Korean Job Discussion Forums

fidel · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: North Shore NZ

Hi,
I teach at a High School in Seoul and have witnessed some pretty brutal forms of corporal punishment. I thought I would just outline a few for you.
For forgetting to bring your gym clothes you have to bend down and get kicked in the balls.
For not attending school assembly the whole class gets BEATEN with a baseball bat.
For talking during a school assembly you get kicked or kneed in the balls.

For minor infractions the teachers all carry some sort of beating stick ranging from half a fishing pole, to a broom handle. Students are regulary beaten for talking during class. Others are forced to duck-walk around the running track or kneel for several hours with their hands up.
Now I'm not saying that some of these swine didn't deserve punishment, but hey come on doesn't violence breed violence.

The weird thing is that all the students accept these as legitimate forms of punishment and come back smiling. Also in a year I have yetto witness a single school yard fight.
Go figure.
Anyone else out their with similiar experiences.

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

I've heard of rapping a kid on the knuckles, but what you're talking about seems more extreme than anything I've heard.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

I thought these types of punishments were outlawed. I was talking to a couple of Korean teachers and they told me that severe beatings were common a few years back but not now. Generally a few wacks with a stick or ruler are the norm now, or so they said.

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

Sounds awful and primitive and ridiculous to me. I'd leave there ASAP.

fidel · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: North Shore NZ

Actually corporal punishment was reinstated in 1999 for some reason after a brief hiatus. However I suspect that it never stopped at my school.
Many schools have their own policies regarding corporal punishment. From my experience the students are so blase about it that it no longer serves it's purpose as a valid form of punishment.

Scott in HK · Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2004 5:23 pm Post subject:

Can I be the first to say....that I simply don't believe you...

A whole class beaten with a baseball bat.....ahh...I don't think so. Unless you have a different definition of 'beaten with a baseball bat' because I am imagining cuts, bruises, police reports and a visit to the hospital.

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 24 Jan 2003 Location: Middle Land

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

I've seen a whole class of high school age hakwon students 'beaten' with a rod- each student got a whack on the palms. However, from what I could tell it appeared to be symbolic and meant to shame them not hurt them- the 'whack' didn't appear to be much more than a tap. Teacher was satisfied that the prescribed punishment was metted out, students could tell their parents that "yes, we were physically punished for our bad behaviour" (which was an overall poor showing on the last test they were given- even the higher scoring students were hit because it was a communal punishment) and the kids, while not happy about being chastised could at least be thankful that it didn't actually hurt.

This was done by one of the nicest teachers that I worked with so I have no doubt whatsoever that much stronger punishment occurs. Heck, I've seen bruises on arms and the backs of legs. "Fighting?" "Parents?" I asked them. "Teacher" they replied.

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

How do you punish a kid with a baseball bat without doing more than a bruise?

Teachers at my hagwan pull on ears or smack on the wrist... I've never seen anything that could be described as "hitting"

Although my director has such an impressive scolding voice that it's like a smack across the face.

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

I have taught at a korean high school for almost 4 yrs.

Never heard of anyone getting it in the nuts, nor have I seen any baseball bats.

However I can't say it isn't true. If the OP is teaching at a BOYS only highschool, chances are what he says is true. Boys highschools are the worst of the worst when it comes to punishment.

At my school, when I first started, punishments were harsh. The worse I heard about, was when I saw a kid limping one day, I asked him what was wrong. His friends told me that kid skipped school, and his punishment was some teacher whacked him in the arse with a broom stick a few too many times.

I saw a kid get slapped in the face about 20 times by a dept. head. The reason is the kid went out to represent our school and he looked like crap.

These things happened years ago though. In the past two years I haven't seen ANYONE hit. It seems the punishment they do now is worse than hitting - in the students eyes anyways. The students have to memorize proverbs and recite them. The students told me they would rather get hit as it takes less of their time Shocked

Also some students have had to clean the school on occassion.

Here is my all time favorite inventive punishment: some kid spit their gum in class. The homeroom teacher asked who did it, no one would say. So he made EVERYONE in the class collect 20 or so pieces of gum off the ground as punishment. Pretty sure no one would be chewing gum again in that class.

For the person that said leave the job - why? If the OP can put up with it, and the job pays well/has good benefits, should he goto a hawgwon where the kids kick YOU in the nuts and poke YOUR arse?

Honestly the more they punish the worst the students must be - to me that is a reason to leave. I would have left my school after my first contract, but all those beatings DID work and the students got BETTER. So I stayed.

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

Scott in HK · Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2004 7:05 pm Post subject:

great wall...

you have seen an entire class 'beaten'...not 'hit' but beaten with a baseball bat...really....i doubt it...unless you have seen this happen...then i will apologize...and of course wonder why you did nothing about it....

what does my being in korea have to do with anything...i don't believe the story...based on my own experiences in korea...my friendship with korean high school teachers...

i work in a korean high school for a year....i also saw my fair share of punishment...but this story i don't believe...sorry about that...I don't believe the kick the balls one either...but I didn't say anything...it could be true...if there is one particularly demented teacher....

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

Scott in HK · Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2004 7:16 pm Post subject:

Mr Pink...

I would believe any story about one teacher and one student...there are some fairly violent teachers in the koren school system....

but i don't believe that a teacher could beat one student with a baseball bat...'beat' and then ask the next one to come up...and 'beat up' an entire class....sorry....

and as to what you can do...as your signature said...you make a choice..if i saw a student getting 'beaten'...i would step in....i have done it once in korea....but made it look like i was simply asking a question of the teacher in charge...i agree about not going in with fists flying...but i think you have to try to do something...