Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nicam]

working every damn day during recess?

I mean, the school is closed people, closed. Apart from leaving me presents in the squat toilets, which don't flush because there's no running water in the school, I have no idea what the hell they are doing there. Oh, wait... they are bothering me early in the morning, before I am human.

And they're telling my first period students, who actually show up, to stay for 2 hours instead of 1, since my couple of 2nd and 3rd period students have apparently stopped coming, so they can justify wasting everybody's time by having me commute 3 hours a day to this pointless charade.

I thought school would be empty during recess with the exception of an administrator or two. Why are these people such freaks? When is it ever enough work? I mean, don't get me wrong, we work in America, we're not France, but this is ridiculous, people. Ridiculous.

Extreme workaholics sadden me, like those Japanese companion robots who look like real animals but are just nuts and bolts inside. They function to serve the community and require very little maintenance. And they are deceptively like the real thing. If you're not careful you may end up loving one, which would appear fine on the surface, but would actually be empty and unfulfilling.

[ernie]

living 1.5 hours away from your school is the real problem here. you need a new apartment.

[Ukon]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[nicam]

Hmmm, ARE they EXPECTED to be there? If so, then why is it that only the older males are there? Why are the others not EXPECTED to be there as well?

And why is it that most other schools are closed and empty during recess? I don't think this about formal expectation.

And I was being cheeky in my post, something that never translates well here. These teachers are kind and lovely, I just think they are victims of Korean work culture.

And yes, I did sign the contract, but I wasn't talking about my own working hours, so point C is irrelevant.

Korea still leads the world in number of hours worked each year according to the OECD Fact Book 2008, and for crap wages. America works hard, but we have way more national holidays and sick/personal days off, and the people who are putting in the crazy hours are most likely doing it because it's beefing up the ole bank account balance (i.e. business owners, high level corporate execs, etc.).

Perhaps the older Korean teachers who would have felt the sting of the 1998-1999 economic crisis are just REALLY happy to be employed. Maybe it's fear-driven. Who knows?

[schwa]

VPs & principals, though former teachers, have become civil servants & follow a different contract. They are expected to be at their desks during vacation. They're not totally idle -- theres a steady flow of documents from the school district office, new student registrations, new school year planning, etc, to deal with. Sometimes they cut themselves some slack but they're generally there.

Administration office workers & maintenance guys work year-round too. K-teachers serve rotating "duty days" throughout the vacation. Maybe not the most productive work during vacation period but public schools do stay open for business.

Wonamin fall into a contractual gray area. We're not exactly full-fledged teachers nor are we full-on govt workers. Different schools interpret our status differently.

If you catch some generosity, good on ya. If you're asked to oblige the contract you signed to the letter, thats just the way it goes.