Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

Well, it's official. No more testing for POT.

As we expected, not long after going into effect as of March 15, the new drug testing regulations have pretty much been stricken entirely. I personally guessed the new regulations would last about 2 weeks. Koreans in government like attention-grabbing headlines before elections, though. Not much attention was paid to the fact that new restrictions on E-2s included far many hoops, and not many teachers would bother coming back (well, we all knew this!). Although that's certainly happened, they aren't about to admit it. Instead, they quietly posted the updated rules (see below) on a government website.

Bottom line: You need an E-2? There is no test for marijuana.

The question I find myself asking is... when will we see a public outcry? These new drug testing rules for E-2 visas were ushered in with a great deal of media attention and fanfare. Foreigners were absolutely torn apart in the media over this, and the criminal records check (which has also been revamped for some -- see below).

Now the marijuana test is gone.

This information is available here:

[buymybook]

Ha ha ha!!! Good work, thanks for the update.

[Bibbitybop]

In addition to making it harder to get E-2 teachers, maybe immigration did some actual research into marijuana and realized it's a safer drug than alcohol and that no danger can come to the children by having a teacher who smokes.

[flummuxt]

Some thoughts:

On the plus side, I guess Korea deserves some credit for being willing to admit they made a mistake and fix it.

On the minus side, I can't figure out the rules they are proposing as a fix, and so cannot be sure they are an improvement.

I assume that while dropping the cannabis test, they are dropping the alcohol test. That's the one that really boggled my mind. Drinking is the national sport here.

I sure would like to hear from some people who did the drug test back home for some details. The only time I had to take one, it took weeks to get the results, and I got a false positive that required waiting weeks more to be cleared.

Whatever this patchwork of new rules are, I don't think they really solve the problems they were set out to address. And so sooner or later there is going to be a teacher arrested, and a new outcry.

So, I predict Kimmi will rewrite the rules within a year. The only question is whether they will get it right this time.

I am all for rules and screening that keep dangerous criminals and child abusers from being teachers in Korea. And I am all for checking credentials properly so that only people with college degrees are allowed to teach, so long as those are the rules.

But the rules, as far as I can figure them out, did not do a foolproof job of accomplishing these goals. And they placed an absurd burden on the applicant.

Also, the rules did, and still do arbitrarily prohibit people from getting a visa for old, irrelevant or minor criminal record issues, or for irrelevant health issues.

Kimmi seems unable to interpret any discrepancy on a criminal or health record, so it seems they just say no. How to solve that problem? Just hire some Westerners to work at Kimmi who can read these reports.

At least use a standard checklist of medical conditions, like they do in a Western doctor's office, and leave room for the applicant to provide explanatory details.

How to get accurate criminal records from applicants? Start by consulting lawyers in each of the E2 qualified countries for advice on a simpler, more reliable system. Also, check to see how public schools in those countries do it. See if you can use the same resources.

In the U.S., the school personnel office submits the request for criminal record, with the applicant's fingerprints. There's no way to fake that.

Korean schools should feel free to take fingerprints of all new teachers. Schools in the West do that. We are not offended if we are treated equally, and if we are treated by the same rules used for teachers back home. And we are all for protecting the children. So, if the rules are good for the foreigners, they are good for the Korean teachers, eh?

Don't insult our intelligence by asking us if we have ever taken narcotics. Some narcotics are legal, and appropriately prescribed by doctors and dentists. And don't prohibit people from teaching if they have ever used illegal drugs, such as 20 years ago. That's just plain brainless. All you are doing is asking people to lie.

With 17,000 foreign English teachers, sooner or later you are going to get a bad apple. Don't go on a witch hunt. It's going to happen, no matter how perfect the rules are.

Rewrite the rules. Think it through. Ask for advice. Ask for comments. Especially from the current E2 teachers. Build consensus. Get it right. And then keep the rules. Don't go changing the rules arbitrarily.

None of these changes to the visa rules will mean you will get better teachers in Korea. They will only mean you will have a lesser chance of getting really bad ones.

If you want to get better teachers, try changing the recruiting system. And raising pay.

[yeremy]

Korea does fingerprint teachers. Korea has required fingerprints from foreigners, who are staying here on working and study visas since the early 1990's.

[Kwangjuchicken]

Thank God. It is bad enough that you can't get any, but to have them rub salt into the wounds by saying you tested negaitve

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Korea stopped fingerprinting people in 2003.

[Kwangjuchicken]

[ttompatz]

[flummuxt]

Kwangjuchicken wrote:

[salboski]

[agentX]

Alright; who had March 15 on the visa changes dead pool?

[plus99]

[Julius]

[JMO]

I'm hoping that the rest of the regulations barring the health check go the way of the dodo before November. I'm terrified of hospitals and needles, so I need to be made to go.