Korean Job Discussion Forums

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

Today I signed my new GEPIK contract. Contrary to the alarmists on this board, there was no mention of enforced 3 hour visits to the local Education office on Friday or any other day.
I did not get a raise, but I reached an "understanding" with regards to vacation time in lieu...which I'd rather have anyway.

In fact the only major change I noticed was that contribution leave was reduced. In the old contract one received 2 hours of contribution leave for each hour of OT class taught. Now it's one for one. Since I never teach any OT anyway (the school's too small) this was not a concern.

Milwaukiedave · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Location: Goseong

That's interesting TUM. Yes, there has been quite a lot of bad stuff posted about GEPIK lately.

It will be interesting to hear some of the replies from the other GEPIK people.

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

There is also a chance they read here (probably very good actually) and were surprised by the amount of people not resigning and complaining about things. Just a thought.

Junior · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Location: the eye

The main problem is that they have removed the holiday. While all Korean tachers have 5 weeks off we're left to grind out a silly summer camp. Even the Korean teachers feel sorry for us.
My resigning won't happen without more time off. More than the 2 weeks extra. I want to be equal!

mack the knife · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: standing right behind you...

alinkorea · Joined: 02 May 2005

I work in GEPIK. It can be difficult to judge how good/bad the GEPIK programme is. It all depends on each schools interpretation and implementation of 'the rules.' I do beleive our vacation time is a a bit too low, but we can't expect to be given the same deal as the Korean teachers. For a start they are better qualified, don't get an apartment or airfare.
I get the 14 vacation days, same as everyone else. Four weeks ( 2 in summer, 2 in winter) would be much better. That said, for the two months a year I teach camps, I go home at lunch time.
My school operates within the guidelines of the GEPIK rules, but because they don't try to interpret them in order solely to benefit themselves, my job is pretty easy.

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

VanIslander · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 5:41 pm Post subject:

Isn't GEPIK just for public school jobs in Gyonggido? If so, most of us aren't there, thankfully.

inkoreafornow · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Location: Gyeonggido

The big thing about GEPIK is that you are left at the mercy of your principal/vice-principal. Your principal/vp can make your life a living hell if you let him/her because Korean Public Education is set up like the Feudal System: the Ministry tells them what they need to achieve, and then leaves it up to the local magistrates(read principals) to make it happen.

I swear to god this has to be the reason why whenever we asked questions at the first orientation, the guy running the show would only answer with "wait to you get to your school and ask your principal." Gyeonggido gives the public school the frame and then tells the schools to fill in the details (and we all know the devil really is in the details). Hence, GEPIK is just another big chain hagwon: your experience at x school in y will be different (sometimes dramatically different) from Dick or Jane's experience at q school in z.

But I've argued with the Gyeonggido 교육청 about this for the past two years and I've said all I'm going to say about trying to make anything standard as it applies to foreigners. You would think a country based on 정 would understand the concept of equality.

Thunndarr · Joined: 30 Sep 2003

Len8 · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Location: Kyungju

Geeze. Why don't you all work to-gether. Get some solidarity and push for standardization of your contracts. Isn't there someone who is trying to get a petition going on this board to try and improve conditions

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I don't work for public schools, but is it really that hard to see what Urban's saying? (which I think is, that for him, a better vacation is more important than a small raise.) Some people prefer it the other way. What difference does it make? Some of us will choose quality of life over money every time. In Korea, you usually have to sacrifice one for the other (money or free time). Now that I've said that, I'm sure someone is going to pop in and claim to be making seven million won a month with only 3 hours of work a week, but whatever.

Sody · Joined: 14 May 2006

We don't want standardization across the board because some of us have it way better than others.

I can understand Urban's point of view, he wants more time off instead of a raise and that's fine.

The longer you stay in Korea - especially at one school - the more is expected of you. Most of you will probably think this is natural but the problem is you are still treated the same as the joe blow noobie who just got off the plane to start his ESL career and knowing this sucks doesn't it? Sad

I'm also starting to figure out that it is not in your best interests to stay in the Gepik program for more than 2 years. After the first year many of the schools will want you to stay so the re-sign offers are pretty good provided that you did a good job of course. But the second re-sign is where many problems happen, at least that is what I learned from reading these forums. I guess after the 2nd year they figure they own you.

Sody