[Seoul Times] The Grim Realities of Teaching in Korea part 1

mike · #1 04-22-2006, 06:45 PM

The Seoul Times is doing a series of articles about teaching English in Korea. It is very interesting. I know we have a bunch of teachers on this site. I would love to hear your stories.

Quote:

Stories of terrible work conditions, blatant disregard for labour laws and illegal appropriation of pay are nothing new to some English teachers in South Korea, but many who come here looking for a life-changing experience soon find themselves wishing they had never come to Korea at all.

People from all over the English-speaking world are attracted to South Korea by seemingly exceptional working conditions: free flights to and from Korea; free housing; a good paycheck for inexperienced graduates; the chance to get experience in a professional position; and the ability to travel and live in a different country. Unfortunately for many, the experience can become something of a nightmare as they struggle with employers for timely, full paychecks, argue about forced and unpaid overtime and try to live with the threat of instant dimissal hanging over their heads. On top of all this they also have to adjust to life in a new country where they don't speak the language and are not familiar with the customs.

So what recourse is there for foreign teachers who find themselves in such situations? Almost none it seems. Despite stories of atrocious breaches of contract and poor working conditions constantly pouring out of South Korea the government continues to do nothing to change the situation or even consider implementing policies that will protect teachers from such exploitation.

Here is a letter that was written to the Seoul Times.

Quote:

Dear Seoul Times:

I am a 29-year-old English teacher from America. I live and work in Busan, South Korea and have recently found myself in a difficult situation with my current hagweon. In addition, I have been told that I am powerless in this situation.

I must admit: I did not do my research regarding teaching English in South Korea. I didn't realize that I would be placed in a powerless situation where my bosses could expect countless unpaid overtime hours.
In addition, I have had taxes taken out of all of my paychecks, even though I have only been in the country for six months. Furthermore, I have not had any money provided towards my pension or towards health insurance for me.

Last Friday, after four and a half months of working for my current employer the Calvert American International School, I was provided with a letter of termination stating that May 12, 2006 would be my last day. I hear that it is common for private institues to fire English teachers before they reach the six month point in their contract because after six months there is no legal responsibility for the employee to repay his or her airfare or the recuiter's fee back to the teaching institution.

Today, I had over 900,000 won taken out of my paycheck to reimburse my employers for my plane ticket. Furthermore, today, I was not compensated for any of the overtime that I worked last month. How long is the Korean government going to allow employers to treat their foreign employees in this fashion?

The complaints registered against me were: failure to grade materials in a timely fashion, use of vocabulary that was not suitable to the age group I was teaching, and designing a rubric that was unfitting for the grading of homework.

I have been a good teacher. I have taken several courses to enable me to be the best teacher I could possibly be. I have spent countless hours of my free time grading numerous essays for my students. I have gone into work day after day early to grade tests and to prepare for my classes without being compensated. Why is the Korean government standing by and allowing its English teachers to be treated so poorly and without adequate protection?

I came to South Korea to have a life changing experience. I came here to make the world into a better place. Instead of being rewarded for my diligent work and eagerness to teach Korean children English, I have been punished and threatened with not even being able to recieve a letter of release after my bosses are finished using me and my knowledge of the English language.

I am upset that a country would stand by and allow this to happen to innocent victims, and condone this type of lawless behavior amongst its citizens. Sincerely,
Ama Birch

This is unbelievable! I have heard horror stories, but this story from Ama Birch takes the cake. Any other stories, good or bad?

mike · #2 04-24-2006, 07:49 PM

No comments from our teachers?

BIGD · #3 04-24-2006, 08:30 PM

I Will Respond....while It Is True That Many Teachers Have Bad Experiences, The Korean Government Is Reluctant To Interfere With Private Enterprise. There Are Thousands Of "hogwons", Private Institutes, That Teach Everything From English To Math And Science.

There Are Many Variables That Determine The Quality Of The Job But In My Opinion, The Owner Of The Hogwon Is The Ultimate Factor. He Is In Business To Make As Much Money As Fast As He Can, And The Exploitation Of English Teachers Is The Least Of His Problems. If He Has No Concern For The Quality Of His Product He Will Certainly Not Care About The Teachers.

I Have Been Here For Over 4 Years And I Have Never Taught In A Hogwon. My Experiences Have Been Both Good And Bad. Currently, I Am In A Good Situation, But Given The Chance, Korean Employers Will Take Advantage Of You And Treat You As 2nd Class Citizens. Especially Women, Who Are Still Considered Property.

The Bottom Line Is That You Have To Do Your Homework Before You Come Here And When You Do Get Here, Be Ready To Stand Up For Yourself. Do Not Allow Abuse Because It Will Continue. Always Come With A Round Trip Ticket And If It Gets Real Bad, Cut Your Losses And Get Out....don't Worry About Telling Anyone, Just Go!!!

Gangster · #4 04-25-2006, 01:49 AM

I heard that there are different classes of English schools. A hogwon is supposedly towards the bottom. My friend teaches at a university where all the teachers must have a masters degree. He has been there 16 years in Pohang. On the US Embassy website there is information on this under a topic of "The Pros and Cons of Teaching English in Korea".

eddiev9 · #5 04-25-2006, 03:35 AM

That letter from Birch to the Seoul Times sounds like a story I hear from the average Korean. I didn't realize the English teachers' situation had become just as bad.

Agashi · #6 04-25-2006, 11:02 PM

From many of the stories I've heard, I myself have been extremely lucky. I didn't do too much research either before coming. However, I did ask for the email of someone who worked at the hagwon before coming to Korea and I contacted her.
The first hagwon I worked at was going through financial problems. There were a few times that we got paid late. However, we always did get paid and we weren't forced to work overtime for no additional pay. The hours were nice too. I think that the Won Jong Nim, despite the fact that he got cross with the supervisor sometimes, was actually a decent person.
The second hagwon I worked at, well let me tell you, it was stressful before I even came to Korea. They kept trying to change my start date, they changed where I would be working for the first month, some guy about my my height (I'm practically 5 ft nothing - 154 cm) came to get me at the airport with no car - we took the subway with all of my luggage. There was also a bad atmosphere in the school - so much tension.
However, I never had problems with pay, and the apartment was nice and spacious.
For the last year and 8 months I've been working at a public elementary school, and for me this is definitely the way to go. Some of these schools have their problems with the English program, but my school has done a good job trying to develop it. The principal doesn't pay me of course - there's no pressure coming from the parents - to them a native English speaker is just an asset, not something they're paying for. The principal is happy because having a native teacher here makes him look good. I highly recommend it. The only problem is being the only Westerner in the school, but the teachers are all really nice. You also get a chance to meet other English teachers at conferences, etc. I think my timing was good. Recently, public schools have been interested in developing better English programs.
But, trust me, I'm not trying to sugar cote all the problems. I've heard horror stories of employers running off and not paying teachers, etc. I guess I just really lucked out.

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