Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CdnEducator]

Hi, I have a few questions for people working for the Jeollabukdo Office of Education.
(1) How common is it these days for teachers to be posted to multiple school sites (such as 5)?
(2) How common is it for teachers to be reimbursed the bus transportation money for daily travel to their designated multiple school worksites?
(3) How common is it for teachers to have single, private accommodation vs. having a roommate ?
*Teachers who work for other Provincial Offices of Education are welcome to post feedback about these conditions in other provinces-just name the province so there's no confusion.
Thanks for feedback related to this topic.

[peppermint]

I work in Gyeonggi do, and having teachers work at multiple schools isn't that common. I'm not sure if they get reimbursed for transportation, but I do know that the guy that goes to a few different schools gets paid more because of it.

Up here, single accomodations are the norm, thoughI had to share for a month.

[Hater Depot]

I knew a guy in Gyeonggi-do who had a two-bedroom he shared with the school janitor who apparently couldn't afford a place of his own. Although the guy suspected he was really there to spy on him and make sure he wasn't bringing girls home every night or something (not that there was any danger of that happening).

[xtchr]

Hi there, I'm also in Jeollabuk-do, hope these answers help a bit
1: I go to 38 elementary and middle schools each semester, one guy in the nearest county to me goes to 60, but most people I've met near here seem to have between 5 and 10 schools.
2: I get picked up from the office by a teacher and driven to that day's school, hence no need for bus money (but 38 different Korean drivers can be terrifying!) I'm not sure what others do for their transport arrangements.
3: I have single accommodation, have not met anyone who has had to share. One friend was in a family home-stay for about 2 weeks at the start of her contract while they sorted out an apartment for her.

[CdnEducator]

Thanks Peppermint, Depot and Xteacher. I thought Xteacher's response was a spoof at first, listing off high school postings like 38-60 schools, but the post does sound legitimate so I guess multiple school postings are more common lately in Jeollabukdo. That sounds disorienting to go to so many schools, that's like being a special visitor rather than a teacher.
Can anyone else throw in their chips here, from Jeollabukdo and other places, as to whether they have single accommodation with a government teaching job, as well as being reimbursed for bus transportation for a multiple school posting. I'm trying to get a sense of common trends.
One county in Jeollabukdo that I know of is refusing to give bus transportation reimbursement for teachers who take buses every day to 5-6 different schools each. It can add up to 60,000 won a month, and it doesn't seem right for the teacher to bear this cost as an individual. The same county also resists giving single apartments- one person is in a yagwan room for the year and two teachers were put together who didn't know one another and would have preferred their own places.
Can anyone in Chonju give feedback as to whether people teaching for the provincial office of education in Chonju are posted in a single school or to multiple schools ?
Thanks once again for all relevant feedback.

[Ekuboko]

[roybetis1]

I'm in Jeollabuk do. I teach at 4 schools but some of my coworkers teach at five. I have a roomate because the town I'm in was incredibly disorganized and hadn't even attempted to find housing, but I'm okay with that and its worked out well.
I did not ask for transportation because my Korean coworkers do not get it, so why should we?

[Kimchieluver]

Your Korean co-workers don't have to teach at 5 schools.

[schwa]

Korean teachers do receive extra money whenever they are required to travel outside their regular workplace. The school district office has a formula for payouts based on distance travelled.

If you're seriously out of pocket, you might consider bringing it up with your co-teacher or supervisor. I'm in a different province but I imagine yours has similar guidelines: I'm eligible for up to 100,000 won monthly for travel expenses that accrue as part of my job. My co-teacher keeps a log & submits it to my supervisor & I get reimbursed every 3 months.

One-off business trips are compensated separately, over & above that.

None of this is in the contract but if you inquire politely you might unearth some similar provision.

[roybetis1]

"Your Korean co workers do not have to travel to five schools"

This is true. I probably should've mentioned that all of my schools are within walking distance of eachother. So are the schools of the other ESL teachers I know.

[fusionbarnone]

Real Reality once posted an article about Korea ESL which included EPIK and the monies allocated for accommodation per EPIK participant. I think the sum was between US$20-25,000 per teacher per year(sorry can't remember exactly but it's from an newspaper article posted about ESL in Korea, it's somewhere on this board). So, if some teachers are forced to share with the hired help or live in squalid environs, where's the loot going?

Don't teachers also have 2 mil allocated toward the cost of whiteware, furniture, etc., until the money is spent(brand new and, delivered). Hope you guys got these things otherwise, the POE's teambuilding Noraebang excursions, volleyball parties, and barbeques, are probably on you.

I once worked for 2 POEs(with over 60 schools too). The "secondary" POE had the schools front up with 15,000 won per day(twice weekly). Where bus and taxi costs accrued to 7,000, the remainer was profit. However, travel time sucked. If you should ever get a similar arangement get the money in cash and not direct credited to your bank account . Need I say more.

As far as visiting schools within your district, the teachers(English as a subject, or, an assigned driver) are "usually" sent to collect you from the POE(and, provided you don't "know" where it is???, heh heh) if it is a sizeable commute. Also a perfect opportunity for learning Korean. How many Koreans will actually make time to teach Korean to a waygookin without a payoff? This is rep and teambuilding of your own and can make for really good mutual friendships. As well as, seriously sharpening your Hangulmal.

I, you want to "smooth the sheets", this can be done buy buying a carton of small health drinks in bottles. Slip these to your supervisor, the person next to you, and most importantly the superintendant(da big boss) on your floor. And once a month, "invest" 8-10,000 won on a big box of small bottled medi-health-drinks and treat the entire department(where you work only, and not the administration wing in another part of the building). Don't forget to address by name and rank, Korean bow, and hand deliver with your right hand with your left hand touching your right elbow. Also, don't forget to say goodbye to your boss' before leaving first(if you can say this in Korean even better"goodbye Mr. ...... big kahuna have a peaceful stay/journey, with bow), followed by farewelling your co-workers(short version). Small courtesys like the previously mentioned go a long way and may even alter one's living conditions(many "other" things for that matter) for the better.

Just thought I'd mention these things since everything in Korea is linked up to someone, somewhere, and could result in either a great experience or, something to the contrary for the teacher.

My two cents.

[fusionbarnone]

Real Reality once posted an article about Korea ESL which included EPIK and the monies allocated for accommodation per EPIK participant. I think the sum was between US$20-25,000 per teacher per year(sorry can't remember exactly but it's from an newspaper article posted about ESL in Korea, it's somewhere on this board). So, if some teachers are forced to share with the hired help or live in squalid environs, where's the loot going?

Don't teachers also have 2 mil allocated toward the cost of whiteware, furniture, etc., until the money is spent(brand new and, delivered). Hope you guys got these things otherwise, the POE's teambuilding Noraebang excursions, volleyball parties, and barbeques, are probably on you.

I once worked for 2 POEs(with over 60 schools too). The "secondary" POE had the schools front up with 15,000 won per day(twice weekly). Where bus and taxi costs accrued to 7,000, the remainer was profit. However, travel time sucked. If you should ever get a similar arangement get the money in cash and not direct credited to your bank account . Need I say more.

As far as visiting schools within your district, the teachers(English as a subject, or, an assigned driver) are "usually" sent to collect you from the POE(and, provided you don't "know" where it is???, heh heh) if it is a sizeable commute. Also a perfect opportunity for learning Korean. How many Koreans will actually make time to teach Korean to a waygookin without a payoff? This is rep and teambuilding of your own and can make for really good mutual friendships. As well as, seriously sharpening your Hangulmal.

I, you want to "smooth the sheets", this can be done buy buying a carton of small health drinks in bottles. Slip these to your supervisor, the person next to you, and most importantly the superintendant(da big boss) on your floor. And once a month, "invest" 8-10,000 won on a big box of small bottled medi-health-drinks and treat the entire department(where you work only, and not the administration wing in another part of the building). Don't forget to address by name and rank, Korean bow, and hand deliver with your right hand with your left hand touching your right elbow. Also, don't forget to say goodbye to your boss' before leaving first(if you can say this in Korean even better"goodbye Mr. ...... big kahuna have a peaceful stay/journey, with bow), followed by farewelling your co-workers(short version). Small courtesys like the previously mentioned go a long way and may even alter one's living conditions(many "other" things for that matter) for the better.

Just thought I'd mention these things since everything in Korea is linked up to someone, somewhere, and could result in either a great experience or, something to the contrary for the teacher.

My two cents.

[CdnEducator]

Thanks to all for posting. Schwa, I'm wondering in Kangwondo how common it is for teachers to be posted at multiple school sites? Thanks, I think you've been there a while and you have a good knowledge base for the province.