Korean Job Discussion Forums

darkpoet · Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Location: Korea

Apparently the word has come down from the Ministry of Education. Be prepared.

All contracts will be honored to the bloody letter... which for some people means little or no change and as always depends on your administration and how they report the actual numbers...

A new clause has sneaked in that looks awful. Twenty-two teaching hours inside the 9-5 M-F schedule remains but... Since the MOE is looking to cut the number of foreign teachers by 2012, any schools not using their 22 hours will have their funding cut. And this means 22 student hours, no more teacher-training classes.

The foreign teacher can requested to teach up to 6 hours extension classes (in or outside of the regular schedule)... and can't refuse. This can be used for teachers classes or students. Elementary and middle-school teachers, you're likely safe. High-school teachers, beware.

And all classes will be switched to co-teaching. Period. I've been used to half-classes alone. Prepared my own fun, hands-on lessons. These changes are likely going to put a lot more pressure on the K-teachers since the foreigner is going to be too busy teaching boring-ass textbook junk to prepare anything...

I've seen the Korean myself and nearly annoyed my Korean partner by asking her to confirm whether or not I understood the fine details and why the MOE was doing this.

I guess it's back to hogwans for me. It's back to getting paid after I've earned my paycheck, and mistrusting my boss since he's probably not paying my taxes, pension, or health insurance properly.

Hmmm. Or at least getting the heck out of public high schools where teachers are apprently expected to break their neck.

Horangi Munshin · Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Location: Busan

Nothing in life is free.

School admin need to realize this, not just teachers.

bish · Joined: 09 Jun 2007

winterfall · Joined: 21 May 2009

The thing about not being able to refuse is odd. So our new minimum is 22 classes a week and maximum is 28?

The turn over rate for experienced FTs is already high. It's only going to get worse. Dropping in inexperienced replacements with these expectations is gonna make a lot of runners.

reactionary · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Location: korreia

Doesn't sound like anything would change for me...except maybe for the OT classes which i have none of now.

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Mandatory co-teaching....yuk.

English Matt · Joined: 12 Oct 2008

bish · Joined: 09 Jun 2007

mmstyle · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Location: wherever

Umm, not doubting you, but was wondering where this info came from. Did you see this on something? Read it somewhere where others can take a look? Is it "in discussion" or have you seen a copy of the contract?

Thanks for sharing. want to renew, with my husband, but I keep saying that it all depends on the contract.

Cerberus · Joined: 29 Oct 2009

DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP · Joined: 28 May 2009 Location: Electron cloud

1. We mean 22 CLASSES here right - not HOURS?

2. Teaching my after lunch classes (all classes after 1pm at my school. I only co-teach the text / cd rom in morn classes) that I prepare myself and teach by myself and use my own materials is great for me and the kids.

So they're going to make me co-teach the bloody crappy text / cd rom now for the after lunch classes??

That will be easy but boring.

Hopefully like most EPIK stuff this is up to the principal's discretion....

smee18 · Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Location: Korea

Overtime should only ever be voluntary. That clause needs to be removed from the contracts. Some collective action should be taken to have it removed, if it is indeed due to be included. No way will I be forced to work after 5pm. It will be back to Australia for me.

mysterious700 · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

Well, I already teach 22 hours a week, do some overtime, and teach one evening a week. There is never enough hours at any one school so I go to multiple schools. Change almost everyday. Not that big a deal. It means that one school is not my handler but I deal direct with the local education office. Much better way anyways. I can't figure the appeal of being sent to one school anyways, especially if it has a bad environment. Too much control. Younger coteachers are a pain in the butt.

DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP · Joined: 28 May 2009 Location: Electron cloud

AGAIN, IT'S 22 CLASSES NOT HOURS.

darkpoet · Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Location: Korea

Lol, 22 classes times 50 minutes = 18 hours, sure whatever...

My managing teacher (I have no co-teacher) went to an MOE meeting in Bucheon with all the others, showed me the highlights of a 50 page document. The section was titled "changes" or something like that.

The fact that schools will have funding cut was quite clear. The government wants to reduce the number of foreign teachers in public schools by 2011. So any schools found to be mismanaging their EPIK/GEPIK/SMOE money will have their foreign teacher money cut.

Politically, I agree with this. The economy stinks and Koreans should be teaching ESL anyway. As an ESL teacher, it sucks for me...

One other thing to note was that it seems they will start following a more strict hiring season. They want teachers all read to work by the new school year (March 1) - or perhaps the beginning if the fall semester - no more hiring mid-year... I don't know if it'll work in the real world as well as on paper.