Korean Job Discussion Forums

Wrench · Joined: 07 Apr 2005

This is why university education in Asia is about 50 years behind North America. Its pretty sad, but it doesn't look like its going to change anytime soon.

Summer Wine · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Location: Next to a River

I am not so sure the above points about a hagwon are so correct. First before you flame, I have worked in 4 hagwons, in 3 different cities, for about 4 years. I have seen the same books being taught regardless of the name on the school. I have argued the same points and seen the same mentality in students today that I have seen in students in another city 3 yrs ago. Some points are well made and true, some are just repetition with no specific info to back it up.

The parents want the best, the schools want to offer the best, the teachers try thier best. Is it an absolute failure, I don't believe so. 50 kids in a public school vs 6 in a hagwon, I talk to each of my students each day. We discuss, we argue, we talk. My students are able to that. My boss is ok, not great but better than others I have worked for. For example my best student in one of my classes has an english teacher for a mother, one of those who should do better is half korean, but wants to fit in, so only uses korean. Its a complex system teaching english here and does depend as much on the student as the school.

Don't dish hagwons, 6 - 12 students vs 30 - 50, I believe its not all bad. Well, it has its day, but many who complain, do so from the seat of the observer, not from the day to day of the living.

peppermint · Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 4:18 am Post subject:

No one that's taught at a public school will dispute the fact that hagwons are having a positive effect. Yeah the system as it is sucks, but until the Korean government gets around to some dramatic education reform, we have to accept it.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

blunder1983 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005

You must remember Yu-Bum ur still in the "honeymoon" period. While my classes are still met with general enthuiasm it is diminishing (I've been here 4 months now). And Periwinkle is right, those who go to Hagwons are noticably better. That said I think the voting speaks for itself. Simply not allowing sleeping etc. in class and getting the kids to bed early would result in better performances. But with no faith in the schools at present its not going to happen.

Sigh...

Anyway we can change the attitudes (tho granted doing that on the most part would result in job losses for us).

BigBlackEquus · Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2005 3:28 pm Post subject:

patchy · Joined: 26 Apr 2005

Some ajummas (and fathers) are terrible to their kids. I know of one girl who is only 13 years old and she attends hagwons from the time she finishes school until 10 at night, plus half the weekends too. She is only a mediocre student by the way.

(Actually a few Koreans I know who got into SNU or entered medical schools and other desired professions never attended hagwons - I know a few other people who attended hagwons until midnight in their high school years and only got into second-rate unis.)

I think the whole emphasis on education is way over-exaggerated here - as somebody said here already not everyone is meant to excel academically.

And to label kids as failures even before they fully mature because they never got top grades is shortsighted at the very least.

Many problems here in this country, and a lot of them are self-created.

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

going back to the original subject, I work at a private middle school, and all of my classes are ranked either A, B, or C. A being the highest, this makes things so much better. The A kids all know the basics and I really can work on converstaion, where the C kids usually have no clue and i cover the real basics. It is best for everyone, especially the students.

and about hogwans, you ever wonder why when you talk to girls here, all they do is laugh and giggle, say hi, and then stand there in amazement? it is because they have no social skills. when we were with our friends in our teens, learning how to socialize, they are sitting bored as hell listening to the same math lesson in a hokwan that they got just three hours earlier at their normal school...

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Oh, and I get my top first grade class in two hours, horray! Damn I love my job.

lastat06513 · Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 8:03 am Post subject:

The answer would definitely be "yes"
Especially when it comes to private education.

Parents, particularly mothers, pay great attention to their childrens education for a number of reasons, mostly for their own benefit more than the child's.

Just look at the Korean social system.

In Korea, male children are more prized than female for the reason that they can get a much better job than Korean women. And the first born (or in Korea's case, only born) son has the responsibility to take care of their parents once they get older.
So it is paramount that they get into the best universities and colleges to help them achieve that goal of getting a good job.
Now since parents view Korea's education system as in shambles, most of them rely heavily on private education (especially in regards to English education since it is seen as a globalized language in business and heavily promoted by the government to enhance its standing in the international community). That's why Korean public school teachers are viewed as bureaucratic, corrupt and useless in modern society here.
In fact, some of my ex-students said their teachers expected them to learn from the private schools instead of relying on them to learn something (some teachers view themselves as only "test proctors" in that they only administer quizzes and exams to evaluate what they already know from the institutes)
According to recent articles, it is said that Korean parents spend about half their monthly income on their children's education. So they are very interested in knowing that their investment in their future (not the child's, remember) are in good hands.
Also remember that in Korea, their is almost no social welfare system and most elderly people are taken care of by their offpsring.

Now, this is where we come in.....
Since English education is extremely important in getting a job at one of the few decaying and dilapidated conglomerates, they are very careful about who they want as their child's teacher. Unfortunately, Korean parents are not aware of any standards in teaching English (in fact, as we all know, there is NO standard in teaching English in Korea) so it is difficult to know who is and who is not a good teacher.
But things have become more blurred recently with the SBS special in which all teachers are seen as incompetent and inexperienced.
So now, Hakwons and immigrations are especially sensitive to the views of the public in that children get the best possible education from the most experienced instructors possible.

Will it work?
time will tell.

panthermodern · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Location: Taxronto

I am still stunned that no one has opened a mass market brand named actual "day care" operation in Korea.

Screw English ... Just run a fully fledged day care teaching ... nothing.

Games, Art, Sports ....

The kids would be better off and happier ...

An add on would be an after school activity program from 1pm to 8 or 9pm.

Why bother with the illusion of EFL ...

Glorf · Joined: 01 Apr 2005 Location: Seoul Area

I may have only been in Korea a few months, but I already feel like hagwons are just day cares. Of course the kids are going to learn small bits and pieces of information if they spend that much time in a room with someone who either doesn't know enough Korean (or chooses not to use much of it), but that's hardly learning the language. When they hand a book to a unexperienced person with absolutely no training and ask you to teach kids that don't know any English, how seriously can you take it?