Korean Job Discussion Forums

siborg69 · Joined: 06 Nov 2007

so i was sitting in the office today and the male korean teacher comes in and starts telling us about how beatiful this 10 year old girl student is. and how if her parents would let him, he would marry her....this made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. my co teacher said he has noticed him hugging kids, and they seem really uncomfortable when he does it. is this something I should just mention to my head teacher? i just dont know how differently these things are viewed in korea. because i know if this was back home, the teacher would be up the creek without a paddle with investigations etc. i would just feel absolutely terrible if something ever did happen and i didnt say anything....

blade · Joined: 30 Jun 2007

JAWINSEOUL · Joined: 19 Nov 2005

Maybe I'm a coward, but I would try a letter to the head teacher signed concerned. Get it written in Korean to hide who you are. This option maybe good if you are considering doing nothing.

I would wait to get advice from experianced teachers.

creesschaef · Joined: 18 Jun 2007 Location: Gyeonggi-do

rationality · Joined: 05 Jul 2007 Location: Some where in S. Korea

poet13 · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:44 am Post subject:

Get some sack.
Next time you seee him do that, and the student is obviously uncomfortable, tell him to stop. Tell him that's not right, and lead the child away. What's he going to do; run off to the head teacher and complain that you stopped him from groping a ten year old?

Think about it this way.
If your child (I have a four year old boy) were in the clutches of some (ANY!) person and obviously unhappy, what would you do?

Think about it another way.
We are more than dancing monkeys or even teachers.
We are guardians and we are entrusted with the safety of children.
We are entrusted to provide a safe learning environment for those children.
We have an awesome responsibility and it behooves every one of us, from the dope-smoking, loud-mouthed, Monday-through-Sunday beer-pounding, bar-fighting punk we all can't stand to have around, to the puffed up poncy clowns with their double Phds' and 25 years experience (who we also can't stand to have around) to take at least that part of what we do seriously.

I'm not slamming you OP, I'm making a general statement of belief.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

My friends older sister married her high school teacher. Basically the day after she graduated he showed up at her door and asked her father for her hand in marriage. This was like 1980 in a small town outside of Busan so it was something of a different time and different culture. A teacher. Very respectable. Government job. The father was smart enough to tell him to come back when she was 21. They'll talk then. He literally returned on her 21st birthday and the father let them marry.

The marriage kinda sucks. The guy went heavily into debt and the sister has been working a second job to pay off her husband's loan on his "brilliant" business plan.

Isn't it worse in Japan? Principles dictating even shorter skirts. Sex between teachers and high school students sort of a given?

siborg69 · Joined: 06 Nov 2007

i know guys, i just wasnt sure if this was some sort of cultural difference that i wasnt aware of cos im a relative newbie here so i wanted some advice from more experienced teachers before doing anything.
i didnt get a chance to speak to the head teacher today cos the guy was there all the time. but im DEFINITELY making time to say something tomorrow, even if i have to ask the head teacher to go to another room for a chat. cos today, about 3 girls came into the teachers room and he was talking away to them. ended up getting their phone numbers and they took his!! very very dubious. cos ive had kids ask for my number before but there wasnt a hope in hell of them getting it!
i'll keep you updated on what happens

siborg69 · Joined: 06 Nov 2007

JAWINSEOUL · Joined: 19 Nov 2005

keep us updated.

siborg69 · Joined: 06 Nov 2007

ok, i had my chat with the head teacher. she's aware of this as well and has spoken to the owner. its looking like the teacher will be leaving. they've had complaints from parents about him (not sure what kind of complaints exactly, just dont think the kids like him). so everyone at the school is aware of this. i can't see the guy lasting too much longer. i was just relieved that the korean teacher saw it as well and it wasnt just me who was going to have to bring this to the attention of the owners

greedy_bones · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Location: not quite sure anymore

Part of that sounds like culture, but part of it doesn't. At the schools I've worked for, teachers/wangjangnims will be very hands on with the kids. I've once seen my boss grab a kid, pull him onto his lap and whisper into his ear.

The thing that strikes me as odd, however, is that the teacher at your school is doing it to girls. If you're a man, you can grab a boy's ass, but it's very inappropriate to have even minimal contact with a girl.

midwest · Joined: 25 Dec 2007