Korean Job Discussion Forums

[reimund]

It's all in Korean, unfortunately, but MBC news just did a fairly large section on hakwons; how the Korean students are being overworked, and how the parents are being overcharged.

I thought it was pretty interesting actually, because it was generally negative in tone towards the industry. Hopefully it'll get some parents and academic administrators to wake up, and actually get them to take care of the kids (like teaching personal responsibility, perhaps?) instead of trapping them in hakwons all day.

It's ironic because I say this as a to-be hakwon teacher, but I honestly wouldn't mind if I didn't get a job because the hakwon culture took a nosedive. It's just bad for the kids, and their parents.

How does everyone else feel about this? I honestly felt a pang of guilt for actually wanting to take part of this industry, so I might as well even find a job from a different field. And I might be happier for it. How about you? Do you ever feel guilty for being a part of the "system" that overcharges parents and overworks their children?

[joshuahirtle27]

Where might one find this magical story.

[amilin90]

Such programs; documentaries or special news reports, have been shown every few months for many, many years.. Hagwons still prosper..

Could you tell me when this was, and maybe which news program it was?
(News Desk, News Today, 5 o clock news, evening news, ..) I'd like to watch it if I can on the website..

[wylies99]

Koreans tend to focus anger on the hagwon being shown in the news story. The overall "industry" seems like it is never blamed.
The mothers seem to say, in unision, "There are many bad hagwons, but the one I use is fine."

[Lekker]

I don't work in a hagwon. I don't care. F them all.

[bangbayed]

Many, if not most, Koreans think the hagwon culture is bad. However they're reluctant to give it up because they think their children will lose an edge amongst others. The real problem is the centralized education system with its over-importance on college entrance exams and SKY (Seoul Nat'l, Korea Univ, Yonsei).

[Newbie]

Hogwans are crap. Complete sheetholes, but I've had no qualms working in one for 6 years as I ignore every "parent's request" and ignore my managers. Do my classes my way to make sure the kids get something out of them. I'm tall and not ugly, so no one gives me grief about it.

[pkang0202]

Too bad no one trusts MBC anymore. Wouldn't it be ironic if MBC took the whole PD Diary thing to change their image and they actually started reporting the TRUTH about foreigners. They start broadcasting factual information but no one believes it because of the whole PD Diary thing.

That would be irony.

[reimund]

[cdninkorea]

OP: If teaching hagwons makes you feel guilty, all you have to do is not teach at a hagwon.

You could teach at an adult hagwon. Yes, it's still a hagwon, but they're not children and that was what you said you felt guilty about.

You could teach at a public school.

You could teach at a university (lots of competition for these jobs, but as it is an option I thought I'd mention it anyway).

[Zyzyfer]