Korean Job Discussion Forums

[some waygug-in]

OK, I guess I can agree with that.

I once helped an Australian girl get away from a bad situation. She was here on a "working student visa", had only finished high school and was here teaching at the same hagwan as me.

I didn't even know that such a visa existed, I still don't know much about it, but I do know that they treated that girl like total crap. It made me sick. She had to live in a filthy little one room across town. She had no heat, broken plumbing, had to commute 35 minutes each way to the school, was constantly being scolded and demeaned by the wonjang, had to serve lunch to the kids and almost had a breakdown as it was her first time away from home.

I on the other hand had a 2 bedroom place to myself, 10 minutes walk from the school, with cable TV, a VCR, fridge, gas range and a bed.

I told her she should just leave and I offered to give her money to get home, but she decided to stay in Korea.........just leave the school.

Lucky for her she was fluent in Russian and she had lots of friends among the Russian expats here. She got an illegal job through her Russian friends and saved enough to get back home.

The wonjang was "shocked" that she would leave. Why did she go?

As if she didn't know.

They actually expected me to rat out on the girl so they could get her into more trouble.

[Yaya]

It's simple -- if you're illegal, you have little legal recourse.

Aside from the Canadian thing, my American friend told me of some Latino guy who had lived a couple of years in Canada and then came to teach English in Korea. He got a few jobs before immigration busted him.

I also know of a few French adoptees and nationals whose English is downright AWFUL but teach basic English to kids.

[cruisemonkey]

I can't understand the furor this issue is causing. Personally, I don't give a DAMN if anyone gets detained, deported, fined ot does 'time'... because I'm here legally.

[Manner of Speaking]

[susy]

For any other job, you have to meet the minimum requirements and go for an interview. whats the problem with Korea?.

Why should people without the qualifications required get jobs that others of us have worked hard to get.

I spent four years at university and it will take me years to pay off the debts. I worked hard to get my degree. It really annoys me that other people without the required documents can just get into the system like that. Also I have even been told that `you have too many qualifications so we have to give the job to someone who doesnt and give them a chance` in my own country.

I struggled all through uni because my parents were not well off....lots of the time not even eating properly. so i dont put up with the crap ` but my parents couldnt afford it` if you want qualifications they are there to get easier now than any time before to get into uni.
I wont say all but most people who dont go dont want to go and get their degree. - thats cool they want to have a trade or do other types of work which the world needs to make it go round. - those peeps are just as important as us with degrees ( let me make that clear).

But it is unfair for the people who are not qualified for the job to take jobs off those who are qualified. - if i dont have a plumbing qualification - i cant be a plumber can I?. So why should recruiters take on people as teachers when they dont have the qualifications to be teachers?.

[desultude]

As I said, two issues:

First, is it necessary to have a degree to be a good teacher of your native language. I say, emphatically, no.

Second is the issue of legality. Yes, the person who bought a degree on Kho San (sp.?) Road should not be teaching here- it is just wrong on so many levels, and they probably aren't a good teacher anyway (I see ethics as being a necessary component of good teaching). But then there are the many many teachers here are picking up a few privates here and there. I guess I see this as more of a misdemeanor- you should get your wrist slapped, fined and warned. It's like what they call the "California rolling stop"- where you slowly and carefully cruise through a stop sign. I know far too many people who do this who are excellent teachers and who have high ethical standards, but understand that there is no legal way to tutor a couple of extra students.

I do hope that no one who takes the really hard line (bust those teaching privates, etc.,) downloads music or videos. By your standards, you should be rotting in jail.

BTW- Hey MOS, what's with the new avatar? I like it- does it have some significance?

[Freezer Burn]

So you have a degree in education? Susy

It's been said here before, you do not need a degree to teach at a hogwan, university level sure, but dancing around like a monkey while singing ABC or teaching basic grammar does not require a three to four year degree, I feel WAY under used, my brain is on auto-pilot at work, I worked hard too and struggled through uni, but I feel like this is a waste of that time being here because I'm not being challanged at all.
It's an immigration policy not a prerequisite to a job teaching so stop trying to elevate your position here in Korea to something meaningful and important, if you feel like someone is taking your job unfairly go home and get a real job.
We're here to make money for 1-2 years (except te lifers who are here for different reasons) and then go home to our real lives.

[JongnoGuru]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[quote="Manner of Speaking"]

[desultude]

[JongnoGuru]

[Moldy Rutabaga]

[some waygug-in]

Does anyone know what the rules are regarding those "working student visas"?

I am certain that the case I described earlier is not so uncommon.

I agree that people who intentionally disregard the law deserve what they get, but I wonder how many of those people were told it was OK, and then naively came here to find themselves in a mess of trouble.