Korean Job Discussion Forums

JacktheCat · Joined: 08 May 2004

Showed up at school today to find all classes canceled and the faculty boarding buses for Seoul.

Seems my private high school has taken issue with the new private school law and decided to shut down the school for the day while the teachers and admin join the demonstrations in Seoul.

Wrench · Joined: 07 Apr 2005

Karabeara · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 11:13 pm Post subject:

Your school is not technically on strike. They are just demonstrating. Classes are supposed to resume as normal next week.

This is a funny power struggle between two groups that basically make Korean education crap anyway. Powerful private school owners who act like a king in their own land, and higher within family to keep things the way they want. Powerful public school entities, like the teachers union, want to get control of the private schools (they do not have that now). Power struggles galore.

Basically, this will all happen. The days are numbered for nepotism and king-like private school owner/directors. Roh wants this. And I think everyone knows it.

I am just sitting on the sidelines watching it all happen. I think all of us would agree that this is the right step for the nation (cutting out family control and nepotism). Because the schools are private, yet still receive over 95% of their funding from the government/parents, it is like allowing a private individual control over everyone elses goverment money. And giving them the right to hire family only. Nepotism. A bad thing.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

The Chosun Ilbo said it would "choke the life out of the Korean education system".

Yikes.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Paji eh Wong · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

c1204887 · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Location: England

This maybe selfish but is there going to be any impact, big or small on us English teachers?
I don't know much about this law but history tells us that people get upset, protest then adapt to the new order.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

If the law is adopted (not vetoed by No) then probably not. If things hang fire as they are now, then yes, there will be an effect...all those students who are not accepted into private schools will have to go somewhere. My guess is they'll end up in public schools. That would have some affect on public school teachers. Another possibility is that private school teachers (some) might be let go.

In the longer term, have radical leftists on the governing boards of such a large number of schools might have some affect on people's lives here.

Who really knows?

BigBlackEquus · Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:38 am Post subject:

I'm certain the protest will never amount to more than a few days. Heck, the airlines can't get away with it before the government orders them back to work. This is 100% posturing.

We must also remember that nearly all of the teachers who protested are doing so because they are told they must. The rank-and-file private school teachers WANT the law changed. They just cannot say it, or they will be removed one way or another. Remember, if this law goes into effect, some of their bosses are removed, and some of the teachers have a legitimate shot at moving up into their spot. That means a potentially big pay raise, and a way to break through a sort of glass ceiling.

This is exactly why the protests can only go so far, in my opinion. It's all a show to please the nepotism-istic (???) bosses who enjoy a king-like control over the school. They don't want to lose that control, and they are the ones trying to make a mess if they are taken down. The teachers are just following orders and taking advantage of the day off, and a chance to drink soju and hot green-tea while shaking their fists in the air.