The Ups and Downs of Teaching in Korean Hagwons

When teaching in South Korea there are two main types of schools you can work at: public schools and private academies, better known as hagwons. Previous articles have talked about teaching for the EPIK program in Korea (public system), so in this article I'm going to look at the pros and cons of teaching in a private hagwon. These observations are based on personal experiences and what I’ve heard from fellow teachers.

Working hours:

Although both hagwons and public school teachers work similar hours (roughly 30 a week), hagwon teachers tend to work six hours a day in fast succession with breaks few and far between. This tight schedule can have you quickly feeling exhausted, but if you can keep up you'll find that most days tend to go by quickly.

Most hagwons open around 13:30 – 14:00 and close between 20:00 and 22:00. This schedule could be considered either a pro or a con. Starting work in the afternoon means that you'll able to stay out late, still manage to get enough sleep, and feel rejuvenated before work begins. If you're a morning person, however, and find yourself still waking up early, this option may leave you feeling exhausted.

By comparison, most public school teachers are finished by 16:00 - 17:00, but also have a much earlier start to their day.

Vacation time:

One of the biggest downfalls of teaching at a hagwon is the vacation time. Standard hagwon contracts will give their teachers only 10 days leave, 5 in the summer and 5 in the winter. It gets worse. The actually days of when you'll be able to go on vacation is not always up to you, and you sometimes have to wait and find out whether they will give you a full week off or split it over two weeks. For many hagwon teachers this is a sore point. Some teachers have been tricked out of their vacation days as directors take public holidays as part of their vacation time.

ProTip: Before signing a contract ensure that it states that you get 10 vacation days in addition to public holidays.

Public school teachers get much longer holidays as they are on leave whenever schools have vacation time (hagwons operate throughout the year). This generally allows them more flexibility and travel time.

Classes:

One of the great things about teaching in a hagwon is that your class sizes are small making the children more manageable. Furthermore, it is easier to have meaningful dialogue with children and identify learning issues. Hagwons generally have 3-10 kids per class whereas public schools are likely to have between 30-40 kids per class. In my opinion having a smaller class made for a happier day-to-day experience, however, I know many public school teachers that would disagree.

Unfortunately, behavior issues and how they are dealt with in hagwons can, at times, be problematic. Because hagwons are both businesses and schools they need to find the balance between keeping teachers and children happy. Regrettably, not all directors get it right. I have been very fortunate as my director takes charge and won’t tolerate bad behavior. More often than not, however, children in hagwons can do just about anything without any repercussions. This leaves many teachers feeling frustrated and undervalued.

Living and teaching South Korea

Protection:

Sadly, some hagwon teachers have less protection. Unless a teacher belongs to a chain hagwon (such as GnB) they are likely to have no-one they can turn to if issues arise. If, however, they do belong to a chain hagwon there is a head office that can be approached to sort out any disputes. Similarly, if a teacher works at a public school they can go to the education department/office which will help. However, this is not the case in smaller, family run and owned hagwons. If an issue arises teacher’s options are limited and at times non-existent making them open to abuse as things like airfare and bonus may be held to ransom.

The verdict:

So yes, like with most things there are advantages and disadvantages to teaching at hagwons. At the end of the day deciding whether a hagwon is better for you comes down to what your priorities are and why you are teaching in Korea. The shorter vacations that hagwons provide make for a great way to save money if you are paying off student loans or debts back home. However, they are burdensome if your main priority is to travel both within Korea and Asia as a whole. The hagwon environment also provides a very intimate environment where you are able to get know both your kids and co-teachers well. But, the lack of protection can be worrisome and the late hours tiresome. No matter where you decide to teach, it is a gamble because you never truly know what you are going to get. You just have to take the plunge and hope for the best!