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Scatman
Joined: 22 May 2008
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 Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 2:43 am Post subject: Decision, decision... |
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Right if you had the choice, would you teach in a hagwon or Public school?
I have fairly good offers from 2 hagwons in Ilsan teaching between 2 -9 both paying about the same 2.2 million won, plus pension and health etc... one has 14 days and the other nearly 20 days holiday + all national, ive seen pictures that are apparently of my accommodation and which looks decent enough.
Or would you choose Public Schools, I have contact with a school in Bucheon, a school in Suwon and finally one in Sungnam/Seongnam if its the same place? I've now just been sent one for Gwacheon and Gwangmyeong too.
My aim is to be near or close to Seoul as possible, however i dont have to be right in seoul as long as i have good access to get to Seoul when I wish. I also want to have a decent amount of entertainment and amenities close by so i can enjoy myself when needed.
I know this might be difficult to answer but it will be my first time in South Korea and would like valid and informed opinions.
Cheers, guys.
Last edited by Scatman on Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:51 am; edited 2 times in total |
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nomad-ish
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: On the bottom of the food chain
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:07 am Post subject: Re: Decision, decision... |
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| Scatman wrote: |
Right if you had the choice, would you teach in a hagwon or Public school?
I have fairly good offers from 2 hagwons in Ilsan teaching between 2 -9 both paying about the same 2.2 million won, plus pension and health etc... one has 14 days and the other nearly 20 days holiday + all national, ive seen pictures that are apparently of my accommodation and which looks decent enough. |
what they say they offer in the contract and what they actually do when you get there are two completely different things. i'm not saying all hagwons try this, but you're much more likely to be screwed out of your pension, severance, holidays, or pay at a hagwon than at a public school.
| Scatman wrote: |
Or would you choose Public Schools, I have contact with a school in Bucheon, a school in Suwon and finally one in Sungnam/Seongnam if its the same place?
My aim is to be near or close to Seoul as possible, however i dont have to be right in seoul as long as i have good access to get to Seoul when I wish. I also want to have a decent amount of entertainment and amenities close by so i can enjoy myself when needed.
I know this might be difficult to answer but it will be my first time in South Korea and would like valid and informed opinions.
Cheers, guys. |
i've heard good things about living in bucheon, and it looked very nice and clean. i think a lot of the buildings around there are pretty new. there's a couple foreigner bars: canada buddy and rhythm and booze. it's also on the subway line to seoul, i think it would take a little over half an hour to get to seoul station, not bad at all |
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Scatman
Joined: 22 May 2008
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:21 am Post subject: |
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| thats great, ive also had some contact with a recruiter about Gwacheon too, its all very overwhelming trying to figure out best locations. |
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Monkey82
Joined: 18 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:16 am Post subject: |
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Here's my two cents.
I just finished a year at a hagwon. A lot of what nomad-ish mentioned happened. Now I WAS planning to go back to Korea soon to get a public school job, but now I'm not sure.
I guess you have to ask yourself what you want to get out of teaching in Korea. I want to teach, but I also need to make decent money to pay student loans back home. And with the current exchange rate I can't do that with a public school salary. So now I'm looking at hagwons again because there the salary is negotiable, whereas (as far as I know) it's fixed at public schools.
And I think you could get more than 2.2 from those hagwons. My replacement got 2.4 and he was brand new out of school with zero experience. If you do go hagwon, make sure you ask LOTS of questions of the current teachers (there's a sticky on this forum about that) and post your contract before you sign it so the experts can give you tips.
Good luck! |
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withnail
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul, South Korea.
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 7:42 am Post subject: |
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When push comes to shove??
PS over hagwon any day... |
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Whirlwind
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 7:48 am Post subject: |
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| 2.2 million is garbage money. I don't know how many times I've had to say that on here. People have to stop accepting the low pay. I made 2.1 million in freaking 2002! Korea has always had major problems attracting teachers, that won't change. Why not demand the best? I know 2 newbie teachers that have recently come to Korea and they are both getting 2.5 million/month, plus the free housing. THEY NEED YOU MORE THAN YOU NEED THEM. Always remember that. |
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head-in-the-clouds
Joined: 14 Oct 2008
Location: London for now
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Whirlwind wrote: |
| 2.2 million is garbage money. I don't know how many times I've had to say that on here. People have to stop accepting the low pay. I made 2.1 million in freaking 2002! Korea has always had major problems attracting teachers, that won't change. Why not demand the best? I know 2 newbie teachers that have recently come to Korea and they are both getting 2.5 million/month, plus the free housing. THEY NEED YOU MORE THAN YOU NEED THEM. Always remember that. |
Its not that easy to make demands when you have never been to Korea or teached. Maybe im wrong but ...when i found a good, tight, contact the 2.2 seemed fine. Demanding 2.5 can make you come across as an asswipe without even setting foot in the country. I would rather take 2.2 with a good contract and current teacher review than 2.5 with pol pot and his sweat shop.
I understand your thoughts but i just dont want the '*beep*' tag before i have even landed.
Just my thoughts.. |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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| head-in-the-clouds wrote: |
| Whirlwind wrote: |
| 2.2 million is garbage money. I don't know how many times I've had to say that on here. People have to stop accepting the low pay. I made 2.1 million in freaking 2002! Korea has always had major problems attracting teachers, that won't change. Why not demand the best? I know 2 newbie teachers that have recently come to Korea and they are both getting 2.5 million/month, plus the free housing. THEY NEED YOU MORE THAN YOU NEED THEM. Always remember that. |
Its not that easy to make demands when you have never been to Korea or teached. Maybe im wrong but ...when i found a good, tight, contact the 2.2 seemed fine. Demanding 2.5 can make you come across as an asswipe without even setting foot in the country. I would rather take 2.2 with a good contract and current teacher review than 2.5 with pol pot and his sweat shop.
I understand your thoughts but i just dont want the '*beep*' tag before i have even landed.
Just my thoughts.. |
I hate grammar nazis but this might actually be helpful in the future. The past tense of "teach" is "taught".
I disagree though. Asking for too much will make you look like that. Bargaining a bit (even back home) when there is demand is actually normal. |
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head-in-the-clouds
Joined: 14 Oct 2008
Location: London for now
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| Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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| laogaiguk wrote: |
| head-in-the-clouds wrote: |
| Whirlwind wrote: |
| 2.2 million is garbage money. I don't know how many times I've had to say that on here. People have to stop accepting the low pay. I made 2.1 million in freaking 2002! Korea has always had major problems attracting teachers, that won't change. Why not demand the best? I know 2 newbie teachers that have recently come to Korea and they are both getting 2.5 million/month, plus the free housing. THEY NEED YOU MORE THAN YOU NEED THEM. Always remember that. |
Its not that easy to make demands when you have never been to Korea or teached. Maybe im wrong but ...when i found a good, tight, contact the 2.2 seemed fine. Demanding 2.5 can make you come across as an asswipe without even setting foot in the country. I would rather take 2.2 with a good contract and current teacher review than 2.5 with pol pot and his sweat shop.
I understand your thoughts but i just dont want the '*beep*' tag before i have even landed.
Just my thoughts.. |
I hate grammar nazis but this might actually be helpful in the future. The past tense of "teach" is "taught".
I disagree though. Asking for too much will make you look like that. Bargaining a bit (even back home) when there is demand is actually normal. |
Like i said, just my take on it. Thanks for the grammer tip mein fuhrer |
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