Entering the Politics of Korean Education
The Ministry of Education always seems to be the target of both critical comments and promises to change. When educational consultants really look at the Korean education system it seems like a long ( 6 years of elementary, 3 years of middleschool, 3 years of high school and 4 years of university) process of lectures and memory work designed to cost less, fill time, control students and make life bearable for the teachers who have to cope with 60 students in a class rather than 20.
The Korean Ministry of Education needs more money, the students need more interactive instruction and the teachers need more realistic workloads.
The most reluctant taxpayers in the world seem to be the Koreans. Most Koreans do not understand that cheating on taxes reduces the governments ability to produce quality services such as education. The excuse that government wastes money is not a justification.
There has to be another system in place to raise money and eliminate criminal activities.
The Ministry of Education could raise money through education licenses to improve the public schools, buy more books, computers, hire more teachers, install more modern instruction programs and offer additional teacher training programs for upgrading skills and knowledge.
All private schools should have to pay an annual license fee to the Ministry of Education. Every private teacher should have to pay an annual license fee to the Ministry of education. All licensed private teachers should be able to teach in schools or at businesses or at private residences and be able to be self-employed. Teachers should be able to issue a tax-deductible receipt for the instruction. When all the Korean students demand their teachers be licensed and demand their tax-deductible receipt then many of the illegal practices will be eliminated.
The teaching fees should also be graded based on education, qualifications and experience. For example teachers with a BA get 30,000, an MA get 40,000 and PHD get 50,000 won per hour.
Using this system of licenses and fees would lower the cost of private education for parents and students. This system would inject much needed revenue into the Ministry of Education to improve the public education system. This system would eliminate many illegal teachers and criminal hogwans. Korea would be a much better place for parents, students and teachers.
My consulting fee for this system would be very reasonable and I would issue a receipt.
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Saturday, October 14, 2006
Archives January 2005 - Economy having an effect on English Teachers in Korea
Korea is still suffering through an economic downturn. The rich can still afford to send their kids to the better schools and camps. The recently un-employed, still not employed and the under-employed are living on credit cards and eliminating all excessive luxuries.
This means that all hogwans have less than usual enrollments so are firing Foreign teachers, cutting back foreign teachers hours, using NNS Korean teachers at less salary or using unqualified or even illegal teachers for the few students that they have. Many hogwans are not buying books, supplementary teaching materials, tapes, CD's, work books and other items expected by students and yet not supplied by the cost cutting businesses.
Parents should talk to the teachers to determine if they are going to get the English education that they are paying for. The real qualified teachers will usually answer directly and honestly about any shortcomings.
Potential teachers should get an opinion from the existing teachers at a hogwan to make sure they are not undercutting an existing teachers contract and the school is actually paying the agreed to contract terms.
The only good thing about a down turn is that more bad schools than good schools usually fail so that the selection improves overall. Korean parents deserve far better than they receive from the current selection of businesses offering English lessons.
I think the best way to eliminate a lot of the fraud in English Education is to make every English teacher NNS or native a self-employed professional that issues a tax deductible receipt to Korean students and parents and is able to teach anyone at school or in an office.
Original Post
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com
This means that all hogwans have less than usual enrollments so are firing Foreign teachers, cutting back foreign teachers hours, using NNS Korean teachers at less salary or using unqualified or even illegal teachers for the few students that they have. Many hogwans are not buying books, supplementary teaching materials, tapes, CD's, work books and other items expected by students and yet not supplied by the cost cutting businesses.
Parents should talk to the teachers to determine if they are going to get the English education that they are paying for. The real qualified teachers will usually answer directly and honestly about any shortcomings.
Potential teachers should get an opinion from the existing teachers at a hogwan to make sure they are not undercutting an existing teachers contract and the school is actually paying the agreed to contract terms.
The only good thing about a down turn is that more bad schools than good schools usually fail so that the selection improves overall. Korean parents deserve far better than they receive from the current selection of businesses offering English lessons.
I think the best way to eliminate a lot of the fraud in English Education is to make every English teacher NNS or native a self-employed professional that issues a tax deductible receipt to Korean students and parents and is able to teach anyone at school or in an office.
Original Post
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com
Archives January 2004 ESL in Canada Welcome
ESL in Canada Blog Archives January 2004
Welcome to the new ESL in Canada Blog
For ESL English Teachers and Students: ESL in Canada news, information, reports, opinions, observations, warnings, alerts, specials, events, gossip, explanations, memos, statements, lessons, lesson plans, diaries, announcements, recommendations, advice, stories and just plain talk.
We will use this blog to distribute the rapidly changing news that affects students. The world has become an increasingly complex environment with wars, terrorist activities, SARS, bird flu and changing economics. We can use this blog to report accurate and timely news to the students, parents, teachers, agents and schools that can be positively or negatively affected by changes.
Because this is a service to be used by all ages and a variety of geographic and social backgrounds, we ask that all participants to use grace and consideration when posting.
Thank you and welcome.
ESL in Canada
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ESL in Canada Blog URL
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/
Blog Feed
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Blog Disclaimer
This blog uses original and reprintable articles in whole or part. Posts can be edited for spelling, grammar, accuracy, fairness or to meet ever changing legal publishing standards. We post one link to indicate the original post or source. We rely on the accuracy of the sources. This blog is not responsible for errors or omissions or any liability for any posts or any real, imagined, fabricated, current, past or subsequent damages. For additional info: eslincanada (at) gmail (dot) -com-
Welcome to the new ESL in Canada Blog
For ESL English Teachers and Students: ESL in Canada news, information, reports, opinions, observations, warnings, alerts, specials, events, gossip, explanations, memos, statements, lessons, lesson plans, diaries, announcements, recommendations, advice, stories and just plain talk.
We will use this blog to distribute the rapidly changing news that affects students. The world has become an increasingly complex environment with wars, terrorist activities, SARS, bird flu and changing economics. We can use this blog to report accurate and timely news to the students, parents, teachers, agents and schools that can be positively or negatively affected by changes.
Because this is a service to be used by all ages and a variety of geographic and social backgrounds, we ask that all participants to use grace and consideration when posting.
Thank you and welcome.
ESL in Canada
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com
***********
ESL in Canada Blog URL
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/
Blog Feed
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Blog Disclaimer
This blog uses original and reprintable articles in whole or part. Posts can be edited for spelling, grammar, accuracy, fairness or to meet ever changing legal publishing standards. We post one link to indicate the original post or source. We rely on the accuracy of the sources. This blog is not responsible for errors or omissions or any liability for any posts or any real, imagined, fabricated, current, past or subsequent damages. For additional info: eslincanada (at) gmail (dot) -com-
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