Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nrvs]

for having a fake diploma. Although his classroom is directly across from mine, I missed the action because I was too focused on the IHT (it's test day so we can sit and relax a little bit).

Apparently, it wasn't really fake. But it was a mail-order "distance education" kind of thing from a questionable university in Canada. Honestly, I'm not sure of the details. I'm about to go out and have a beer with my coworker who knows more than I, so I'll report back later.

My big question at the moment:

Have you heard about immigration tracking people down so intrepidly -- without a "tip" of some kind? Another coworker of mine got busted over the summer in Gangnam in that big "outsourcing" sweep. My hagwon bailed him out and all he got was a fine. Is it possible that put the FTs at our hagwon under more intense immigration scrutiny? Or is it more likely someone dropped a dime on him?

[lastat06513]

Being how understaffed that they are, the only way he can get busted is by having someone tip him off to immigrations.

But yes, immigrations is getting tougher on people, and yes, there seems to be more scrutiny on Hakwons than anything else since they are the ones that hire people minus the background check.

[chiaa]

I got a funny story for you. Let me just say I graduated from a real university--Montana State. An average one, but it is a real one.

I never got my copy of my diploma after graduation. It was sent to my fraternity house and I am sure it is all marked up hanging on a wall someplace. I decided to come to Korea and I had about six weeks from when I decided to when I left. Thus I needed a copy of it rather quickly to process my paperwork. I called up the school and told them what the situation was. As they would not accept a credit card I had to mail them a check. The woman said she would start processing getting a new one printed up as long as I promised to mail the check.

Of course I mailed the check. Two weeks later I get a copy of my diploma in the mail. It looked a bit strange. My degree it says is a Bachelor of Science in History. My school did not offer such a degree and this did not go along with what it said on my transcripts (I just googled it and it actually is a degree at some schools much to my surprise). I was in a bind so I sent it off to the recruiter anyway. A week after that I get another one in the mail, Bachelor of Arts in History--the correct one.

And this is why I never cared that my school had my degree in the boss's office.

[BigBlackEquus]

This is no longer true.

According to EFL-Law, the immigration department is building a database of "fake" and "unacceptable" degree farms, etc. And according to EFL-Law, the immigration guys are onto the fact that there are a great many such degree farms operating in my home country of Canada.

Your co-workers school was probably flagged via that, if he wasn't turned in directly.

I wish I had a link to EFL-Law for you with this, but I assure you I saw it.

Oh, and yes, if your school has had problems with immigration in the past, they definately DO watch you more closely. I know that one for a personal fact. Saw some friends get busted, then a new crop of illegals get busted 5 months later. The immigration officials told one of the guys in the 2nd group of busts that they watch offending schools very closely. Another important reason why, if you plan to work illegally, you need to get some background on the school you are at, and if they've been in trouble before!

[Homer]

Well too bad for those who get busted but this is definitively a step in the right direction for the ESL industry here.

[nrvs]

Okay, here are the details:

My coworker came to Korea two years ago and got a fake diploma and transcripts from Acadia University via a shady recruiter. My coworker hadn't, in fact, been to university at all. The recruiter wanted to make his commission so he had fake documents created. My coworker used these documents at four different jobs, including the hagwon I presently work at.

I thought the guy was okay and it sucks he got busted. But honestly I'm not crying myself to sleep considering the fraudulent activity he was involved in. However, the timing of this bust was extremely favorable for my hagwon. It makes me uneasy.

Some background: His contract was up the third week of October. The hagwon wasn't renewing it because they didn't like him for reasons unrelated to his fake diploma. He was pissed over this and was being a little obtuse to the management. Nothing too dramatic.

So, immigration swoops down on the first of two monthly test days (when the FTs don't do much of anything anyway). They snatch him up before he gets paid for September -- and more importantly, before his severance comes due in October. Just like that, my hagwon saves themselves about 5 million won. Nobody in management seemed too upset over what transpired today. In contrast, they positively flipped out over my other coworker getting busted for teaching privates this summer, calling "special meetings" and everything to ensure it didn't happen again.

This is pure speculation, but do you think my hagwon tipped immigration off so he'd get deported? How would you feel if you worked at my place?

[fusionbarnone]

Bongo drivers tail FTs from competing hogwans. Knew of one teacher who was followed and observed after completing her shift(in a small town) on a regular basis.

Another hogwan reported their own teacher as awol to immi whilst she(the teacher) holidayed in Thailand. Inchon immi wouldn't let her into the country upon her arrival thus losing her possessions(left in her apartment), severance, and return airfare.

Yet another competing school tipped immi about a hogwan whose FT was working at a high school(part of her hogwan agreement). Teacher pays fine(???) hogwan pleads ignorance. Later, students who happen to attend both hogwans, overhear hogwan director telling parents that the FT at the competing school is illegal. Hogwan calls malicious director of competing hogwan who emphatically denies it. Later they fire their own FT (11th mth) and hire new guy. New guy is now working at the same high school the first ft from the reported school had been working.

5 mill or a waygook friendship. I think K-hogwans would prefer the money.

[Bulsajo]

[Captain Corea]

[BigBlackEquus]

Just curious about Acadia then. Is it a real school, or a degree mill?

I googled it and found this link about a guy who is a practicing teacher of doctors at the University of Pitttsburg, but his mailing address is here:

Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University
Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building
HALIFAX, NS CANADA B3H 4H7

His BA and BS degrees are from Acadia:

http://www.shrs.pitt.edu/about/faculty/stewartr.html



Sounds like degree mills staffing teachers from other degree mills!

[canuck in Ansan]

Acadia is one of the most expensive universities in Canada. It's in the Annapolis Valley in NS, its kind of small (about 4000) students, but I'd say pretty well known throughout Canada, at least the East.
www.acadiau.ca

If I was going to get a fake diploma (IF!!) I'd go for a lesser known Univeristy, like St. Anne's, or Agriculture College or something!

[Octavius Hite]

Acadia is one of the top undergrad schools in Canada regularly placing in the top 3 of Macleans school listings. It is also the most expensive in Canada because of the "Acadia Advantage", every year you are given a laptop as part of you tuition preloaded with all the software you need for your programs that year. Every classroom, office, dormroom, cafeteria etc is fully wired to the internet. Its a very famous university in Canada.

[Bulsajo]

[Bulsajo]

[kermo]

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. I have to say that is a tellling coincidence, and not at all surprising given his attitude lately. May I also say that it is extremely fortunate that a *certain teacher* was getting her visa in Japan on that very day, and was not found teaching. Phew.