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www.groovekorea.com / October 2014 42 Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com) COvER STORy t o teachers in Korea, last month’s report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that Korea has spent the most on private education among the member countries for 14 straight years would have come as no surprise. Its spending on overall education, the third highest in the OECD, was already noticeable at 7.6 percent of GDP in 2011, compared to the 6.1 percent average. But its private contribution, or the amount spent by individual families, sits at 2.8 percent, nearly triple the 0.9 percent average, the OECD said. Parents’ high demand fuels a 15 trillion won private industry, particularly on English, which they see as their children’s key to success. Meanwhile, public school English programs are being pared down. The consequence, education experts say, is that only the rich may be getting a better education, leading to better opportunities down the road and better career prospects. The education divide is wid- ening, and with it, the native English teacher’s job prospects are getting slimmer. “Ninety-five percent of the teaching jobs in Korea aren’t really good,” said a teacher in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. “I’m on my sixth year teaching in Korea and it all seems like a farce.” Eight years ago, plans for native English teacher–assisted education were ambitious. Government efforts to increase English com- munication in the classroom by hiring native English teachers hit a peak in the mid-2000s, when Korea dreamed of globalization and ex- port-driven riches. At the time of Groove Ko- rea’s founding, the public English program’s growth was explosive, and the national native English teacher head count grew by 200 to 500 percent per year from 2005 to 2009. But since then, those plans have been sub- ject to budgetary tugs-of-war with other local is tHE sKy tHE limit? In Korea, the CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test) is king. It brings mothers to crowded temples to pray for their children’s success, forces businesses to change work schedules, and even quiets the Korean stock market. In 2005, over 100 students from Gwangju paid nearly 1 million won each to have test answers sent to their phones. Those who do well go on to top universities and maximize their career opportunities, while those who don’t often go home ashamed to start preparing for next year’s test. Or worse, they may take their own lives. tHE tablEs HavE turnEd The Seoul Metropolitan Offce of Education cut 100 teachers before their contracts had started, challenging the belief that government teaching jobs are more reliable than private academies. Having already obtained visas, their preemptive termination prompted angry online responses from veteran instructors. SMOE’s overall indifference reminded teachers that while they are necessary in Korea, they are not always welcome. Schools complained about the maturity of the fresh teaching grads they’d hired, but as the number of positions increased along with the number of applicants, both sides had to adjust to make the relationship work. in drivE to Expand rural Efl, dEartH of support for tEacHErs To keep up with the growth of EFL education in urban centers, the Korean government scrambled to fll rural schools with native English teachers. However, less than desirable living conditions led to some teachers walking out on their contracts. The number of teachers who left a contract early doubled from 2008 to 2009, worrying offcials that their program lacked the pull to keep teachers long term — or even for their contracted year. Teachers pointed to social isolation and a lack of support from coworkers as the cause for them flying the coop, while media reports painted a picture of the teachers as unreliable. as tHE EnglisH dividE w idEns, tHE job marKEt tigHtEn s ‘i sEE tHE quality of EnglisH Education stagnating or going down, EspEcially for Kids in lowEr socioEconomic bacKgrounds. … tHE ElitEs will do oK. it’s tHE poor i worry about.’ cHucK HoHEnstiEn 11.2007 10.2009 11.2010