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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 5:20 pm Post subject: Teacher Salary: Twice GDP; And you earn what? |
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For primary education, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Mexico have relatively low salary costs per hour of instruction ($13, $15, and $16, respectively); by contrast, costs are relatively high in Denmark ($48), Germany ($49), South Korea ($62), and Switzerland ($48).
International Comparisons of Teacher Salaries
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind02/c1/c1s7.htm#c1s7l3
Figure (see Figure 1-16 below)
Association Between Teacher Salaries and Per Capita Gross Domestic Product
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind02/c1/fig01-16.htm
In Germany, Ireland, South Korea, and Switzerland, among others, teachers earn at least twice the GDP per capita.
http://www.veaweteach.org/articles_archives_detail.asp?ContentID=324
South Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) came to $680 billion in 2004, the 11th largest in the world, up 11.9 percent from a year earlier, while its per capita gross national income stood at $14,162, ranking 30th.
Korea Stands 30th in Per Capita Income
By Lee Hyo-sik, Korea Times (August 10, 2005)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200508/kt2005081020294311890.htm
May 15 is Teacher's Day in South Korea, and to honor their teachers, students will be bring them flowers, write compositions in appreciation of them, and even participate in sports competitions with them. Parents also often give gifts or gratuities to the teacher. According to an article in the Nishinippon Shimbun, surveys indicate that parents spend a minimum of 100,000 won on these gifts (roughly US$100.00), while cash presents can go as high as 30 million won (roughly US$3,000). http://japundit.com/archives/2005/05/15/polishing-the-apple
Bribery Is Natural and Works, Teacher Claims
Chosun Ilbo (March 31, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200503/200503310021.html
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind02/c1/fig01-16.gif
Last edited by Real Reality on Sat Aug 13, 2005 9:27 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| per capita gross national income stood at $14,162, ranking 30th |
Let's say W2 million is the average ESL monthly income.
a. W2 million X 12 = W24,000,000
b. Add the value of a free flight to Korea. Approx. 1/2 month's salary
c. Add the value of a free apartment. Minimum would be W300,000/month, so W3,600,000
Total would be W28,600,000 (if you grant the free flight being equal to 1/2 month's salary.
Not bad since no one has to have any training or experience whatsoever for the job. |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| Quote: |
| per capita gross national income stood at $14,162, ranking 30th |
Let's say W2 million is the average ESL monthly income.
a. W2 million X 12 = W24,000,000
b. Add the value of a free flight to Korea. Approx. 1/2 month's salary
c. Add the value of a free apartment. Minimum would be W300,000/month, so W3,600,000
Total would be W28,600,000 (if you grant the free flight being equal to 1/2 month's salary.
Not bad since no one has to have any training or experience whatsoever for the job. |
What if the foreign teachers do have training and experience? Are foreign teachers appropriately compensated for their training and experience?
A Korean teacher graduated from a Korean university.
How valued is an education from a Korean university compared to the value of an education from a foreign (North American) university?
Korean teachers have fairly good job security.
Korean teachers enjoy perks and benefits foreign teachers will never receive.
May 15 is Teacher's Day in South Korea, and to honor their teachers, students will be bring them flowers, write compositions in appreciation of them, and even participate in sports competitions with them. Parents also often give gifts or gratuities to the teacher. According to an article in the Nishinippon Shimbun, surveys indicate that parents spend a minimum of 100,000 won on these gifts (roughly US$100.00), while cash presents can go as high as 30 million won (roughly US$3,000).
Polishing the apple
http://japundit.com/archives/2005/05/15/polishing-the-apple
The Korea Federation of Teacher's Associations (KFTA) announced Thursday the results of a nationwide survey of 5,420 elementary, middle and high school teachers. Some 27 percent of respondents said they had been bribed with gifts by parents, with 34.3 percent of them doing favors in return. The KFTA admitted many teachers were giving and taking bribes,...
Chosun Ilbo (April 14, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200504/200504140030.html
Bribery Is Natural and Works, Teacher Claims
Chosun Ilbo (March 31, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200503/200503310021.html
Foreigners Experience Difficulties in Living in Korea
An official in the International Cooperation Division of Seoul City admitted, "The same complaints regarding visas, transportation, education, and environment are raised every year without being solved, due to the lack of cooperation from government agencies involved and their passive attitudes."
by Jae-Dong Yu and Soo-Jung Shin, Donga.com (July 4, 2004)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004070522448 |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 7:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Korea is not particularly interested in people with actual training and experience in ESL. You and I both think that is foolish, but that is Korea's choice. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Real Reality wrote: |
What if the foreign teachers do have training and experience? Are foreign teachers appropriately compensated for their training and experience? |
You make the assumption Koreans want more. We all know they're happy as pigs in slop with a 23 year old blond woman/man with a BA in Music Appreciation. |
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livinginkorea
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Location: Korea, South of the border
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| Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Real Reality wrote: |
Starting Annual Salaries for Korean Teachers
Primary education: 26,983
Lower secondary education: 26,852
Upper secondary education: 26,852
(amounts shown are in US dollars)
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Hmm primary education is higher than Middle school or High school. I thought that it would be other way around. Interesting figures RR. So it works out at about 2.2 m a month? Not bad at all for 20 or so hours a week. Hagwon teachers make about half that from what I've heard. |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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Korean Teachers' Working Time
Number of weeks of teaching (over the school year)
Primary education: 37
Lower secondary education: 37
Upper secondary education: 37
Number of days of teaching/working (over the school year)
Primary education: 220
Lower secondary education: 220
Upper secondary education: 220
Net teaching time in hours (over the school year)
Primary education: 811
Lower secondary education: 554
Upper secondary education: 531
Total statutory working time in hours (over the school year)
Primary education: 1613
Lower secondary education: 1613
Upper secondary education: 1613
Indicator D4: Teaching Time and Teachers' Working Time
http://www.oecd.org/document/11/0,2340,en_2649_201185_33712011_1_1_1_1,00.html
Table available for download in Excel format
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/61/33/33671279.xls |
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weatherman
Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| Quote: |
| per capita gross national income stood at $14,162, ranking 30th |
Let's say W2 million is the average ESL monthly income.
a. W2 million X 12 = W24,000,000
b. Add the value of a free flight to Korea. Approx. 1/2 month's salary
c. Add the value of a free apartment. Minimum would be W300,000/month, so W3,600,000
Total would be W28,600,000 (if you grant the free flight being equal to 1/2 month's salary.
Not bad since no one has to have any training or experience whatsoever for the job. |
Nice work, and true, but the problem is that you are always a starting teacher, or not too far off. Korea is great for a few years, but if you want to walk a path without doing illegal work, then the benefits are plain not worth it. You don't get advancement and your salary increases may or not even cover the inflation. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Nice work, and true, but the problem is that you are always a starting teacher, or not too far off. Korea is great for a few years, but if you want to walk a path without doing illegal work, then the benefits are plain not worth it. You don't get advancement and your salary increases may or not even cover the inflation.
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Quite true, but my point is that for the vast majority of ESL teachers, who have no training or teaching experience, this is a pretty good deal. For what ever reason, Korea is not interested in attracting or keeping educationally qualified and experienced teachers. I've never heard any attempt at an explanation for it. |
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brento1138
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
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| Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
We all know they're happy as pigs in slop with a 23 year old blond woman/man with a BA in Music Appreciation. |
Uhhhh....  say what? |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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| weatherman wrote: |
Nice work, and true, but the problem is that you are always a starting teacher, or not too far off. Korea is great for a few years, but if you want to walk a path without doing illegal work, then the benefits are plain not worth it. You don't get advancement and your salary increases may or not even cover the inflation. |
Exactly.
The annual salary of Korean teachers with minimum training:
after 15 years experience: $46,400 *
top of scale: $74,672 *
(in equivalent US dollars)
The ratio of salary after 15 years of experience to GDP per capita is 2.73.
* The annual salaries of Korean teachers indicated here are the highest among all members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
OECD countries
Country..... Ratio of salary after 15 years of experience to GDP per capita
1. Australia: 1.44
2. Austria: 1.08
3. Belgium (Fl.): 1.26
4. Belgium (Fr.): 1.20
5. Czech Republic: 1.09
6. Denmark: 1.23
7. England: 1.41
8. Finland: 1.20
9. France: 1.12
10. Germany: 1.72
11. Greece: 1.39
12. Hungary: 0.75
13. Iceland: 0.68
14. Ireland: 1.17
15. Italy: 1.08
16. Japan: 1.65
17. Korea: 2.73
18. Mexico: 1.77
19. Netherlands: 1.22
20. New Zealand: 1.61
21. Norway: 0.86
22. Portugal: 1.73
23. Scotland: 1.45
24. Slovak Republic: 0.54
25. Spain: 1.50
26. Sweden: 1.01
27. Switzerland: 1.53
28. Turkey: 1.98
29. United States: 1.18
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
http://www.oecd.org/document/11/0,2340,en_2649_34515_33712011_1_1_1_1,00.html
May 15 is Teacher's Day in South Korea, and to honor their teachers, students will be bring them flowers,... Parents also often give gifts or gratuities to the teacher.... parents spend a minimum of 100,000 won on these gifts (roughly US$100.00), while cash presents can go as high as 30 million won (roughly US$3,000).
Polishing the apple
http://japundit.com/archives/2005/05/15/polishing-the-apple
The Korea Federation of Teacher's Associations (KFTA) announced Thursday the results of a nationwide survey of 5,420 elementary, middle and high school teachers. Some 27 percent of respondents said they had been bribed with gifts by parents, with 34.3 percent of them doing favors in return. The KFTA admitted many teachers were giving and taking bribes,...
Chosun Ilbo (April 14, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200504/200504140030.html
Bribery Is Natural and Works, Teacher Claims
Chosun Ilbo (March 31, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200503/200503310021.html |
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livinginkorea
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Location: Korea, South of the border
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| Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 1:33 am Post subject: |
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"as high as 30 million won (roughly US$3,000)."
Are you sure? Maybe a typo? |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 1:44 am Post subject: |
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"as high as 30 million won (roughly US$3,000)."
Are you sure? Maybe a typo?
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It may well be true. My friends have told me that some teachers, mainly in elementary school, double their salary by taking bribes 'to take care of' little Bum-Suk. |
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livinginkorea
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Location: Korea, South of the border
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| Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 2:11 am Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
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"as high as 30 million won (roughly US$3,000)."
Are you sure? Maybe a typo?
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It may well be true. My friends have told me that some teachers, mainly in elementary school, double their salary by taking bribes 'to take care of' little Bum-Suk. |
Hmm I meant 30 million won = only 3,000 dollars?
But having said all that, I'm looking forward to the next Teacher's Day!! |
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