Korean Job Discussion Forums

Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee · Joined: 25 May 2003

If you do privates your employer has a right to fire you but they never would because they are getting such a windfall.

Some Universites and hogwons even deny overtime as a penalty for teachers they don't like. The system is so messed up.

If you are at a good school there isnt' really a need to do privates anyway.

Homer · Guest

Why oh why would I admit to something that is not my opinion at all kiwi?

I never said I was againts anyone doing pvts. What I said, and had you been paying attention have been saying, is that I have no problem about people doing pvts as long as they are a) ready to accept the consequences of their choices, b) Do a professional job.

Outside of that, I disagree with people who use a thousand and one excuses to justify their doing pvts. Excuses like 'The system forces me to do so' and such just don't fly with me.
This doesn't mean that I am against (or 'for'!!) people who do pvts k-boy. It means that I prefer the honest truth and not some half baked justification.

As for my personal preferences, I do not do pvts because now I have a) Too much to lose, b) They are illegal, c) I value my free time too much and finally d) I am more than satisfied with my job and pay.

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

But you have a counter for every reason for doing them, so that doesn't make sense.

The Bobster · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee · Joined: 25 May 2003

Often it is a bad deal if you are not doing privates , furthermore
Privates factor into your salary no matter what because if they weren't there or the govt cracked down hard like they did in 1998 most teachers would leave.

almost no one would work for the big schools under the standard condtions that they offer if it were not for the E-2 system that restricts the market.

If a Korean wants to learn English they have to go to a hogwon under the Korean system. If Business wants English lessons in the morning they have to go through a hogwon and pay through the nose to do it. Much more then if they hired a teacher directly.

If one were to teach 4 kids at 50 an hour it would probably be cheaper (factor in transportation) for a family then it would for them to go to a hogwon.

Doing privates balances the system- there iis nothing wrong with refusing to go along with the hogwon cartel.

As I said before schools that treat their teachers well are not going to have big problems with their teachers doing privates

Homer · Guest

Kiwiboy,

Lets just drop it man. You are convinced you know what I think and mean better then I do no matter what I say.

There is nowhere to go from here.

Joo,

You make an interesting point about privates but your analysis suffers from the missing link syndrome at times.

What cartel are you talking about? You seem to see hakwons as one uniform and malignant entity when really its a much disorganised industry.

If you want to see pvts as all good and wholly justified then its cool. Thats your choice.

but...

Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee · Joined: 25 May 2003

Homer my point is this :

It is the hogwon way or no way in South Korea. I guess there are a few company jobs but not that many and anyway on a per hour basis they pay far less than if you did it by the hour for a company.

The whole E-2 system keeps wages below the market rate for teachers forces people to pay excessively high fees to hogwons for private or company lessons.

Private teaching is a pain (and there is travel too) . If your hogwon treats you real well you are not going to do them much if at all . If your hogwon is good they won't have the problem of teachers putting others first.

I already said there are some schools which get privates for their teachers and allow them to do them in the hogwon classrooms. The teachers who work for these schools are for the most part are quite happy and very loyal to their employeers.

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

Toby · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Location: Wedded Bliss

It depends on the private and where it is as to whether or not it is a pain or a pleasure to do.

Schools can treat you well, but you still want some extra cash. Office privates in the morning, near to your house, so I have heard, are fun and are easy money. Teaching tired middle school kids at 8 o'clock at night in their home, miles from yours, so I have heard, is neither fun nor really rewarding for you or the student.

If the company can afford to pay, then I don't see that as being morally wrong. It's their choice.

If the family can afford to pay, then I don't see that as being morally wrong either. Again, it's their choice.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

caniff · Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Location: All over the map

It's a side-benefit of being married to a local. If you are, and you work at a hagwon, I don't get it. A license costs next to nothing, and it seems pretty arbitrary after that in terms of what tax you pay (although I have no problem with the 3% Very Happy

). Its not my night job (massage parlor), but the $ is good.

I did the hagwon one year, then a high school the next. After that? A uni? ok if you're on an E-2. If you have something better, you can get something better.

Ancient bump here

The Man known as The Man · Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 11:08 am Post subject:

You won't be making any money doing privates.

Privates are illegal.

Gideon · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Location: Seoul

Not that my opinion matters.. but, as we know privates are illegal. I havnt' met anyone who has NOT done a private. I've heard stories about people getting pinched for doing them.. but they are just stories from a friend of a friend.. I have been here for 3 years and none of my friends or people i know of have ever gotten caught.

Now thats not to say it doesn't happen. But i think you have to be pretty damn naive about a private to get caught.

I say go gett'm TIGER. Doing privates can be very lucrative, and since teacher's salaries don't rise with inflation (least where i've worked and others) go out and do as many as your possibly can. U know the law and its a chance one takes!

I have friends who work at hagwons where their bosses want to farm them out to work at public schools. WHY? Because they want to make more money... Its extortion.. well maybe that a strong word to use, but most hagwon owners will try to get as much work out of a teacher as possible. And if i were a boss i'd most likely do the same, of course by asking my employees rather than making it difficult for them to say no.

GO GETT'M TIGER!!

Like they say in Thailand , "ITS UP TO YOU".