Korean Job Discussion Forums

[xCustomx]

Not only did my school spend $20k on a new touch screen TV/monitor, but they've also spent $10k on materials. Spending $10k on materials sounds great, but when I heard what they spent it on, I was shocked. They spent $2k on 2 small boxes of books. When I asked my co-teacher why they cost so much, she said it's because they're imported from America. "All the students in America use these books, so they're more expensive." They've allocated $4k on computer software. There are only 6 computers in the English room, so the software better be pretty damn good if they're spending that much for it.

The remaining money is to be spent on magazine subscriptions and books that are printed in Korea. I won't be surprised if my co-teacher pays $500/year for a one year subscription to Nick Mag. Oh, and one other English teacher suggested the school subscribe to Elle magazine!

[meangradin]

more like 10 bucks on the school and $9,990 in the principal's pocket.

[gillod]

If it's anything like America they say, "Here's 10k, spend it or lose it". They'd rather spend it and look like they're doing their job. Sometimes if you DONT spend it, you'll only get like 8k the next year.

[egrog1717]

[ekul]

The same happened at my school, they spent almost 2million on a bunch of dictionary's because if they didn't they would have lost it.

[schwa]

Thats the funny thing. School systems the world over are belt-tightening & making painful cuts in these difficult economic times but Korean schools have more money than they know what to do with.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Think where that money comes from. Would you be happy about this story if you were a Korean tax payer?

[Countrygirl]

It's not so much use it or lose it....it's use it on extremely overpriced items and get a nice "thank-you-for-your-business-please-come-again" envelope from the company.

Principals LUV English and big English budgets and English rooms that need lots of little English things. It's good for the economy and the Principal's pocket book.

[Rusty Shackleford]

[Xuanzang]

The amount of wasted money is vast. Usually, it's the story that if they don't spend it then lose it. Why not just build up an endowment and spend as needed.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Principal is stealing money. It's not only the hagwons HERE.

[Countrygirl]

[T-dot]

School has to spend all of it or else the budget gets lowered the next go around.

[pjmancktelow]

my school also just opened the 50k classroom. the stuff has generally been good and the teacher behind it did a good job i think. however, they are using an old computer, so they have this 20k touch screen board operating from a 200 buck comoputer (if even that much). basically, even simple ppts are pretty slow. haha. what sense.

[Xuanzang]