1st Teacher Employed at the College
- 2009-08-05
I originally posted this declaration on a different blog, and I feel that my message should now be added to this posting to reinforce the author's statement. As one of three instructors initially hired by Saekyung College in 2007, I can confirm everything that has been posted about this organization. In addition, I am sad to hear that my initial posting made in 2008 (The TEFL Blacklist) did not discourage other individuals from seeking employment at Saekyung College. In fact, my posting seriuosly jeapordized my court case with the college; but I felt that other people should be warned about this nightmare of an employment opportunity. So, here you go, as posted on September 16, 2008...
I am posting information about this college on the internet so as to warn any and all individuals interested in obtaining employment in Korea about Saekyung College and its corrupt business tactics.
The management system in place at this private college is manipulative and deceitful in regards to its day-to-day dealings with foreign English instructors.
Saekyung College is privately owned; however, it receives government backed grants from the people of Gangwon-do to stay afloat. Unfortunately, the college has misused its newly acquired grant money to actually refurbish its dilapidated facility without actually meeting the requirements and mandates set forth in the agreement made between Saekyung and the government of Gangwon-do.
In regards to foreign English instructors, Saekyung College has already hired and illegally dismissed two foreign instructors out of three employed during its first year of operation.
Contracts are not honored or respected, and working conditions change daily. The current management system in place has existed since July; and during its first year of operation, there was literally no management system in place for nine out of ten months.
Communication does not exist, as English is not spoken at the college...even in the Foreign Language Village and/or by Korean professors supposedly holding PhD's obtained outside of Korea. In other words, Saekyung College's Foreign Language Village is currently managed by a Director who cannot speak English. He claims that he was a professor of Economics in the United States; however, his spoken English is equivalent to that of a five-year old child's. Therefore, how could he have been a professor at prestigious universities in the United States of America? He couldn't have been, and he wasn't.
If you are interested in obtaining employment with this independent college, understand that you will be deceived into thinking that your employment status will be that of a college professor. However, you will be issued a work visa with the status of English instructor. You will not be regarded or treated as a professor at the college. You will simply be a native English-speaking conversation teacher.
In addition, the college will endeavor to make you create and design curriculum and reading material, despite the fact that a budget is in place for the acquisition of such material. If you visit the facility, you will instantly notice a large amount of reading materials and English-based learning products. However, none of the material is actually applicable to the learning environment with its intended goals (Business and Tourism English). Someone at the college simply purchased a packaged set of English products without actually analyzing the overall content of those materials.
When it comes to the payment of salaries and overtime worked, Saekyung College often pays late if not at all. Salaries are supposed to be paid via the budget allocated in a grant provided by the government, with contracted stipulations in mind. However, expect to not be paid for overtime worked. The college does not like to spend money, and expect to see a college in complete demise if you intend to visit the facility for further review.
My advice: avoid the corruption and deceit. Yeongwol is not hospitable towards foreigners, and Saekyung College simply lies to get what it needs...warm, white bodies in place to serve as maniquines on display for the government of Gangwon-do.
Finally, I worked there for almost one year and was unjustly dismissed in my tenth month of employment. This was done so as not to pay severance at the completion of my contract. In addition, I have had other potential applicants contact me in regards to a lack of information about this college on the internet. They have been lied to during the interview process, as Saekyung has claimed that no other foreigners have been employed at that location before. Visit the college's website. You will find white, western faces.
Distorted communication, lies, deceit, manipulated pay, non-payment for services rendered, and blackmail are all standard business tactics currently used by those in management at Saekyung College
Theo
- 2009-07-16
Here's a new and promising website that allows FTs to review Korean hagwons:
http://www.hagwon.reliableteacher.com/
I hope expats will contribute.
Dragonized
- 2009-07-15
I was thinking that someone should make an updated list of the "Hall of Shame" that Silverboy started, only this time it's entirely devoted to Korean schools. I'm starting to see more Korean schools being blacklisted on this forum. Someone should put these schools like MES English and this school together on a brand new list and show it in all of its glory (or lack thereof) to the world.
Theo
- 2009-07-15
Thanks a lot for taking the time to detail your terrible experience with Saekyung College/University -- and "high school." I appreciate the fact that some FTs are making an effort to post legitimate warnings about schools where they have met with bad experiences. Like China, Korea is loaded with ESL employment landmines (I worked in both countries).
Readers, take heed, and think about the foreigner that will possibly follow you into the same trap as you are liberated from such calamities.
This is a review of Saekyung College in Yeongwol County, Gangwondo, South Korea.
I would strongly advise all interested applicants to steer clear of this college/university. After nearly 9 months spent there, I can honestly say it is good to be out of that poorly managed, uncaring, misunderstanding and terrible excuse for a college and people who run this glorified high school.
The director will try to say that he will take care of you and will constantly re-inforce this notion. But, when it comes down to it, the director will follow the bidding of the college president who is deranged, illogical, irrationally, selfish and wont think twice about pulling some b.s. on you like triple your student load without giving you time to adjust or plan. The college only cares about making money. They dont care about their teachers, especially if youre foreign or the students. Even the college students hate the town and the college. Things will seem fine and peachy until you realize how many winter/summer camps you will have to do without any curriculum or co-teachers.
You will have to fight for every right you have on your contract and in the Korean Labor laws until you realize that at this college, contracts mean nothing. I am still owed 220,000 Won to this day, return flight was denied, no sort of severance even after pulling of 16 winter camps with 2 days notice of elementary to high school ages and various levels, you will be heavily coaxed into working overtime. The director was shocked when we first asked that we needed to be paid overtime when we worked past 5 pm. Even more ridiculous, this time around, he told us dont even bother asking for it!
The previous two directors before this one left early because this college was so ridiculous. During my time there, they went through 3 secretaries (none of them enjoyed their jobs) and the other two foreign teachers of Japanese and Chinese also left the English Language Village.
Location: Yeongwol County is the armpit or one of the armpits of Korea. The town offers nothing to a teacher. The restaurants are mediocre at best and youll need to travel at least an hour away to get a proper meal. The downtown smells of exhaust, cigarettes, sewage and the traffic is a particular mess. There are some foreigners around but youll have nothing to do but relate to the despair and solace in which you all wallow in. The apartments look as they belong in parts of New Orleans or Compton. You will find spit in the elevators as well!
Do yourself a favor, save the stress, anxiety, alienation, xenophobia and frustration. Dont be misguided by the 2.5 million salary tag, its not worth it. Head for the big cities Seoul, Busan, Daegu, where schools are modern, developed and using proper techniques. You cant trust recruiters either because most of the time, they will have never met the director or visited the school. I was baffled when I read the original TEFL Blacklist for this school and couldnt believe how ridiculous it sounded but reality set in and will set in for you.
There have also been problems like this with nearly every other past foreign teacher and I can refer you to some of them to verify these accounts.
Do your research and be very careful. Take care and remember, you can take the peasant out of the village but you cant take the village out of the peasant.