Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Aussiekimchi]

Just be careful out there.

As any teacher with any experience will ever tell you, when working in any education establishment you are dealing with two of the scariest predators known in the industry.
Mothers and kids!

Back home all teachers are warned not to be alone in a classroom with a student. Be careful with what you say to a student. Always cover yourself against ridiculous allegations. Never put yourself in a position where your integrity can be questioned.

Gosh it got so bad in Oz, a teacher could not comfort a crying kindy kid! Luckily though, your boss was always there to support you in case anything happened and we had organisations like the Teacher's Union.

But this is Korea.

Korean bosses will usually side with the student or the mother over you.
I have had a few cases this year where teachers have been accused of hitting, swearing, teasing and even sexually abusing students. And each time they were pressumed guilty.

Most times the situation turned out to be over exaggerated or totally false and sanity prevailed. However, I just had 1 school refuse to believe anyone other than the student and the complaining mother and as a result the teacher has been fired.
Hagwan bosses are some of the most stubborn and then illogical people in the universe.

Remember, the customer is always right. Even at the exploitation of the staff.

[Gideon]

I agree with you. You couldn't have said it better!!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Aussiekimchi]

cool idea!
That should happen more often.
It is scary how we have very little protection here against absurdity.

[Peter Jackson]

When kids ARE in danger the directer may laugh at you...

Several years back there was an emotionally disturbed, scary alcoholic, former crack addict (by his own admission) who worked at a hagwon. He was later appointed to "head teacher" because, as the other foreigners noticed, he was getting pretty cozy with the boss' wife. The guy was a lunatic, arriving at school "whiskey drunk" pretty much every morning. He often hadn't showered or even been home. He was fresh out off the noraebang or room salon.

Well one day he brings a knife to class. He taught 3 year olds. He scared the grade six girls who described him as "creepy" and "grabby". He managed to infuriate and/or scare the cr*ap out of most of the foreign staff. When all the teachers had a meeting about him, describing their fears for their own safety as well as the safety of the students, the director's wife (who ran the show) called all the staff "unprofessional" and that the head teacher was the cat's meow!

The guy later had a total breakdown, sliced up his arms, made several threats and continued to spiral out of control. All the while he kept his position and the other teachers had to walk on eggs and keep their mouths shut.

Not all hagwon directors are this reckless but some of them refuse to believe foreigners for ANY reason...no idea why...

[stakay]