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Jay Jackson
Joined: 07 Jun 2009
Location: USA
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 Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:24 am Post subject: Is there an age limit to teaching in Korea? |
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I have good teaching credentials, and I have taught in Korea before (in a small hagwon).
Now, I am nearly 60. Is there an age limit to teaching in Korea (due to the health insurance)? Who should I contact to get a definitive answer? [/img] |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:54 am Post subject: |
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| There is no legal age limit. If you can find someone to give you a job, and you meet Immigration requirements (diploma, CBC, transcripts, health check), you're all set. There is a lot of discrimination here, however. |
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MrMr
Joined: 05 Sep 2006
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 1:22 pm Post subject: Is there an age limit to teaching in Korea? |
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| I'm older than you and I'm not the oldest on our staff. |
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Jay Jackson
Joined: 07 Jun 2009
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 4:21 pm Post subject: Thanks for the info. |
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| Now I know why getting hired has been difficult. |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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The upper age limit is set by the employer (or death). 
Apparently, EPIK has no one over 55 policy which doesn't seem to apply to those already here (unless they don't like you)... but only to 'new hires'.
The fact of the matter in K-land is:
1. This is Confucian society where age is afforded great respect.
2. #1 does not apply to foreigners.
3. The 'perfect' English teacher is a 22-year-old, blond, (good-looking) female.
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 4:50 pm Post subject: |
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| cruisemonkey wrote: |
2. #1 does not apply to foreigners.
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Yes and no. When my mother (who's 12 years older than you) was visiting she never had to wait more than 20 seconds to get a subway seat. A couple times Koreans about the same age as her got up to offer their seats. Having white hair seems to go a long way. |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| cruisemonkey wrote: |
2. #1 does not apply to foreigners.
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Yes and no. When my mother (who's 12 years older than you) was visiting she never had to wait more than 20 seconds to get a subway seat. A couple times Koreans about the same age as her got up to offer their seats. Having white hair seems to go a long way. |
For sure... #2 is a tongue-in-cheek generalization. Occasionally, one of my fourteen-year-old students will give me his seat on the bus... but stare unconcerned at the wizened, osteoporitic 'harmony' struggling to hump her load of vegetables on to said bus. It's not until song-sang-nim points and says "Help her", that he will. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 5:41 pm Post subject: Age limit |
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Up until this year, with the Global Economic Crisis, there was no problem for over 40's, seeking jobs in Korea.
However, this year, Epik, have decided that they want to emulate the Jet Program in Japan, & set an upper age limit of 40 years old, breaking with the previous age limit of 54.
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| EPIK has no one over 55 policy |
I've seen some Epik or Gepik? requirements, stating 54, but also found this, in the Epik September 2009 application form:
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| ⑥ Be no older than 55 years of age. |
http://epik.go.kr/sub-3/data/September_2009_EPIK_Invitation.doc
I know of several people who were rejected by Epik this year, solely because they were over 40, & this was despite them having good references, & the schools wanting them to renew their contracts. So with the cherrypicking of foreign teachers this year, because of the recession, a lot of older teachers are being forced to look for employment elsewhere. Rural schools around Gyeongido, eg. Gepik are not yet as rigid as Epik, so I'd suggest you start there.
You could get a medical certificate that you are in good health from your current GP, in your home country, too, to assure your prospective Korean employer, that the money they pay upfront for the airfare, & accomodation lease (especially), will not be wasted. This is what I did. Type it out, too, as very few Koreans can read written English text. Then get it certified / notarised by a Justice of the Peace, signed by your GP, & include a copy, (or the original & keep copies), in job applications. There have been instances of older foreign English teachers dying in Korea, so Korean Schools can be a little wary of employing older teachers.
Last edited by chris_J2 on Sat Jun 20, 2009 4:17 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:59 pm Post subject: Re: Age limit |
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| chris_J2 wrote: |
| There have been instances of older foreign English teachers dying in Korea... |
How inconsiderate of them!
| chris_J2 wrote: |
| ... so Korean Schools can be a little wary of employing older teachers. |
Rightly so... they know a young person would never go and die on them. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:25 pm Post subject: Age |
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cruisemonkey, I like you. You make me laugh! I jokingly threaten to hit anyone with my imaginary zimmerframe, who says I'm too old! I spent most of October & November last year, hiking around places like the Canadian Rockies, & Grand Canyon.
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| they know a young person would never go and die on them |
Good point. A 21 year old who drinks too much at Itaewon, & then steps in front of a speeding truck, (or even gets hit by a speeding motorcycle on the sidewalk), is just as dead as a 60 year old, who has a heart attack. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Kids here do not respect their elders as much anymore. It's acutally becoming a problem in their eyes. And their eyes are getting bigger due to surgery. I'd even say that handing stuff with only one hand, and the left hand at that, is becoming antiquated. Stuff like that keeps me up at night before I teach my illegal privates. That keeps me awake to because I wouldn't want to break the law in such a moralistic environment. |
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ChinaBoy
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 3:23 am Post subject: Re: Age limit |
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| chris_J2 wrote: |
| There have been instances of older foreign English teachers dying in Korea, so Korean Schools can be a little wary of employing older teachers. |
If I'm not mistaken, most teacher deaths have been caused by murder and arson. |
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tomato
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: I get so little foreign language experience, I must be in Koreatown, Los Angeles.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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I was told by one recruiter that EPIK cannot hire anyone over 55 anywhere.
I was told by another recuiter that EPIK cannot hire anyone over 55 anywhere except in two provinces.
Then I got an EPIK job which was not in either of those two provinces.
Legal or not, I'm in. |
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AgentM
Joined: 07 Jun 2009
Location: British Columbia, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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| My mom is in her late 50s and working at a hagwon in Korea, so age is not necessarily a problem, but as others have said it depends on the preferences of the employer. |
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E_athlete
Joined: 09 Jun 2009
Location: Korea sparkling
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| Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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this is age-ism.
Dont bother with EPIK then I guess. Any programs that are friendlier to the elderly? |
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