Korean Job Discussion Forums

melvaughn · Joined: 11 May 2006

The teachers at the hagwon I just began working at claim that the school turns the heat off in winter. The kids bring blankets and the teachers have to teach in jackets. Their reasoning is that germs spread in heat but it sounds like an excuse to save money.
How common is this? I can only imagine how ridiculous all the teachers are going to look this winter teaching in winter gloves and hats Rolling Eyes

But apparently all the teachers here think this is normal!

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

Wow, this goes pretty high on stupid hagwon ideas. It's defnitely to save money.

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

time to quit and find a better job.

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

ChuckECheese · Joined: 20 Jul 2006

Are you sure your colleagues aren't BSing you? You should ask your boss about it before making decision to give your 30 day notice.

alabamaman · Joined: 25 Apr 2006

Inform the labor inspector

skdragon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003

Ha Ha!
I heard at Konyang the President fired a teacher one day as he was doing "inspections". The teacher was huddled in a non-heated classroom in winter teaching 3 kids out of a class that was supposed to be 30 odd. The kids didn't go cause there was no heat. The president wanted the teacher fired for not being able to get the kids to go to class, and by kids I mean university age students.

I've often worked at places that won't turn on the A/C, and prefer to have me sweat all over the students while I check their work!!!
Most institutes will turn on heat and a/c since it is a business, and making the students (clients) comfortable is important (teaching isn't).

techno_the_cat · Joined: 30 Aug 2006

My second hakwon had a simular problem in winter. However, this was due to a broken boiler that the director was too lazy to fix. I would teach in a big jacket and remind myself that I only taught 16 hours a week. It wasn't too bad.

Gwangjuboy · Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Location: England

That's at odds with the norm over here. Usually Koreans crank up the heating far to high so you have a situation where it's -2 outside and 27 degrees inside.

HamuHamu · Joined: 01 May 2003 Location: Seoul

I've only worked at two hagwons that employed Korean teachers, and at both places, the K teachers wore coats, scarves and often gloves during the winter. Just came in from outside and never took any of it off. They thought that WE were weird for taking our outdoor clothes off, saying "But, it's winter, you need to wear a coat and scarf!"

Many of the students were the same - come in for a 90 minute class and sit with their coat on. I always tried to get them to take it off and they would go nuts "Teacher! Now is winter!!!" 10 minutes into the class they were stinky and dripping in sweat and complaining of being hot, and I really had to INSIST that they take off their coats, they just had a thing against it, and we would have to go through the same conversation every day.

The school had heat. It was just the mentality that it is winter, you wear winter clothes. Absurd.

Zark · Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 2:51 am Post subject:

My very first job in Korea in 1991 was at such a school. I remember asking the director for a heater - as the mist billowed out of my mouth from the cold.

I could barely see her behind the misty ice cloud when she spoke and said, "It's not cold."!!!

Part of the "joy" of Korea!

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul