont have 1/10 the bullcrap or stress that you have in a hogwan IMHO

[paperbag princess]

yeah, lemongirl was bang on.

i like my public school, but it's still a bit scketchy at times. it's a million times better than the hogwan i was at though.

[zappadelta]

[winnie]

I was in the same boat as you before....public school all the way, don't even give it a second thought.

You will be glad you did once you get here and meet other hagwoners.

[just because]

Am i the only person who works at a good hagwon???

I've worked at 3 different hagwons and never had any hassles....

Where are you guys working????

-Did you even research the hagwons you worked at before you came???

Most of the people I know that work in hagwons are quite happy...while the people who work in elementary schools are not happy..

[crazylemongirl]

[the_beaver]

I still say a mediocre university it better than either.

[peppermint]

The administration at my public school has given me more run around than any of the three hagwons I worked at before it- though they were all fairly decent schools.

I've never had a problem with pay, and the work is rewarding, but the management has a way of making promises and then not being able to deliver.