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benohare
Joined: 23 Nov 2009 Location: London, UK
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 12:37 pm Post subject: Korean schooling the kids |
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Hi,
I lived and taught in Korea for ten years and have been back in the UK for 5. My wife is Korean and my kids are both dual nationality.
I've been thinking of coming to Korea and getting a university job and letting the kids get immersed in the Korean language (and studying it again myself). My kids are 6 and 8 years old (western age).
Can anyone give advice on schooling my kids in Korea? For example, would it be possible to send them to private schools (hogwans) and do some home schooling to keep them up with Maths and Korean for the year we plan to be here.
Any views or information would be gratefully received.
Thanks, Ben |
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crossmr

Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 1:49 pm Post subject: |
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if they don't know any korean they'd have a tough time of it in public school. There are many international schools in Korea that would teach them in English. |
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climber159

Joined: 02 Sep 2007
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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Those who I know in Korea with "mixed" children either never sent them to Korean public schools or did so for a very short time before enrolling them in an international school. Having taught in the Korean public schools and witnessing some of what goes on (or doesn't go on) there, I can say with absolute confidence that I would never send any kids I ever have there. I'd suggest you check out Seoul International School, Korea International School or one of the others scattered about the country. Do your homework on the international schools though; some are pretty shady. |
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VanIslander

Joined: 18 Aug 2003 Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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Sacheon and Geoje both have good international schools, according to some satisfied parents I've met over the years. |
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nomad-ish

Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Location: On the bottom of the food chain
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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don't send your kids to a korean public school. |
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jvalmer

Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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If your kid's Korean isn't fluent, public school would be very difficult on them. |
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Easter Clark

Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong
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thunderbird
Joined: 18 Aug 2009
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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dont send them to my hagwan, they wont learn a thing and youll waist alot of money. |
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skeeterses
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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Being able to send your kids to an international school will depend on your ability to land a University teaching job (or a job teaching at an International School.) Don't even think of trying to send your kids to an international school on a hagwon salary. If you don't get the University gig over in Korea, you'd be better off working as a public school teacher in the UK and then taking your family to Korea for a summer. |
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fermentation
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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thunderbird wrote: |
dont send them to my hagwan, they wont learn a thing and youll waist alot of money. |
You can say that about pretty much the entire Korean education system. |
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redaxe
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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Good lord, that is a fortune! I'm never ever having kids in Korea!
Actually, a couple of my cousins went to Seoul Foreign School for a few years, but their parents were employed to teach at SFS so I think (and hope) they got free tuition as a benefit. |
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Konglishman

Joined: 14 Sep 2007 Location: Nanjing
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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redaxe wrote: |
Good lord, that is a fortune! I'm never ever having kids in Korea!
Actually, a couple of my cousins went to Seoul Foreign School for a few years, but their parents were employed to teach at SFS so I think (and hope) they got free tuition as a benefit. |
Anyone who teaches at an international school, gets the tuition completely waived for their kids. That is one of the perks of teaching at an international school. |
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Easter Clark

Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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redaxe wrote: |
Good lord, that is a fortune! I'm never ever having kids in Korea!
Actually, a couple of my cousins went to Seoul Foreign School for a few years, but their parents were employed to teach at SFS so I think (and hope) they got free tuition as a benefit. |
Figure around 1.5 million Won / month...2 max. It's doable on a dual income...but if you have more than one kid, things could get really expensive fast. Luckily there is a payment schedule for most schools which allows you to make payments in installments. |
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crossmr

Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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Anyone know what is up with the school that is put on by the vancouver public school system? I saw a bus and checked their website once (but had forgotten to bookmark it). It seems to me that if the school is run by the public school system its using tax payer dollars and any Canadian citizens should be able to send their kids there for free. |
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benohare
Joined: 23 Nov 2009 Location: London, UK
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Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 9:58 pm Post subject: Korean schooling the kids |
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fermentation wrote: |
thunderbird wrote: |
dont send them to my hagwan, they wont learn a thing and youll waist alot of money. |
You can say that about pretty much the entire Korean education system. |
Why do you say that when Korea is top of the International league tables in reading, nearly top in maths (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7115692.stm) and the UK and USA are barely in the top 20.
I worked in Hogwans before and know that some are not good, but compared to the UK where I'm teaching now the pupils all believe that education is a good thing whereas in England many pupils and parents don't care.
My friends who have kids in Korea (100% Korean) can do TaeKwanDo, piano, times tables, violin, English (bit of), Chinese, and so on. Compare this to my son of the same age who has not been taught any foreign languages and the only extra-curricular activity is football/soccer. At the moment my son is top of his class in maths (according to his teacher) but doesn't know any of his times tables and he is 8 years old.
Furthermore, the behavior at English schools is scary. As a teacher it feels like a battle zone and teachers are regularly physically and verbally abused and the kids just don't bother following instructions and doing what they are told to do. In many UK schools the lunatics have taken over the asylum.
Are you sure you are being fair when you criticize the Korean education system? Are you sure it's better than the one in your home country? |
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