Gyeonggi Schools to hire English-speaking workers

I think this may be a good news for Filipino workers in general. I’m just not confident it will be a good thing for Filipino English teachers. Gyeonggi-do is the province encircling the city of Seoul. Their education office is planning to hire Indian and Filipino English-speakers to work at the school cafeterias and stores to encourage students to use the language. I have seen job ads here targeting Filipino English-speakers for non-teaching jobs at private schools (hagwon). The salary being offered (600,000 won) is less than what a Filipino could earn in a factory.

“We will encourage schools to hire Indians and Filipinos for English zones and school stores to give students opportunities to use English during lunch and break times,’’ it said in a statement. It expects schools to hire them at relatively lower costs than native English speakers. About 50 schools in the province will initially test run the scheme.

Frankly, I don’t want to see Filipino English teachers working here as cafeteria or store sellers. I hope that government officials back home would not allow that to happen. I’d rather they promote the Philippines as a tourism/ESL destination for Korean students. It would be like hitting two birds with one stone. Sending Filipino teachers here to work at school cafeterias or stores is not that different from sending our licensed teachers to work in Hongkong as domestic helpers. The only difference is the setting. They still wouldn’t be able to practice their profession.

“Cheap doesn’t mean low quality. We have many high-quality English teachers in the Philippines,’’ said Jed Dayang, spokesman of the Philippine Embassy to Seoul.
A source from Indian embassy also said that Indians will not come to Korea to work at stores at schools, mentioning that there are many high-quality English teachers working in the U.S., Japan and China.

Read the full story here.

11 comments

  1. Hi 선생님. Your blog posts are very informative. They follow up on Korean issues, trivial and consequential alike. I can relate to them very much and they provide continuity for me who has been to Korea just for 10 months, where life has just began in the 6th month..kaya kapos ang stay ko. hehe. Anyhow, I’m grateful for your discipline in posting almost everyday. Also if you would be so kind, please link my blog (Everything Kimchi) to yours. Hope you’d consider. Mabuhay!

  2. i really hope that the Philippine government gets hold of this information and not let our English teachers serve as lowly servants once again in Korea. it’s just another way for Korea to take advantage of other coutries’ skill and use the same old racial discrimination in their game.

  3. Yes, this is insulting and a stupid idea. It implies that English-speaking Indians and Filipinos are somehow inferior to other English speakers. What the hell?
    And who ever engages in a conversation with the lunch lady?

  4. hi i really like your blog.. very informative… kudos!
    anyway, its just kinda sad that they are getting filipinos and indians, just to be “a food server” ( yah it may sound a lil bit harsh, but that is what they’re implying) at their schools where in fact a battalion of their nationality are actually going to the Philippines to learn English. I mean just because filipinos are not NATIVE speakers doesn’t mean they are not capable of Teaching, right?! well… i really hope someone from the government could look into this.. its just so disappointing.
    anyway… thanks for sharing this info…

  5. i taught koreans here in davao for the most stressful 6 months of my life. if not of the contract, i wouldn’t have lasted for a week! their superiority complex and terrible english almost had me die of mental torture.
    if they could act so proud and culturally-superior here in the phil, i just can’t imagine how they’d treat our countrymen there.
    i know there are also precious few who are good, but hey, aren’t they generalizing Filipinos mediocrity (if not idiocy) as well.
    anyway, as long as my assumptions aren’t still proven to be absolute, Filipinos will continue raving mad over korean novelas. hahayyy….

  6. Koreans are damned arrogant. They can go here in Philippines as long they want and learned English with cheap payment. But it is terrible to us Filipinos to go there in Korea because the way they looked to Filipinos are good only for “maid”. hahaay…mongoloid people why not go back to your own country Korea to learn English.For your information, USA is hiring filipino teachers in their country and how come korean do not hire filipinos? mmm…this is a sign of ignorance. Therefore, they are really “ugly users”….babosh!!

  7. WE SHOULD APPEAL TO PRES.GLORIA. LET HER BE THE ONE TO TALK TO TO PRES.LEE OF KOREA, I’M SURE PRES. LEE WILL LISTEN TO HER. PRES. GLORIA SHOULD ASK PRES. LEE TO BE FAIR WITH FILIPINOS BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY KOREAN COMING HERE TO STUDY ENGLISH. SHE SHOULD HELP FILIPINOS SOLVE THIS ISSUE.

  8. It’s really true that we are entitled of our own opinion. Others loathed over their bad experiences with the Koreans… I’ve been teaching Koreans here in our country since January (they come and go), but I’ve never experienced being mistreated by the kids (ages 10 to 16), In fact, I love teaching them…
    They’ve been asking me to go to Korea to teach because they said Filipino teachers are kinder, more compassionate and more understanding than any other races…
    Hope our Government and the Korean Government will do something about it (That Filipinos could teach in Korea not only Native English Speakers)
    Goodluck…

  9. December 5, 2008
    Flordeliz S. Cuyacot
    Kalubihan St. Cebu City
    Cebu 6000
    Dear Madam/Sir:
    I would like to apply as English Tutor in your broadcasting school. My learning and experiences in my Speech Improvement subject gave me enough knowledge and thorough learning experiences in order for me to be equipped and knowledgeable in such field or undertaking. I would be very glad to undergo training and orientation so that, I may be able to be worth of what I am applying for and prepared enough to what my job is going to be. (Enclosed with my resume)
    I am willing to have a personal interview with you at anytime in your most convenient time. You can reach me at this number 09095019009. In the interim, thanks for your time, attention and consideration in reading this matter.
    Sincerely yours
    Flordeliz S.Cuycot

  10. Part-Time Teaching Job in Busan
    I am looking for Filipino teachers, preferably
    those residing in Busan, who are interested
    in taking a part-time teaching job.
    Details:
    1. Evening class (group)
    2. total of 16 hours per month
    3. 500,000 per month
    Contact Person: Raquel Dery-Nam
    YUHAK TIMES, CO. LTD
    010-7239-1376

  11. Good Morning,
    Just want to ask if my mom can come here in korea to visit me she live in america for 10 years already/she want to visit me efore going to Philippines.Does she need to get a visa first?or need any documents to produce in coming here?How many months can she stay here in korea with me?can she extend her stay here if she wants too?Im a filipina still not a citizen married to a korean man for two years only.pls.need your reply thanks so much and take care
    God Bless you all bye
    thanks for reading and pls. answer my letter

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