Korean Job Discussion Forums

[anjinsan]

. . . please feel free to cast the first stone.



http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2010/02/202_61171.html

Two high-school principals in Seoul were arrested on charges of taking bribes last week; a former headmaster also killed himself after being fired for similar reasons. These incidents are grim reminders of why some teachers are dying ― literally ― to assume top school posts and, more importantly, why the nation's public education is what it is now.

The arrested high-school principals took money from teachers aspiring to become school inspectors, an avenue regarded as a shortcut to becoming a principal. It takes at least 20 years for teachers to become deputy principals, but in the case of school inspectors, the period can be shortened to 17 years in elementary schools and 19 years in middle schools.

Out of the total 9,026 school principals in 2007, 27.3 percent were former school inspectors. Considering these so-called educational specialists account for just 1 percent of all teachers, the chances for their rising to the top posts are almost 30 times higher than the latter.

The issue is what some of these teachers do after reaching their lifelong destinations. Quite a few of them receive money from teachers for promotion or assignment, or from private contractors in relation to various construction works, after-school tutoring and school lunch programs. One of the arrested principals, who also served as a high-level school inspector at the Seoul Office of Education, was found to be keeping a secret 1.4 billion-won ($1.1-million) bankbook.

The more ambitious of these principals run for the top posts of local education offices, which require several billion won for campaigning, and ``recover their investment" after their election by exhorting money from teachers and related businesses in a vicious ― and grander ― circle of corruption in the educational community. Critics say some elected educational officials' behavior can make their political counterparts pale, saying the cases of some principals now under charges are but the tip of the iceberg.

Now, one can partly see why President Lee Myung-bak felt rather sorry to hear the praises heaped on the Korean educational system by his U.S. counterpart.

Of course, President Lee's discontent with the nation's educational situation is of a more fundamental nature, such as the poor quality of public education and soaring private tutoring costs as a consequence as well as the content of the education largely focusing on test-taking abilities rather than cultivating creativity. Considering this is an area in which the integrity of people involved is more important than others, however, it is deeply doubtful whether his much-touted education reform will go anywhere.

It is small surprise then that schoolteachers received far lower marks than their counterparts in cram institutions from students in a recent survey. The research by the Korean Educational Development Institute shows that high school students find hagwon instructors outperform public schoolteachers in most of the 14 categories, including not just raising student achievement but even genuine communication.

Public-school teachers would probably cite such disadvantages as overcrowded classes and administrative chores that keep them from focusing on teaching.

But few would deny the difference between public and private teachers lies in the presence ― and intensity ― of competition. Like in other public- sector jobs, becoming a teacher is very difficult but living as one is very easy given what they call an ``iron bowl." Hard work and fair competition are quintessential in schools, but they're the last thing that can be expected of corrupt principals and inspectors.

President Lee has rightly set education reform as his priority for 2010. Cleaning up the deep-rooted corruption among top educational officials is a good place to start.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I have no stones to cast, though interesting reading.

[nautilus]

[On the other hand]

Well, "hagwon teachers" is not synonymous with "wayguks". In fact, I'd reckon that the vast majority of people teaching in hagwons are Korean.

But yeah. As far as conversational ESL goes, I'm sure students are, on average, better off with wayguk than with Korean teachers.

[bacasper]