Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CP]

You signed the contract to work for a public school. If you were not clear about the holidays then, you should have said something before you signed it. Too late to cry over it now. Stop being spoiled. If you don't like it quit and go home.

[jaderedux]

holy geezus someone's mom followed them to Korea.

Jade

[gsxr750r]

Happens every year.

I saw what they did to the contract last year, and I didn't sign. A year later, after the next teacher left, they called me twice and begged to get me back.

Sorry. Two weeks vacation? Make me sit on my butt during vacation time? Forget it.

We had a good contract before. Then the gov't stepped in and screwed it up. The result? Teacher they had for two years, and loved (I really loved it there, too) ended up going to another job with better vacation.

If you are someone from a school or the gov't, then why don't you stop whining and try offering better contracts? Good people can find better places to go. The reason your newbee teachers are whining is because once they start working, they find out that you don't give them ANY information about when they can take their little vacation until the last minute.

Get a clue. These people probably want to visit home. I just booked my summer airline ticket yesterday. Last-minute tickets are a lot more expensive (if available at all).

Why don't you government people get your lazy asses organized, and start letting people know things like "solid" vacation dates? You have stodgy old school principals who like to pretend they are gods, kings, and queens, and don't know how to plan for shi@.

You deserve all of the problems you have created for yourselves.

[ilovebdt]

[hubba bubba]

[lover.asian]

[Sod_em_and_begorrah]

[timhorton]

OP.........if you are not complaiing then tell us why?

How much vacation do you get?

[Pink Freud]

[CP]

for the government or public school system. I have worked around the world in universities, private and public schools and high level privates as well.

ALL I AM SAYING IS THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEAR ABOUT EVERYTHING WHEN YOU SIGNED THAT CONTRACT. It's one thing if they are changing what you agreed to. I would be pissed to if that was the case, but if you did not ask what would happen at these times then, it's too late to whine now - you should have said something before.

[gsxr750r]

CP, the thing is that many public school teachers are told "2 weeks vacation" when they get their contract. They soon learn that their school will not give them any solid information about summer/winter vacation dates so that they can go home. It is rare that any school actually gives solid dates for camps well in advance, or keeps to those dates. Rare.

So why not just ask another teacher when the vacation is?

Sounds workable, but it's not. The school will have camps, but will give no information on camp dates until the vacation is but a week or two away. And it's not unheard of for camps to be created just a few days before they start.

I was serious about booking airline tickets, too. You need to book 3 to 6 months out, or you pay heavily. The difference in price to fly back home to my part of the US is as high as 500,000 to 1,000,000 won more expensive, depending on when I buy. You no longer make reservations anymore -- you have to PAY for the ticket immediately, or within a short time after -- long before you actually fly. That adds incredible stress and anger when you've got a school that wavers on camp dates and times.

My last school changed the camp date 3 times -- with no warning. The 2nd time, I had already booked my ticket, and had to pay a $100 penalty. The 3rd time it happened, I told them not to expect me to show for the camp, and that they already knew why. My boss gave me a blank look, "But the principal has decided...."

I didn't care. Magically, the dates changed to fit my vacation.

You have to go into every job here with an understanding that, at least for now, there are other jobs out there.

[andrew]

.....

[CP]

Before giving it to you I would like to state - you can leave at any time if you don't like it. You have all the power here.

I have worked 4 years in Korea.

1st year - I split work between a public (this is well before they even really had foreigners in public schools) and a private school. No problems with any vacation time whatsoever, but I'll admit I also had to systems to deal with so everything would be planned well in advance because of this.

2nd, 3rd, 4th years in Korea were in a private school. No problems as I make sure I get everything I want first before accepting a job.

I worked in Taiwan in a private school - no worries there cause they don't mess with their teachers - also they have a higher standard there than Korea. Contracts mean something.

I worked in Russia - in a private college and institute. Everything is so corrupt there that you never have to worry about anything cause the corruptness ensures you get what's coming to you, if that makes any sense.

I CAN SEE COMPLAINING IF THEY CHANGE DATES ALL THE TIME. I CAN'T SEE COMPLAINING OVER HOW MUCH TIME YOU ACTUALLY GET TO LEAVE FOR. THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CONTRACTS AREN'T CLEAR - THAT'S WHY I TURNED THEM DOWN. THEY COULDN'T GUARANTEE THE DATES I WANTED OFF AT THE BEGINNING TO RETURN FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. I WILL NOT ACCEPT A CONTRACT ANYWHERE UNLESS THEY GIVE ME WHAT I WANT. EVERYONE SHOULD DO THE SAME. THEN NO PROBLEMS LATER.

[ilovebdt]

[dmbfan]