I AM SICK OF IT - all my good work ruined.

[DWAEDGIMORIGUKBAP]

So I work at a hakwan

I did read it.

If it's not a 학교 and they take money for teaching kids who go to regular school during the day I'm not sure what else to call it, no matter how different it is / used to be from other hagwons.

Yeah it wasn't sold as a hakwan, but an international school that the kids go to after regular school.  If you'd had the interview, you'd have been impressed also.  Our teachers usually are qualified teachers with BA ed or MA.  Lots of contact with and support from the foriegn HQ staff and excellent curriculum and lesson planning and structure etc.

Like I said, when those people were around making sure the school was implemented and lauched in the way they like to operate the boss was all yes sir, no sir and palying ball.  I was the best teaching job i have ever had.

Now they are gone - yup it's turning into a haggie.

Anyhow I'm outtie in a month so just go throught the motions now.  Piece of pie.  No crying game.

Just really had faith in it and the foriegn company (they have actual, real international schools all over the world) reps I worked with for three months here, havign them as my managers were fantastic, really great, so proffessional and motivated and - well, just - sincere about education.

Recently, even they have realised what the industry and market is like here and have been complaining about the poor allocation fo studetns to classes, level testing etc....   I had of course wondered if they could really make it work here, but I decided to take a leap of faith due to the ammount of investment and support they provided.  Was always going to be my last contract here anyhow, so though, why not.

Que surprise, nothing ever changes in 'dynamic' Korea and the parents really do just want surface appearance over good work, parent and student responsibilty (the international company had the parents sign contracts making them responsible for the kid's doing their homework and things like that, things I was perhaps naive to imagine would work here.)

So yeah, the foriegn company are ace to work for, but sadly there is just no market for that here on Yeong-do.  Perhaps in downtown Busan or Seoul, but not here in one of the poorest provinces in the gyeongsan region.  The Korean way will triumph in the end over common sense....

Just as well as I'm stoked about moving to Shanghai anyway, totally different class of city compared to Seoul even.

[Yu_Bumsuk]

Real international schools are very difficult to set up here and often involve a lot of government issues. What government's / state's / province's curriculum were they using? I doubt very much it was sold as a real school unless someone was getting seriously fooled.

[peasgoodnonsuch]

Man, this is kind of heartbreaking. I'm sorry to hear it's happening to you.

Is there anyway you can contact the education authorities or the IS that sold you their materials? I'm sure the IS would be upset to have their name tarnished and they might be able to threaten to take away their rights if they learn how their material is being handled.

Also, I don't know how private schools work here, but isn't there any kind of accreditation needed if it's supposed to be a private school replacement for public? I feel like the local Education Office should have some authority here and the parents definitely have a right to know they're being cheated.

As a last resort, you could secretly video tape your class and post in onto a Korean blog site with the school name. Things catch on fire here once they're in the hands of the netizens!

But of course, before all of this, I suggest making the futile effort of speaking to your CT and principal/director about the issues your having. Put it in writing and submit it to the director's office. That way there's proof of your efforts if things go south for the school.

Best of luck and keep going!

PS. To all of those unfamiliar with English spoken outside of the US: ijit/eejit is a common way to say idiot in Ireland, N. Ireland and the UK.  If I am guessing rightly Dwaedgi comes from that region of the world?

[DWAEDGIMORIGUKBAP]

Man, this is kind of heartbreaking. I'm sorry to hear it's happening to you.

Is there anyway you can contact the education authorities or the IS that sold you their materials? I'm sure the IS would be upset to have their name tarnished and they might be able to threaten to take away their rights if they learn how their material is being handled.

Also, I don't know how private schools work here, but isn't there any kind of accreditation needed if it's supposed to be a private school replacement for public? I feel like the local Education Office should have some authority here and the parents definitely have a right to know they're being cheated.

As a last resort, you could secretly video tape your class and post in onto a Korean blog site with the school name. Things catch on fire here once they're in the hands of the netizens!

But of course, before all of this, I suggest making the futile effort of speaking to your CT and principal/director about the issues your having. Put it in writing and submit it to the director's office. That way there's proof of your efforts if things go south for the school.

Best of luck and keep going!

PS. To all of those unfamiliar with English spoken outside of the US: ijit/eejit is a common way to say idiot in Ireland, N. Ireland and the UK.  If I am guessing rightly Dwaedgi comes from that region of the world?

No point in any of that.  If I wanted to stay, best bet would be to go with  the flow as any complaints would be easily traced back to me.  Would be obvious.

Real international schools are very difficult to set up here and often involve a lot of government issues. What government's / state's / province's curriculum were they using? I doubt very much it was sold as a real school unless someone was getting seriously fooled.

I don't want to say which country as it would make my identity too obvious should anyone involved (however unlikely) be browsing this forum.

And yes, we are part funded by the government of the province the school is in, and again it is inside a government complex building.  Nobody was being fooled, other of course, than the international company and myself for believing it would work here.  Like I said, in Seoul or downtown rich areas of larger cities - perhaps.  There would still be some detraction from the international company's wishes as to how the school should be run, but it could work and they are indeed now pressing on with deals with Korean unis.

Anyhow, I'm dissapointed but not surprised about the whole thing but wanted to leave anyway.  Even before the change, I had been telling friends 'I am just subconsciously hoping my school will pee me off in some way and give me an excuse to finally leave Korea.'

I am a very happy, excited, inspired  and optimistic dwaedgi right now. I am half way towards my savings goal and fell in love with Shanghai over Xmas.  Honestly, I feel taller, lighter and 5 years younger!  Plus my new job is one of the better available there for non qualified teachers, and a very good friend has worked at the company for 3 yrs and loves it, so I'm stoked.

OP have you thought about joining the educational profession back home?    Don't misunderstand my intention, it is just that you communicate exceedingly well and no doubt have the skills and personality to excel in a traditional classroom.    Are you licensed?   A licensed teacher can find work in U.S. Department of Defense schools making $50,000 starting teaching Army brats.     Perhaps my spirit is broken and I a fatalist it's just the system is set up to save face and not admit it's faults.  English Education is paid lip service here, when it comes to implementing meaningful relevant curriculum or providing developmentally appropriate lessons....

Hey thanks for the credit (a rare thing.)  I have considered it (from the UK) and teaching friends back home have said I'd be a great teacher there, but their workloads petrify me.  Long term, if my personal pursuits don't pan out to make me comfortable financially - an academic career is what I will pursue.  I know that is intensove too, but the difference is I'm uber passionate about my subject and had great feedback on my prospets from my academic supervisors at BA level (one literally said I MUST go ino the field and he was sorry I had to work with people on my course so below my own capabilities lol,) so it feels right.  I DO a good sollid job here but I lack that extra conviction that you qualified teachers have when it comes to teaching kds subjects outside my uni subject.

[DWAEDGIMORIGUKBAP]

Things took a turn for the even more retarded today.

They lost all their students BEFORE I got here and now they're trying to pawn off the flack on to me! 
 
Got a lecture about being more affectionate to the kids today.  Oh who?  ME?  ME THE GUY that buys them stickers and chocolates every, pays for pizza out of my own pocket and lets them watch movies?  And ME WHO takes them out on little mini field trips?
 
I know we're doing bad business and what my boss means is 'we need to be MORE affectionate as times are hard' not really complaining about me - I think... -   But still...
 
I got no thanks for AMAZING work over the Halloween and XMAS parties.  They would have been a wash out if left to the other two foriegn teachers.  Parents literally shook my hand and thanked me profusely after the Xmas pageant and the other classes performances were A JOKE.
 
And now I get a lecture over crap that is not my issue.  Typical Korea, no thanks for good work and blame for crap that isn't your problem....

17 days till payday, that is the minimal time I have to grin and bear it.  After that, I can just run to China early or just tell them I'm leaving and work the next 3 weeks until I leave hoping they'll pay me for it - not likely as I'll be shorting them on the notice...    I'll do it anyway as I am shorting them and if they don't pay me whoopdeee doo da.   
 
I don't care about giving short notice as they lied to me about the whole job and school.  I'm not giving it before payday on the 25th, as they can't even give the last teacher all of his bonus (are paying him it in instalments and screwed the 2 before him out ofit completely) so no way they'll pay me once they find out I'm of no use to them.  So I'll collect salary on the 25th and then tell them they have 3 weeks to replace me. 
 
Probably wont see a dime for those 3 weeks, but I can afford it.

To top it all off my 5 year old kindy kids have already called me (in Korean) a 'stupid faeces eating pig' and a 'foolish faeces eating village dog' today.

These are the kids I buy fancy sticker sets and treats for every class.  And YES apologists - your kids say it to you too, you just don't realise it.

Yup, I am sick of it.

[Squire]

I like that the owner turned it into a regular hagwon and all the best qualified teachers left. I wonder if he'll come to regret that decision

[DWAEDGIMORIGUKBAP]

I like that the owner turned it into a regular hagwon and all the best qualified teachers left. I wonder if he'll come to regret that decision

I will be very surprised if the place lasts till summer.  We now have 29 students.

[Frozencat99]

There should be a countdown available for when "apologist" appears in topics.

[Spongeblob]

To top it all off my 5 year old kindy kids have already called me (in Korean) a 'stupid faeces eating pig' and a 'foolish faeces eating village dog' today.

These are the kids I buy fancy sticker sets and treats for every class.  And YES apologists - your kids say it to you too, you just don't realise it.

Yup, I am sick of it.

Sorry to hear things aren't going well.  Kudos to you for trying to make a difference with a troubled school.  My kids call me a "*&%*( who eats *&^%& while pulling a **& out of his *&$#^ monkey."  But, they say it with love.  :D and in perfect english.  ;)

[andyfoggy]

To top it all off my 5 year old kindy kids have already called me (in Korean) a 'stupid faeces eating pig' and a 'foolish faeces eating village dog' today.

These are the kids I buy fancy sticker sets and treats for every class.  And YES apologists - your kids say it to you too, you just don't realise it.

Lol, it took me a few months to work out what they were saying, i was shocked when i did, i tried to tell a Korean on the plane when i was coming for my 2nd year that the kids tell each other and me to f*** off in Korean and he got very angry and said i was a liar. angry guy in the seat beside me all the way to incheon, another drink sir, well why not :)

[Toshiba]

Quote:
Quite frankly, the same thing can be said about most unis here in Korea.

Some of them anyway. My girlfriend (well, an ex at time of writing) was thrilled to get a uni job in Korea. She was hired by Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. She signed a contract that stated she was working for that university. Boy was she pissed to find out that she was working at an on-campus hogwan (the Foreign Language Training Center). Grades meant nothing, blatant plagiarism from the internet didn't even raise an eyebrow, petty complaints(after petty complaint)  brought to her on a regular basis, - all the regular hogwan bullshit. There was no hint in the contract that she would be working at a hogwan on campus. She went from an emotional high upon getting a 'university' job to quitting four months later cursing the very day she had heard of the place. It just tells you - do your homework before signing anything!

Unfortunately for the OP, he was the victim of another situation. Actually commencing a job that he had signed up to, only to find the nature of the job change overnight. Not fun.

[JahRhythm]

I don't buy the above story. I had a friend who was offered a job at the HUFS FLTC.
We read the contract and laughed.
The teaching hours and vacation were absolute crap.
Perhaps the language in the contract could have been more clear: like "beware this is a shit unigwon gig" but anyone with a brain and a cursory understanding of the standard benefits for real, university positions could suss it out in a moment.
Or a simple google search which leads to loads of negative info about HUFS FLTC.
Oh, and the contract was forwarded by a recruiter (big red flag).
Not excusing any dishonesty but it's so much easier to blame "Korea" than admit your mistake.

[Toshiba]

^ Yeah, the contract sucked. Crap pay, lousy dormitory room, split shifts etc....but she was willing to accept those things to get her foot in a 'university' job. She was also transferring from a hogwan in Incheon to a Seoul 'university' job. So, while acknowledging that the contract sucked, she entered the job with her eyes open. What she couldn't deal with was the discovery that she was working at a shitty on-campus hogwan. She wasn't prepared for all the hogwan crap that she thought she had left behind by signing a contract with a university. And, in her defence, there was nothing in her contract that indicated that she would indeed be working for a shady on-campus hogwan. She let me read her contract, and there was no indication that it was for anything other than a university instructor's position.  And as for not "blaming Korea." I would say that at least part of the blame goes to "Korea" for tolerating a culture of ambiguity and outright deception in employment contracts. But part of the blame definitely lay with my friend for not doing her homework. As the poster above said, a simple google search would have saved her many a headache. When I showed her several threads about the FLTTC on Dave's esl cafe she could have kicked herself for not having done her homework.

As I say, she had read the contract. She accepted that the conditions were sub-standard at best, but she was willing to put up with them. It was what the contract 'concealed' that made her life miserable. But, as I say, that's what a google search is for. Would have taken her a whole of 30 seconds.