Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Well it seems that Kyonggi is less than pleased with what recruiters have sent them. Check out the link I just got from a friend:

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200605/kt2006050717455611960.htm

Kyonggi Province to Directly Recruit English Teachers

By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff Reporter
Municipal governments have begun directly recruiting native English instructors in primary and secondary schools by increasing ties with foreign universities amid the rising demand for qualified instructors.

...

Amid the shortage of English teachers, some schools have no other choice but to employ under-qualified foreigners who often cause problems including breach of contract and low-quality lessons.

``We are facing difficulties dealing with these foreign teachers, many of whom breach contracts and provide low-quality lectures. So, we�ve decided to recruit qualified English instructors directly from universities in English-speaking countries,�� said an official at the Kyonggi office of education.

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The quoation says a lot. It's all the recruiters' fault. Apparently they want higher-quality 'lectures'. Lectures? Aren't we there to get them speaking? Where are they going to find qualified people by going directly to universities?

Sounds like another case of more heads up more asses.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I wonder at what point 'they' are going to figure out that it would be a lot cheaper and far less hassle for everyone if they just trained Korean teachers better.

[Demophobe]

Good. Let the government deal directly with all the crap that goes along with being a/going through a recruiter. I wonder if they really know what they are getting into.

There is a new scapegoat.

This is just farcical:

[Peeping Tom]

[flotsam]

I've always felt that they would attract a better quality of teacher if the contracts didn't imply transience. Not a lot of job security or longevity incentives in most of these situations...

[Francis-Pax]

[Aussiekimchi]

I noticed that about Koreans...if you tell them you're a university student, they like you and think you're intelligent. Tell them you're an English teacher (which, in theory, means you've already graduated), and they think you're an unqualified idiot.
hahaha I noticed that too! Makes a lot sense to those with none.

Maybe this has something to do with it.
One problem that is apparent is the sheer volume of teachers the Education offices employ at one time.
Right now there are over 400 public school positions.
Teachers know this, and they know that USUALLY, public school gigs are better than the hakwon circus. So many applicants literally say "find me a public school..anywhere in Seoul or Gyeonggi".
The Education offices send through memos to recruiting companies that they need 100 teachers. Now!
Recruiters, being what they are, me included, throw every resume they can get their hands on at these Education offices. Obviously competing with each recruiting company.
Of course what happens is that a few people land these public school jobs with poor applications, little ability and poor attitudes. Also, not every public school is as great as their reputation makes it out to be. In fact, they can be out and out "toilets" to work in. Sometimes good teachers are placed under crap bosses. (excuse the pun).

The end result is dissatisfaction with one or both parties.
So yeah ...it is the recruiter's fault. It is also the school's fault. The teacher's fault and the bl**dy system's fault!

I don't have the answer to the problem really, but if you have a BA, a brush and some bog roll you may get a job offer in the coming weeks.

[Hotpants]

If they can cut out the middleman of hiring, and hire direct, then that's great in my opinion.

They will never find enough suitably qualified applicants for all the places. Ever. There must surely be very few experienced MA Tesol/BEd/PGCE candidates desperate to work 8 hours a day as hagwon or public school ESL teacher in Korea.

Perhaps if we are hired directly from universities, we could also cut out this transcript c-rap!

[Aussiekimchi]

cut out the middle man!!!????
That hurts....that really hurts.

[cypher]

Until they sweeten the deal they're certainly not going to fill all the positions they want to, and even then....unless of course they start hiring "from countries where English is widely spoken". I found that part interesting. Apparently it's from the gyeonggi-do office of education, and not talking about the "entertainers" at the english villages from what I can gather. Are they allowed to do that? I thought there were certain allowed countries that English intructors can come from.

*edited for grammar*

[rapier]

Hire directly from Universities... Hows that supposed to improve the standard?

Its the recent grads just out of Uni, that often make the poorest teachers. No exp, no TEFL quals, just out to repay student loans while continuing the frat party:

besides...not many undergrads at western Unis even consider teaching esl in korea. That decision usually comes later if they have difficulties getting a career job at home.

If they mean to recruit grads with a proper postgrad teaching cert (eg. PGCE) they've got their work cut out. very few people graduating those courses want to go to korea to pursue esl.

[jinju]

Well Gyeonggido is proving that they have no clue.

1. They do their best to make conditions as bad as possible. i.e. vacation time and forcing people to sit in the office all freaking day when nobody else is there. Not giving more than the official 2 week vacation. This drives away good teachers.

2. Whats their solution? Improve conditions? Nahh, that would be logical. Instead of keeping good, experienced teachers by being more flexible they will hire inexperienced newbies straight out of university:)

Its hilarious. Are these people unable to think logically and rationally?

[Hater Depot]

That's not what they're being paid to do.

[Ya-ta Boy]

The central flaw in their thinking is that 'anybody can teach'. I've run across this everywhere in Korea and I'm sure others have too.

[Grotto]

I believe it boils down to many Koreans inability to think of other systems as better or more advantageous. They simply believe that their way is the best way....that people should be thankful to work 50 weeks a year, put in long hours(after all more is more anything less... well that just doesnt work!)doing nothing.

While there are worse places to work than Korea it does take a special type of mentality to stick it out for more than one year. As has been pointed out in post after post....why havent Koreans realized that the teacher that just completed a contract is worth more than the 'new' teacher that hasnt arrived yet?

People who have successfully fulfilled 2 or more contracts should be highly valued. People who have done professional development(tesol, tefl, etc) are worth more than the teacher who is fresh from uni.

In the ESL industry there are no standards and no one really listens to ideas for bettering the industry(for to do so you must better the condition for foreigners).

As the vast majority of hogwans are simply cash cows to be milked, there is little incentive to lower profits in order to improve the business. Even though the business would most likely become even more profitable with better teachers who stay longer!

Because the powers that be in Korean education boards also dont want the FT's to be treated as teachers....just as curiosities to placate the parents.

Rant over...meandering though it was.