Korean Job Discussion Forums

[garykasparov]

07-13-2008 17:30
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/07/117_27491.html

Korea Sloppy in Overseeing Foreign School Teachers

By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

The nation�s top education offices are neglecting rules on foreign schools. The rules set by the education ministry have since 1999 stipulated that each city and provincial education office secure teachers� profiles when issuing licenses.

Seoul, Gyeonggi among other education offices across the nation have not obtained the personal data of teachers at these 51 foreign schools with about 10,000 enrolled students. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education oversees 20 foreign schools and Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education eight.

Their neglect of duty to secure teachers� resumes showcases the lack of proper recruitment channels of teachers at those schools, while private cram schools or hagwon are required to report the profiles of their teachers to education offices.

Some parents of students say the education offices should at least ascertain who is teaching at which foreign schools.

``I�ve heard foreign schools have difficulties inviting qualified teachers to Korea and some parents are not satisfied with teachers. I think the education authority should take more care of this issue,�� said a mother of a student enrolled at a foreign school in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

Teachers of the schools, with more than $20,000 tuition annually, are known to earn much higher salaries than those at normal schools.

The education ministry is unaware of the number of teachers at those schools. Moreover, less than 20 percent of teacher at the schools display open information on their teachers on Web sites.

``I have no complaints about the teachers of my children so far, but at least, there should be a system to guarantee qualification of teachers,�� said Mudassir Iqbal, father of children attending foreign schools in Seoul.

Many foreign schools publicize they hire only those holding teaching licenses but their announcement often contradicts the reality. ``When I applied to the school, I had no teaching certificate but they said `no problem� �� said a Korean-American who worked for five years at an international school in southern Seoul.

The immigration agency this year has introduced minimum requirements for foreigners applying for the teaching positions, bachelor degrees with two-year education experience. In Japan, only foreigners holding teaching certificates are eligible for a teaching visa at international schools.

Passing the Buck

For its part, the education ministry admitted that each regional education office is not fulfilling its duty properly. However, the ministry has no policy tools to correct it. ``The central government has little to do with (their failure to secure teachers� profiles) as they are basically autonomous,�� said Kim Hong-sop, director general of the education ministry. ``If they do anything wrong, their auditors will take care of it.��

In response, city and provincial education offices point out the regulations are impractical. ``We have limits in supervising the schools. I don�t know how many schools would report properly as we don�t provide any subsidies to them as we do to other schools,�� said Cho Wan-seok, official of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education.

Teachers� groups criticized both the education ministry and education offices for trying to avoid responsibilities on the negligence. ``The quality of education cannot go beyond the quality of teachers. While the government is planning to ease rules on the international schools, it should adopt a system to improve the quality of teachers at the same time,�� said Kim Dong-seok, spokesperson of the Korean Federation of Teachers� Association.

Meanwhile, the Lee Myung-bak administration plans to ease regulations involving the foreign schools. With the relaxation of the rules, it will allow nonprofit foreign corporations and Korean educational foundations to set up international schools from next year. Currently, only individual foreigners can found the schools. Korean universities have not acknowledged diplomas from the schools so far, but the school graduates will be treated the same as those who attend Korean schools. The minimum years required for Korean students to stay overseas for enrollment at foreign schools was shortened to three years from five.

Hyun In-cheol, spokesman of the Korean Teachers & Education Workers� Union, said, ``It does not make sense for the government to relax rules without instituting appropriate monitoring and supervision over foreign schools.��

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[Bigfeet]

Looks like fall-out from the sexual harassment situation.

[bassexpander]

It's their own fault.

Korea needs to realize that people with qualifications don't want to come to a country that pays less than Japan, has less culturally to offer than Japan, and makes international news due to wildly erratic things like meat protests. Korea, you are NOT on the same level as Japan, so just get off of it.

I'm in the USA now, and according to those around me, there is a massive teacher shortage going on right here... so why would they want to come to Korea before working here?

Give qualified people a reason (meaning a big fat paycheck) and then Korea can reserve the right to bitch about teachers not being qualified. You get what you pay for. The problem is not with those they're hiring to teach. The problem is with the institutions not paying enough to recruit at the level of qualifications they desire. Did you get that? The problem is with the institutions having to hire less qualified individuals because they aren't paying enough for the qualified people they want.

When is Korea going to wake up and realize this? Blame the foreigner all you want -- it won't solve your problems.

[Kikomom]

[Mr. Pink]

Well I hope the government insists on certified teachers. If the kids are paying 20,000 a year in tuition, the schools should be able to pay decent wages in the 4-5mil a month range plus apartment and airfare benefits. If I can make 4000+ a month in my home country as a teacher but get full medical benefits, seniority and contribute towards a pension, the benefits here should outway that to encourage quality teachers to actually come here.

Opening up more International Schools but run by Koreans IMO is asking for a box to be opened that shouldn't. They will end up hiring foreigners without B.Ed degrees. The system will be like any other Korean school - which means that any "good" teacher they are likely to snag won't stay long as the Korean system is outdated and enough to drive a sane person crazy.

[Konglishman]

Not all of the international schools in Korea pay that well. Some of them pay the same as an average hagwon or less.

[marlow]

[Sushi]

Robert Holleys Gwangju foreign school pays the same as a hogwon, and it works the teachers to the bone. They manipulate the teachers into doing an English camp for free as well. His is the only International foreign school in Chollanamdo, so he is lucky in that regard. If their is going to be a relaxation of the rules then his luck is going to run out, because the schools facilities suck to high hell.
It's also the school where CPN taught prior to his capture in Bangkok.

[SHANE02]

"International school" is just a label in Korea already. Now they want it opened up to "Korean Educational Foundations" and "Non-profit (yeah right) corporations" ?

What's stopping Mr. Park and his pals setting up the "Foundation For International Education Korea"? Nothing if Mr. Park has friends in the right places, and/or enough money to grease the right palms.

I think more having more international schools is a good idea. Unfortunately, the problems of corruption, piss poor management, and greed are the biggest issues in the Korean private education sector.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

They hardly even think of why they're not retaining existing teachers, or how to attract long-term FTs.

[davehere22]

[xingyiman]

[Whistleblower]

This story is so funny, when Korea wants to recruit teachers that won't be graduating from a university. Korea sparkling!!!

[jiyull]

I blame recruiters

[Privateer]