Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gary-Korea]

Hi guys

Im thinking about renewing at my Public High School. I heard that there is a standard pay rise of W100000 per month if you work with GEPIK when you sign a new contract. However, I also heard that GEPIK just introduce native teachers to schools and after a year you can negotiate your terms directly with your school. Would someone be able to clear this up for me? I would like to stay for another year at my school but only if I was able to have an apartment in a better location and also negotiate a pay rise of at least an extra 10% per month. Do GEPIK give us the freedom to do this?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Clockout]

According to my contract GEPIK deals with raises/benefits/seniority etc. Since they are a branch of the provincial education office I imagine this is the general rule.

I'd be curious to hear from someone who knows more though.

In my opinion, GEPIK teachers who successfully complete a year and want to commit to the same school are deserving of a little better than the 100,000 won raise. Those teachers have obviously done a decent job and are also saving the school something in start-up costs/learning curve that a new teacher requires.

[Gary-Korea]

This is the point though. If you can leave GEPIK behind then you can negotiate a contract directly with your school.

I remember reading around on the forums and coming across some information to say people had been able to have extra pay and benefits added to their contracts. Im 100% certain this was PS jobs too. I just wish I could find the info again.

Lets see if someone can shed some light on the issue!

[lifeinkorea]

It makes sense. If you are through GEPIK, you will be bound by GEPIK rules. However, if you sign a separate contract, it can still say "GEPIK" at the top of the contract but be a private arrangement between you and the school. It's simply managed by the school, not through GEPIK.

In that case, it's up to you and what you can negotiate. I would use your co-teacher to work out the details. I had to do this quite a few times to straighten things out with my previous school. I didn't go through GEPIK directly, so we had to discuss working hours and overtime pay throughout the year.

This is the main reason why you would want to do this, cause the school can pay, but GEPIK may not allow it. If your school has no money to work with, then it might be pointless. Again, talk to your co-teacher about this to get the facts before you commit to a "non" Gepik deal.

[wanderingsalsero]

I just noticed this thread. As I understand it, it's discussing the possible advantages of continuing a job with GEPIK through the administrative sponsorship of GEPIK vs. with the school itself......right?

Well, the thought that occurs to me is that I wonder if we can trust the schools individually. I wonder if they're just out to get the best deal they can. Not that GEPIK isn't, of course.

One specific reason I'm not sure individual schools can be trusted is because I'm up for renewal at my school ( middle school) and my KET persists in claiming that there isn't enough money in the budget to get me an apartment bigger that the 11 X11 crackerbox I live in now.

They say they've only got a budget of 450K for that expense. All I know is I know lots of teachers that have bigger places. A few even in Seoul. And I"m in Suwon.

And furthermore......how would a teacher even really know if they're dealing with GEPIK of the local school........i.e. if GEPIK still has something to do with it. I mean, all we see is .......' a contract'. Probably very few of us really understand what and who is really behind it. How would we know it was the school or GEPIK.

Point is.......I wonder if teachers might have better assurance of being treated fairly by going through GEPIK. I'd be worried that you'd loose a lot of you guarantees by working at the school level. I for one don't like the idea of having to negotiate anything with a Korean....much less in these times when it's pretty much a 'buyer's market'.

[Cerberus]

One does not renew with Gepik.

One renews or resigns the contract with one's school.

However, it's highly likely that your school receives its "foreign teacher budget/money" thru Gepik, therefore it will use the Gepik contract and it is bound to pesky inspections from gepik or even the local ministry of education.

It's because of those inspections and what they want, that may complicate negotiating some extra perks you may want (even if school is willing to grant them) from your school.

[Clockout]

[Countrygirl]

Don't assume that the raise is automatic. I didn't receive my raise even though, in their words, I was the best teacher they had ever had.

(I'll try to keep this short.) My co-teacher said that I would receive the raise so I booked my flight back to Canada for myself and my two kids for the home leave. Just before leaving the Principal said that there was no money in the budget for the raise. Co-teacher "Sorry, sorry, sorry". For various reasons I decided to stay and negotiate other benefits instead of the raise. Some of those benefits I received and some they reneged on. I am now in my third year with my raise plus the one I should have received last year.

Some things I learned....

- Always be ready to walk so that you have the most power.
- Budgets are sometimes the real reason and sometimes an excuse. Have them calculate the budget so that you know for sure. (airfares are very high now)
- Office expenses (heat, ink, potential equipment breakdowns) are NOT part of the budget.
- Anything non-monetary can be easily negotiated ie. extra vacation, time off during the week for cultural lessons, leaving after classes during camp etc.
- Always, always have the changes written down and signed. Some Principals don't like to change the actual contract but adding an extra page is just as effective and somehow makes the Principal feel better.

The most important of the above list is always be ready to walk. Have other schools lined up and calling your school for a reference.

I received my raise for my present contract even though it was more than the budget. My fellow teachers pestered the Principal into keeping me even though, in my heart, I was sure that we would be going home. I doubt that I will have such luck with my current Principal...I'm too far up on the Gepik payscale and there really isn't enough money in the budget, so I'll be heading home after this contract.

[Easter Clark]

Here was the deal when I re-signed my contract for a second year.

I was able to get the raise. I said the only conditions that I required were that things stay the same--I liked my schedule and my co-teachers. I said that if they promised nothing would change, I would stay. My fault for not getting it in writing:

Within 2 weeks of my second contract my handler went off to training for 6 months, leaving me with someone who barely spoke English and who definitely did not have my best interests in mind.

My hours were increased from 18 to 22. I was assigned 2 new coteachers. All of this happened within a month of re-signing.

I put in my notice and was gone withing 6 months of my second contract.

results may vary, though.

[Cerberus]

[Slowmotion]

I thought I was gonna get a raise after renewing for 1 year at GEPIK but looking at the contract maybe not. It says Minimum one year of full time English teaching at accredited institution(s). But for some reason, a GEPIK school doesn't count as an accredited institute? That's what my coteacher said. Any ideas?

GEPIK is starting to suck and i hate living in gyeongi-do

[Ramen]

[Slowmotion]

My friend at another GEPIK school just said she got a raise after the first year. So ?????

[Ramen]

[Rusty Shackleford]

Do you need to submit a medical check with your re-signing application in the GEPIK program?

My local (EPIK) BOE demands one before they will even look at your application for renewal. To me it seems discriminatory and borderline racist. Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive though.