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GEPIK NOT renewing in March?!
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brucefox



Joined: 23 Jan 2011

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:50 pm    Post subject: GEPIK NOT renewing in March?! Reply with quote

I just heard from my group leader that GEPIK will no longer renew contracts or hire newbies in March either!
They will only hire/renew in September.
I didn't believe her so I went on to the official GEPIK website and sure enough, it said contracts are to start from late August.

I also checked the recruiting companies' websites for GEPIK, and they all said the contracts now begin from late August.

This is crazy. The Korean school year starts in March, why are they doing this to their own kids and to NETs!

The funny thing is there are still job postings for GEPIK positions that do not start in September. Well, she did say this change comes into effect next year. And that the general elections this November will change things as well.
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shostahoosier



Joined: 14 Apr 2009

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, the JET Programme only hires in August.

...GEPIK is no JET Programme though Rolling Eyes
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World Traveler



Joined: 29 May 2009

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There is a new plan to phase out native English teachers in EPIK and GEPIK. The MOE is paying to send younger public school English teachers abroad to the United States for one year to study in community colleges to improve their English in an immersion environment. After that they will have a competent English teacher for life instead of having to pay for plane tickets to and from the U.S. (or other Western country) year after year to fly in NETs. This will save money. I confirmed this is happening from Korean professionals I met studying in the United States.
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Captain Corea



Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And I've taught some of those teachers.
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ThingsComeAround



Joined: 07 Nov 2008

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

World Traveler wrote:
There is a new plan to phase out native English teachers in EPIK and GEPIK. The MOE is paying to send younger public school English teachers abroad to the United States for one year to study in community colleges to improve their English in an immersion environment. After that they will have a competent English teacher for life instead of having to pay for plane tickets to and from the U.S. (or other Western country) year after year to fly in NETs. This will save money. I confirmed this is happening from Korean professionals I met studying in the United States.


Unless they are sent to places w/o a Korean population, I doubt they will ever be competent in English. Sounds like lots of wishful thinking on behalf of the MOE- but in truth much more graft..
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World Traveler



Joined: 29 May 2009

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Right, it may not work, but it is being done regardless.

Korean teachers have told me about this plan. It is already underway.

Did you know that in many places across the world (such as much of the Middle East), higher education is taught solely in English. This makes sense as, for example, 95% of the world's scientific literature is published in English. To become an expert in one's field, it is often necessary to become proficient in English.

Remember when the president suggested teaching subjects in all English, but there was such an outcry the idea was axed?

So, yes, I agree South Korea takes a somewhat divergent view when it comes to English education.
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rainism



Joined: 13 Apr 2011

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

the November elections may change lots of things again, but as things stand I fully expect a drastic reduction in gepik net numbers next year.

One guy who teaches at an elementary school nearby won't get renewed because the funding has been cut off. That's highly unusual for an elementary school though he also mentioned there's some new teacher handler at the school, an old guy who doesn't believe net's are necessary.

my school's funding runs out next year, and if I had to bet, I'd heavily bet their net funding will be cut off as well.

but that's ok. It's been a good run and I'm kinda Korea'ed out anyways.
Time to try and go somewhere new.
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Triban



Joined: 14 Jul 2009
Location: Suwon Station

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ha! Bruce, you're all worried about what was said in the meeting? It'll work out, don't worry!

Be proctive, but when March rolls around there will be plenty of jobs...I guarantee.
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Ramen



Joined: 15 Apr 2008

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:03 pm    Post subject: Re: GEPIK NOT renewing in March?! Reply with quote

brucefox wrote:
I just heard from my group leader that GEPIK will no longer renew contracts or hire newbies in March either!
They will only hire/renew in September.
I didn't believe her so I went on to the official GEPIK website and sure enough, it said contracts are to start from late August.

I also checked the recruiting companies' websites for GEPIK, and they all said the contracts now begin from late August.

This is crazy. The Korean school year starts in March, why are they doing this to their own kids and to NETs!

The funny thing is there are still job postings for GEPIK positions that do not start in September. Well, she did say this change comes into effect next year. And that the general elections this November will change things as well.


i've heard the same about EPIK from my assistants. Razz
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MoneyMike



Joined: 03 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What do you guys think, if the number of foreign teachers in public schools goes down, will that cause an increased demand at hagwons?

I would say so, even if we are seen as unnecessary by the public system, I still think there would be the perception among parents that foreign teachers are very important.
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amoonbot



Joined: 29 Jul 2009

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SMOE is also phasing out its high school NETs. Current high school NETs can renew but from 8/2011, SMOE (working with EPIK) will only hire elementary, middle, and some global high schools. I currently work at a high school and although I am renewing with my school, my coteacher told me that once I leave, there won't be a replacement teacher. SMOE believes that high school NET education is "ineffective" because the curriculum is so loose.
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goat



Joined: 23 Feb 2010

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MoneyMike wrote:
What do you guys think, if the number of foreign teachers in public schools goes down, will that cause an increased demand at hagwons?

I would say so, even if we are seen as unnecessary by the public system, I still think there would be the perception among parents that foreign teachers are very important.


Naaa... A lot of NETs without jobs = more hours teaching and less pay at the hogwons.

Skippy reads 2013 contract...
Hours: 38, 50 minutes classes per week Mon.-Sat.
Pay: 1.800.000 won per month
(Overtime Pay) 15.000.000 won per hour
Vacation: 2 days summer, 2 days winter
Sick days: 1

Clause: Director has the right to alter the above
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ThingsComeAround



Joined: 07 Nov 2008

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 9:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

goat wrote:
MoneyMike wrote:
What do you guys think, if the number of foreign teachers in public schools goes down, will that cause an increased demand at hagwons?

I would say so, even if we are seen as unnecessary by the public system, I still think there would be the perception among parents that foreign teachers are very important.


Naaa... A lot of NETs without jobs = more hours teaching and less pay at the hogwons.

Skippy reads 2013 contract...
Hours: 38, 50 minutes classes per week Mon.-Sat.
Pay: 1.800.000 won per month
(Overtime Pay) 15.000.000 won per hour
Vacation: 2 days summer, 2 days winter
Sick days: 1

Clause: Director has the right to alter the above


Laughing Laughing

I doubt it will get that bad. People will just leave and go to other countries for work.
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ThingsComeAround



Joined: 07 Nov 2008

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 10:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

amoonbot wrote:
SMOE is also phasing out its high school NETs. Current high school NETs can renew but from 8/2011, SMOE (working with EPIK) will only hire elementary, middle, and some global high schools. I currently work at a high school and although I am renewing with my school, my coteacher told me that once I leave, there won't be a replacement teacher. SMOE believes that high school NET education is "ineffective" because the curriculum is so loose.


English ed was never meant to be effective for starters.

No one asks important questions like "Why do we spend so much on this and our students still can't speak?" or "How is it North Korea spends a tenth of what we spend and their TESOL scores are three points below ours?"

Because no one wants to know the truth- the education policies here concerning English are rife with corruption. It has less to do with being a foreigner than most assume. Who wrote the texts? Why can't that money be spent with an international company with proven results? Why is hagwon attendance more important than attendance in public school and if hagwon attendance is more important, why not home school? Why attend public school at all?

Of course someone can post better questions than I, however some of you get the drift. Koreans don't ask themselves these things- they just take isolated cases of misconduct by foreigners (and ignoring events that cause them to act inappropriately) and label the foreigner as the sole problem. Fine. When they reverse this decision, some of us will still be here, and we will command a much, much higher salary Wink
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Ramen



Joined: 15 Apr 2008

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ThingsComeAround wrote:
amoonbot wrote:
SMOE is also phasing out its high school NETs. Current high school NETs can renew but from 8/2011, SMOE (working with EPIK) will only hire elementary, middle, and some global high schools. I currently work at a high school and although I am renewing with my school, my coteacher told me that once I leave, there won't be a replacement teacher. SMOE believes that high school NET education is "ineffective" because the curriculum is so loose.


English ed was never meant to be effective for starters.

No one asks important questions like "Why do we spend so much on this and our students still can't speak?" or "How is it North Korea spends a tenth of what we spend and their TESOL scores are three points below ours?"

Because no one wants to know the truth- the education policies here concerning English are rife with corruption. It has less to do with being a foreigner than most assume. Who wrote the texts? Why can't that money be spent with an international company with proven results? Why is hagwon attendance more important than attendance in public school and if hagwon attendance is more important, why not home school? Why attend public school at all?

Of course someone can post better questions than I, however some of you get the drift. Koreans don't ask themselves these things- they just take isolated cases of misconduct by foreigners (and ignoring events that cause them to act inappropriately) and label the foreigner as the sole problem. Fine. When they reverse this decision, some of us will still be here, and we will command a much, much higher salary Wink


this.

we're just eye candies. Razz
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