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Starla
Joined: 06 Jun 2008
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:51 pm Post subject: My public school wants me to do an after school program... |
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And I don't want to. Apparently, my school prinicipal thinks it would be a good idea. I was approached by my coordinator to do this one hour a day thing with 1st graders who by the way probably wouldnt understand a word I say.
My 3rd and 4th graders cannot be taught without a co-teacher around because they simply do not have enough English comprehension skills. So I asked if it could be older students as in 4th or 5th graders. Mind you, I wasn't saying yes to the offer but just sharing ideas and my coordinator is already acting as if I agreed to do it. I told her I'd think about it and I've been given until Friday to tell her my decision.
I asked a Korean friend of mine about it and she said I should do it because it would make the parents happy. Even if the 1st graders wouldn't understand me, she said I should do it because the parents think they are making an investment in the childrens' future. I know she means well but I'm not Korean and I plan to be here only until September so I'm not thinking much about my future career here in Korea.
By the way, I would get paid overtime so that is not an issue. I just don't want to agree to this and then regret it. What are your opinions on this? |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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If you don't want to do it say "No".
I said "No" to my school. It's very easy. Practice -
"No"
"No"
"No"
now repeat...
"No"
"No"
"No".  |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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Actually, your location says "Seoul." Are you with SMOE? If so, it's within the contract guidelines that your school can request that you work overtime. You must comply and will get paid. I know people who went to the SMOE head office to fight against an after school program. They lost, they had to follow the contract they signed.
I don't know if EPIK and GEPIK contracts are the same. |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Bibbitybop wrote: |
... it's within the contract guidelines that your school can request that you work overtime. You must comply and will get paid. I know people who went to the SMOE head office to fight against an after school program. They lost, they had to follow the contract they signed.
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That's because they went to the wrong people - they should have gone to the Labor Board.
Under the Labour Standards Act one cannot be forced to work overtime. Therefore, that clause in the SMOE contract is void and has no effect. |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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| cruisemonkey wrote: |
| Bibbitybop wrote: |
... it's within the contract guidelines that your school can request that you work overtime. You must comply and will get paid. I know people who went to the SMOE head office to fight against an after school program. They lost, they had to follow the contract they signed.
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That's because they went to the wrong people - they should have gone to the Labor Board.
Under the Labour Standards Act one cannot be forced to work overtime. Therefore, that clause in the SMOE contract is void and has no effect. |
Right on! My handlers tried to force me into doing overtime, but I refused. When they insisted, I pointed to the labor standards act to make them shut up. |
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ThingsComeAround
Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
My 3rd and 4th graders cannot be taught without a co-teacher around because they simply do not have enough English comprehension skills. So I asked if it could be older students as in 4th or 5th graders. Mind you, I wasn't saying yes to the offer but just sharing ideas and my coordinator is already acting as if I agreed to do it. I told her I'd think about it and I've been given until Friday to tell her my decision. |
That makes them believe you will do it, since you were not firm they see a way to muscle you into it.
The Korean parents would love if you worked afterschool. So what if you won't be there forever, they know that. They just want you to watch their kids while they chop garlic and play Canasta while you can  |
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SHANE02
Joined: 04 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Whats the salary? |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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| cruisemonkey wrote: |
| Bibbitybop wrote: |
... it's within the contract guidelines that your school can request that you work overtime. You must comply and will get paid. I know people who went to the SMOE head office to fight against an after school program. They lost, they had to follow the contract they signed.
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That's because they went to the wrong people - they should have gone to the Labor Board.
Under the Labour Standards Act one cannot be forced to work overtime. Therefore, that clause in the SMOE contract is void and has no effect. |
Article 49 of the Labour standards act says
"Working hours per week shall not exceed 40 hours excluding recess hours"
The question here would be if the labor board considers someone working more than 22 hours a week but less than 40 to be working overtime. |
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bundangbabo
Joined: 01 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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Say no.
If it is GEPIK then it is voluntary anyway - especially if you are working 22 hours a week.
When they asked me to do it I told them no and 'if I even get any grief off anyone about this - I will be on the first plane to Madrid where there is a job waiting for me'
But thats how I roll - because I packed my backbone with me on the 10000 mile flight away from home.  |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| cruisemonkey wrote: |
| Bibbitybop wrote: |
... it's within the contract guidelines that your school can request that you work overtime. You must comply and will get paid. I know people who went to the SMOE head office to fight against an after school program. They lost, they had to follow the contract they signed.
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That's because they went to the wrong people - they should have gone to the Labor Board.
Under the Labour Standards Act one cannot be forced to work overtime. Therefore, that clause in the SMOE contract is void and has no effect. |
Article 49 of the Labour standards act says
"Working hours per week shall not exceed 40 hours excluding recess hours"
The question here would be if the labor board considers someone working more than 22 hours a week but less than 40 to be working overtime. |
Teaching more than 22 hours(classes) as per your contract is considered working overtime. Thus, they cannot force you to teach more. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Ramen wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| cruisemonkey wrote: |
| Bibbitybop wrote: |
... it's within the contract guidelines that your school can request that you work overtime. You must comply and will get paid. I know people who went to the SMOE head office to fight against an after school program. They lost, they had to follow the contract they signed.
|
That's because they went to the wrong people - they should have gone to the Labor Board.
Under the Labour Standards Act one cannot be forced to work overtime. Therefore, that clause in the SMOE contract is void and has no effect. |
Article 49 of the Labour standards act says
"Working hours per week shall not exceed 40 hours excluding recess hours"
The question here would be if the labor board considers someone working more than 22 hours a week but less than 40 to be working overtime. |
Teaching more than 22 hours(classes) as per your contract is considered
working overtime. Thus, they cannot force you to teach more. |
It's considered by the CONTRACT as working overtime. But said contract also says some overtime (six hours?) is mandatory.
Unless there are several documented cases of people who have actually gone to the labor board and done this (now some people will start claiming this) there is really no way to know.
Yes most of the time you can get away with saying "No". Which could mean that they just don't want to make an issue of it.
At GEPIK 2005 (the orientation) we were all told that to teach without a Korean teacher in the classroom was illegal. Yet at my last rural school I was not provided with a co-teacher for most of my classes. When I called up the GEPIK office to enquire about this I was told "We give rural schools more leeway" (direct quote)
We all know that here there's a lot of "interpretation" between what the law says and what actually happens. |
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Ukon
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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| It's extra money....just negotiate a decent pay (40k+ an hour) and do them...you'll be pleasantly surprised on payday. |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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Here it is in a 'nutshell' -
They CAN make you teach more than 22 classes/week (if the contract provides), and those extra classes fall within eight hours per day or fourty hours per week.
They CANNOT force you to work more than eight hours per day or fourty hours per week. |
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Starla
Joined: 06 Jun 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:01 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the replies. I'll try to answer all of you at once...
When I was told about the after school program, I was not 100% sure I wanted to say no which is why I wanted to gather the facts first and think it through. I've learned to never make impulse promises to my school because they will hold me to them.
As far as how much I work, I already work overtime with SMOE, 23 instead of the standard 22. I don't mind but don't want to work more.
They already have a foreigner who teaches an after school program in the school. From what I've heard, these teachers get paid better than me by the hour. My guess is they want to take advantage of that by using me instead. I teach with co-teachers now and I'm pretty wary of teaching without a co-teacher when the kids don't understand half of what I say even in my most simplified English. I literally need a translator in the classroom for all grade levels up to grade 6.
They even told me I could have my own office if I please at the same time they introduced the idea of an after school program, I suppose as a lure. I'm not that tempted. I could care less where I sit as long as I have everything I need by me.
Last edited by Starla on Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:42 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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sobriquet
Joined: 16 Feb 2007
Location: Nakatomi Plaza
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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The 22 hours a week doesn't matter if you are looking at the law as per labour rules
If you are in school for 8hours a day x 5days a week it's 40 hours. So doing anything over that is forced overtime.
Now if your school said to teach the classes outside of your usual working hours 8:30-4:30 for example you could say no.
If it's inside your working hours, it's a bit harder to refuse to do it, if you are invertebrally challenged. |
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