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Smell the Fear!
An article in the Korea Times today reveals that government is revising regulations on E2 visas to allow foreigners more control over where they work. See thread on Dave’s Cafe as well.
Under current rules, E-2 visa holders sign contracts with hagwon owners on a one-year basis and are required to work at least nine months at a maximum of only two locations.
The immigration authorities told the association on April 16 that it will let E-2 visa holders transfer to other working places after a month and allow them to work at more than two locations. The planned relaxation of the rules is aimed at maximizing the convenience for foreign English teachers, according to the KIS. Hagwon owners, however, are worried that this will lead to a high job turnover rate and jack up wages.
a real market for E2 holders because it will lead to wage competition and demands for better conditions for E2 holders.The people in the Korea Association of Foreign Language Academies (KAFLA) must be scared of the idea of a real market for E2 holders because it will lead to wage competition and demands for better conditions for E2 holders. The hakwon owners who have gotten away with shoddy treatment of teachers who couldn’t get letters of release will suffer the most. With any luck, it will threaten some businesses.
You can smell the fear in their response, complaining about the government allowing in teachers with lower qualifications (was this a problem for certain hakwon owners in the past?) and threatening not to deal with any foreign teachers association that gets started.
Some quotes for your amusement:
The Korea Association of Foreign Language Academies (KAFLA) complained that the government was ``recklessly’’ opening the door to foreigners without building any safeguard against unqualified teachers. The association has about 7,000 members.
``The government is under the illusion that an unlimited number of English teachers exists overseas,’’ said Seo Jung-sook, information director of the association. ``Inviting more foreign teachers will eventually degrade the average quality of instructors and drive up costs for us.’’
More teachers will drive up costs? What economic theory are they following? Oh, more teachers with freedom over their labor will drive up costs. That’s true.
As for the incoming association for native English-speaking instructors, the owners said they will take all measures against them.
``I don’t think the association will truly represent foreign English teachers, so we don’t see any point in talking with it, even if it is established,’’ Choi said. KAFLA said it will take all measures possible to prevent foreign teachers from forming the representative body.
And Tangun help us if they get organized!!
I don’t think the government should be letting in unqualified teachers. I agree with a bunch of the new restrictions in terms of raising quality. But I believe that the qualified teachers who do come should have more control over their lives and labor. In this sense, these reforms are good. If they force hakwons to reconsider their treatment of their employees, all the better.
I’m sure that the hakwon owners will come up with responses that include contractual clauses surrounding housing and/or airfare to make up for this. If it’s legal, I’m okay with that. That’s how real markets work. Caveat emptor on both sides.
What is really interesting in that this news was given to KAFLA a month ago, but this is the first I’ve heard of it. Time to prepare a response? If this is the best they can do, they’re in trouble.
Woland inscribed these words of wisdom on Tuesday May 20, 2008 at 02:31 PM
ESL_in_the_News | Guest Author |
Sean. wrote 444 words on Tuesday May 20, 2008 at 04:14 PM
I am very pleased to read this article, though it is interesting to note that the focus is on Hagwon owners feelings with the real news buried in the second half. It seems as if the article was written for a Korean language daily and then translated to English without considering the target reader.
This change to visa regulations seems to put it more on par with the Japanese system. Any readers in Japan care to confirm the similarities? By giving teachers the freedom to move from job to job without needing permission from their current employer this should result in better conditions and treatment for all English teachers.
Currently teachers can only change jobs before their contract finishes with permission of their employer. This results in a situation where the often unscrupulous hagwon owner treats the foreign instructor like property rather than a real human being.
I’m sure that what the owners are really concerned about here is that they will no longer be able to control their teachers and withhold pay with no consequences. Now teachers will be able to walk out and get a job with an employer that treats them well, pays them on time and honors the contract.
Yes wages will go up initially as they should. But wages will not go up astronomically as a free market will decide what parents decide they can afford to pay which will in effect limit the amount that hagwons will be able to pay instructors.
Owners will be able to control turn over rate by treating teachers like human beings and paying on time. The only hagwons that need to worry are the ones that operate without ethics and treat their employees poorly. Additionally rural areas will suffer under the increased cost, but there is nothing that can be done to stop that.
Overall I feel that this is a move in the right direction that will hopefully result in better market for teachers as well as students. This is a move long overdue and will benefit all except the shady hagwon owners.
One question remains, and that is when do these regulations take effect. Hopefully there will be a reliable source for info on that available soon.
Brian Dean wrote 46 words on Thursday Jul 10, 2008 at 08:08 AM
You think that hogwans fire people for petty reasons now, just wait until this new law goes into effect.
It’s rather amusing that the hogwan owners are worried about high turnover rates. Pretty much most hogwans that I am aware of, have a high turnover rate.