Seoul is planning to phase out more teachers

[amoonbot]

http://news.sbs.co.kr/section_news/news_read.jsp?news_id=N1001040121

"서울 초, 중, 고등학교의' 외국인 영어 교사가 내년부터 차례로 해고됩니다. 학생들의 영어 회화 능력을 높인다는 취지로 채용된 7백 명이 모두 학교를 떠나게 됩니다.
Seoul will be slowly cutting down the number of NETs starting next year. Around 700 NETs in Seoul will leave. (This does not mean they're going to fire anyone mid-contract but that they won't be able to stay at their school after their contract ends.)

"예산 삭감에 따라 내년에 계약이 끝나는 원어민 교사들은 재계약 없이 해고됩니다." 
Due to budget cuts, teachers who are ending their contact next year will not be able to renew. Although they state that, I don't think they're going to cut all renewing teachers. I'm pretty sure SMOE is going to be way more selective with their renewals and stick to the budget cuts.

"고등학교 원어민 교사 255명은 전원 해고되고, 초등학교와 중학교도 각각 252명과 200명씩 줄이게 됩니다."
255 high school teachers will be cut, 252 middle school teachers will be cut, and 200 elementary school teachers will be cut.

"전체 원어민 교사 천245명의 57%가 학교를 떠나게 되는 것입니다."
Out of 1245 NETs, that will be a 57% reduction rate.

"영어 원어민 교사 재배치 문제는 오랫동안 논의돼왔던 사실이고 내년 8월, 내후년 2월부터 중고등학교의 원어민 교사는 퇴출하려고 합니다."
And they go onto to say that starting next August, they will phase out all middle and high school NETs within three years.

Sorry, if this has been posted already.

[Seoulian]

I'm gladly out of here in February. Hopefully SMOE learned something from this program - it's brutal at times. Things like basic organization skills would be nice, such as having contracts sent out before they start. Also, maybe some of the KET's could do some co-teacher training as well and there could be clear, shared and attainable goals set. We'll see how long SMOE lasts without NET's, but it might be that English is going the way of the Dodo as it did in Japan. Oh wait, Japan is trying to revive JET?....

[Mountain Crocodile]

This move by SMOE has been widely anticipated for over a year after the fiasco with GEPIK concerning the cancellation of contracts last summer due to budget cuts, which experienced an about face due to outcry allowing teachers to finish their contracts.

The public school system here in regards to NET's goes in cycles depending on the economy and public sentiment.  SMOE, EPIK and GEPIK will shutter their doors in the near future.  A year ago, I was told that SMOE would reduce 30% in 2011, 50% in 2012 and the remainder for completion in 2013.  Though there is a great deal of speculation, this downsizing seems on track with previous claims that have been vehemently debated and argued in terms of their validity and viabitly.

English per se, is not terribly valuable as a stand alone product.  The reason English is so valuable in Korea is the perceived social value that has been placed on it in obtaining higher levels of employment and promotion.  If this was not the case, English would be as important as in other countries.  Even so, English IS regarded highly here in terms of employability and quality of candidates, so there will be a demand for English.

The entire SMOE program was a counter to the hogwans.  The gov't intended to reduce (some say kill off) hogwans by providing free English education in public schools.  This strategy of course had failed due to massive incompetence of program administrators and 'misuse' of funding by those who are expecting a true professional atmosphere within a school being faced by those who are locals doing the bare minimum not to upset their superiors and keep their jobs as public servants.  This has resulted in programs overworking teachers with excessive teaching hours (22), extreme boredom (deskwarming) which is completely non-sensical, compounded with cultural differences and actions that result in gradual and extreme stressful working environments.  This of course is coming to an end.  The brainchild of gov't officials with a good idea, but no real comprehension as to how things would work out, since in Korea being a militaristic style working culture you are told what to do and you do it without arguing.  I honestly feel they felt Westerners would simply accept this style of management w/o understanding our history and how we fought increadibly hard to get rid style of management in our own cultures.

There will be another program in the future, but consider yourselves fortunate that SMOE is failing.  Hopefully they will reflect on why it failed and maybe provide a much warmer program in the next NET program cycle in the moderate future.

MC

[Schellib39]

After reading this article it looks as if Seoul is planning to cut more teachers from its public schools.  Is anyone familiar with how many public high school NETs are currently teaching in Seoul?  Guess they have not passed their budget yet, but this will not surprise me to see these cuts made in their budget.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/12/08/2011120800743.html

[noonanciaran]

Thank you for the post.
I've heard lots of rumours about the number of NET's being reduced by quite a lot next year, but to be honest I'm yet to hear of any evidence, all of my friends that applied to renew in Feb have been successful, I'm yet to hear of any unssuccessful applications!

[Burndog]

I blogged about it here - http://burndogturns.tumblr.com/post/13897725793/its-smoever-for-public-school-nets-in-seoul so I'm not going to go into a long rant here...but...they've done a brilliant job of interpreting those 'surveys' to provide justification for our demise.

[sffog]

Thx MC for your post. Very well articulated.
BTW, for GEPIK, the latest rumor is that they are considering retaining all of the current "in-contract" NETS, but have them teach at couple of schools close to each other.

[Koradian]

Seoul to Phase Out Native English Teachers

Most native English-speaking teachers in about 300 high schools in Seoul could lose their jobs next year. In its budget for 2012, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education cut about W4 billion (US$1=W1,126) for 225 native speakers teaching at high schools.

If the budget is approved by the city council, most of the high schools in Seoul except for 30 English "immersion" and international schools, can no longer afford a native speaker.

Currently 1,245 native speakers teach English conversation at primary and secondary schools in Seoul, 895 of them subsidized by the city office of education and the rest by the city government or district offices.

"A native speaker earns on average W42 million a year, and we concluded that they are not effective enough to justify the cost," a spokesman for the city office of education said. "A survey conducted for us showed that Korean teachers with outstanding English and teaching skills are more effective in the long term."

The office also plans to reduce the number of native speakers teaching at elementary and middle schools from 2013.

Students from low-income families will likely bear the brunt of the policy. "Students from well-to-do families may find lessons from native English-speakers dull because they've been attending private tutoring institutes since they were young," an education official said. "But those from poor families should be given the opportunity to learn English with native speakers at school." He added it is "too early to reduce the number of native speakers as long as Korean teachers aren't good enough to replace them."
Anyone hear much on this? I know it was on the Daegu news last evening.

[Koradian]

Seoul to let all native English speaking teachers go by 2014

by ROBERT KOEHLER on DECEMBER 8, 2011

YTN reports that Seoul plans to gradually sack all native English speaking instructors teaching English at elementary, middle and high schools throughout the city by 2014.

A Seoul Metropolitan Council official said according to a poll, students and parents preferred Korean instructors fluent in English over native speakers, and that the council plans to slash Seoul Office of Education’s budget for personnel costs for native speakers.

In the next fiscal year, the city plans to reduce the 30 billion won budget for native speakers by 4.9 billion won; it appears 707 native speakers—57% of the 1,245 total—will leave their schools.

[edit: added link.  Cite your sources http://www.rjkoehler.com/2011/12/08/seoul-to-sack-all-native-english-speaking-teachers-by-2014/]

[profmiscreant]

Got to pay for those tablets for every kid somehow!

I heard about this and wondered if it's all MOE's or just Seoul? (Or if other MOE's are to follow suit)

[rampancy]

From what I've heard, all of the other MOEs nationwide will follow suit by 2015.

[Damien]

Doesn't shock me really. There will still be plenty of jobs at Hagwons or in other countries lol.

[confusedsafferinkorea]

It is not just high schools, it is elementary too, my district office has run out of money and so I will be transferred in the middle of my contract (March 2012). I am not hopeful they will renew my contract in August 2012 because I have been here 3 years now and am becoming too expensive.

Time to look at Taiwan.

[scholes]

What NET earns 42mill won a year?

[Brian]

Merged four of the threads that popped up today.

[Paul]

I'm gladly out of here in February. Hopefully SMOE learned something from this program - it's brutal at times. Things like basic organization skills would be nice, such as having contracts sent out before they start. Also, maybe some of the KET's could do some co-teacher training as well and there could be clear, shared and attainable goals set. We'll see how long SMOE lasts without NET's, but it might be that English is going the way of the Dodo as it did in Japan. Oh wait, Japan is trying to revive JET?....

No, JALT and various other groups are trying to revive JET.

The laws that undermined JET were a failed attempt to reel in corruption in unrelated sectors. With expat groups being some of the most vocal non-subscribers to the concept of gaman (patience to an at-times borderline insane degree), it is likely that any challenge to the post-2002 now-ingrained system of subcontracted workers without rights or insurance (which is legally very grey) will stem out of the EFL industry but will have dramatic effects on society at large and the breakdown of wealth in the nation. Very positive effects for the youth and women in particular. If you want to discuss this more, feel free to move to PMs and I'll try and get you some links to back up my opinions/predictions and not derail this thread, or just web search dispatch systems in Japan or read the last two year's of JALT papers online.

For those following the protests in the US, the third demand of the OWS movement essentially parallels this situation. As far as I know, Korea simply lacks the background for things to collapse the way they did in Japan. When things ultimately do collapse here (as the article in the OP would imply is beginning) it will be for very different reasons.

(Edit: If some of the total figures I was told are to be believed, the total cost for a JET is about twice that of the EPIK worker presumed below which in turn is about twice that of an illegal subcontractor if you want to consider how it failed. EPIK was twice as sustainable from the get go so they really do not compare. Apples and oranges.)

[hilarity ensues]

What NET earns 42mill won a year?

Yeah really-- I know it's not me!

[Koradian]

What NET earns 42mill won a year?

Yeah really-- I know it's not me!

Let's do the math for a Level 1 teacher....

Salary 2.7mil x 1 = 32,400,000
Severence  2,700,000
Pension 243,000 x 12 = 2,916,000
Rent 400,000 x 12 = 4,800,000
Airfare 2,600,000

Total 45,416,000won (taxes/health and other deductions not included)

The article says the average NET ears 42,000,000w a year. Remembering we have to include rent into the equation, their estimate is correct. We aren't cheap!

[confusedsafferinkorea]

What NET earns 42mill won a year?

Yeah really-- I know it's not me!

Let's do the math for a Level 1 teacher....

Salary 2.7mil x 1 = 32,400,000
Severence  2,700,000
Pension 243,000 x 12 = 2,916,000
Rent 400,000 x 12 = 4,800,000
Airfare 2,600,000

Total 45,416,000won (taxes/health and other deductions not included)

The article says the average NET ears 42,000,000w a year. Remembering we have to include rent into the equation, their estimate is correct. We aren't cheap!

Here is my maths:

Salary 2,500,00 x 12 =  30,000,000
Severance = 0 (still here)
Pension = 0 (don't get)
Rent = 400,000 x 12 = 4,800,000
Flight = 750,000 (that is what I got)

Total:  35,550,000

Not sure where you got your figures from but those are mine, been here 3 years. You can add in my severance when I leave, till then I am not costing them that.

[Burndog]

What NET earns 42mill won a year?

Yeah really-- I know it's not me!

Let's do the math for a Level 1 teacher....

Salary 2.7mil x 1 = 32,400,000
Severence  2,700,000
Pension 243,000 x 12 = 2,916,000
Rent 400,000 x 12 = 4,800,000
Airfare 2,600,000

Total 45,416,000won (taxes/health and other deductions not included)

The article says the average NET ears 42,000,000w a year. Remembering we have to include rent into the equation, their estimate is correct. We aren't cheap!

Here is my maths:

Salary 2,500,00 x 12 =  30,000,000
Severance = 0 (still here)
Pension = 0 (don't get)
Rent = 400,000 x 12 = 4,800,000
Flight = 750,000 (that is what I got)

Total:  35,550,000

Not sure where you got your figures from but those are mine, been here 3 years. You can add in my severance when I leave, till then I am not costing them that.

You get paid severance every year...so you've already been paid severance twice.  I think it's reasonable to add that 2,500,000 into the equation.  Also...the school pays into the NPS, even if you can not claim the pension immediately due to the lack of an arrangement with your country.  750,000 for a return flight to South Africa?  Your school's doing some creative accounting!  Anyway...looks like you're just over the 40,000,000 mark.