Public School Teacher in Muju
Our experiences have been both very positive and negative, a kind of mixed bag
- meeting both really friendly people who seem to care about each other, but also
those who have shown no care or concern at all.
If there is one piece of advice I would like to hand on to teachers thinking about
Korea, is that it seems that in Korea you will not receive any benefits by waiting and
not asking. I think British people especially feel that it is impolite to ask for things
upfront - and wait for others to provide - this approach seems to result in indifference in rural Korea so you have to push for what you need.
It does seem that teaching English in Korea is a complicated area. The Government
seems to have very varied ideas about how to develop English teaching, and it seems
that the English teachers themselves can often become the "piggies in the middle"
of conflicting approaches, and this can become tiresome.
But there are some strong positives about teaching in Korea which should attract
many serious teachers from the English-speaking world.
Firstly, the contract is very generous in terms of the additional benefits that are
provided. Health insurance is provided in full which is the most important aspect.
Secondly, there is stability about working in the state system as opposed to
the private sector. So often in the private schools there is an element of
uncertainty which can end up backfiring on the teachers.
Thirdly, by working in the state system you will feel closer to the daily life of Korea
and Koreans. By teaching in the bustling classrooms of Korean schools you will
definitely experience the real Korea - with all its ups and downs.
And there is a great deal to experience!
I hope this is helpful in some way.
Please feel free an article I wrote for the Korean Times which you can see here : http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/opi_view.asp?newsIdx=12043&categoryCode=198
I wish you and your family continuing success with your work in Korea.
With best wishes,
Edward Philpott
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