Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Bingo]

Today my co-teacher gave me a form to sign. It wants to know if I have ever been arrested for drugs. I asked if the Korean teachers also had to sign this form. The answer (of course) was 'no'. Only the foreign teacher. In short, I have refused to sign it. I am calling on all Gyeongido public school teachers to follow suit. Please say firmly but politely that you refuse to sign it because it is racist. It reinforces negative stereotypes about us and that you refuse to participate in this.

I've just about had it with Korea. It's like when I opened the Korean Herald two weeks ago and read about an AIDS clinic opening in Seoul. You'd think they'sd simply call it Seoul Aids Center. What they called it was "Seoul Aids Center FOR FOREIGNERS."

Again, please do not sign that form. Enough is Enough.

[willneverteachagain]

i guess koreans cant get treated there then since they arent foreigners.

Sounds like a sting to me. I heard a few years ago that if immigration finds out someone has AIDS and or is HIV + that they get deported or something. I dont know if this is true or not but if it is, that clink might not be ligit. Did they open it in itaewon too?

[willneverteachagain]

if i was still in korea i would protest that sign and be burning the korean flag or something out front

[venus]

Yes, you will be deported if you have aids. In Taiwan you can't get in without an AIDS test first.

I wish my country (U.K.) was like that.

[willneverteachagain]

exactly so what's thepoint of opening the clinic? i dont even know where to get an aids test in canada

[ED209]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I'm almost certain that the KTs have to sign stuff that you don't. It's not your school asking you to do that and all or most or all of the KTs' salary doesn't come from EPIK.

All in all it's your choice but if my school asked me to do that I'd just tick the box, sign it, and ask if they wanted a urine test, too.

[willneverteachagain]

Yu u are adding to the problem 100% agree with the OP i wouldnt have signed it either and i havent touched drugs ever in my whole life

[ilovebdt]

[philipjames]

I received that form this morning too. My co-teacher was quite tepid about bringing it to me. He knew how I'd react to such a form. When I read it I was quite visibly annoyed. I said that I would not sign it, even if it cost me my job. Simply do not sign it. Maybe someone here can write a letter to the Korean Herald or Times. This profiling has gone on too long. I am not a drug user. I do not have aids. I bitterly resent your assumption that maybe I do.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

It's not profiling - it's just plain stupidity. Is anyone going to check 'yes'? Of course not - even if they have been arrested for drugs. So they get a bunch of forms back with all FTs claiming never to have done drugs. Then what? They'll sit in a cabinet somewhere.

Again, to each their own, and I can understand why some might want to refuse on principle. I'd also suggest that everyone give a lot of thought to which battles are worth fighting and which aren't.

[philipjames]

Not letting yourself and your friends be stereotyped as drug users is a worthy fight. I'm not signing it.

[philipjames]

And another thing. Koreans are the world's worst substance abusers. For them to be singling us out as 'abusers' is quite beyond belief. All that puke on Korean streets wasn't put there by us.

Aiissh

[Bukowski]

People...

To protect children, we have rules, requirements, and laws in the U.S. for teaching in public schools. We have to submit to a background checks, sign documents stating that we do not use drugs, have never been convicted of a crime against a child, etc.

All of the measures are taken in the hopes of protecting young learners.

Korea is behind the times, but I applaud them for trying to do more.

It is not a personal thing and just something that is for your recreation. It is against the law, and they want to keep offenders and abusers from kids.

More power to them.

AC

[Son Deureo!]