Jon's Note: Both of these articles were originally in the Pusan Underground and posted here with the permission of both of the authors. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Hakwon" U. - By Laurie Notch, FORMERLY of PU The repercussions of "downsizing" are rippling throughout the Korean Peninsula. Laborers and managers alike are feeling the economic pangs inflicted by the new law which seriously challenges the old guarantee of lifetime employment. To cut costs, Korean firms can now eliminate valuable personnel without concern for the long-term effects on future productivity nor individuals' welfare. Sadly now, this attitude of quantity over quality is rearing its ugly head in the bastions of higher learning usually removed from the world's hubbub. Universities everywhere are now caught up in the throes of the country's economic turmoil. Their budgets are growing tighter due to limited funds and rising costs. Therefore, cutbacks are inevitable with the most peripheral employees the first to go to the chopping block - namely, the foreign professors. It used to be that university posts offered the best working and living conditions to qualified foreign teachers in Korea. Salaries were decent, benefits honored, and housing provided according to the terms of contract. One never heard the horror stories as commonly circulated about the infamous "hakwons" (private institutes) where foreign teachers were often abused, lied to, and cheated out of money and benefits. In fact, university jobs were the "plums" in the foreign teachers' employment pudding, where not only were the contracts sound but the foreign teachers held real professorial status. But no more. Now, many universities are reducing the salaries, benefits, and status of their foreign instructors. Case in point, one large national university recently revised its contract for its English language teachers whereby salaries would no longer be guaranteed but paid "piecemeal" according to the number of hours the teacher actually taught. This means the teacher's income totally depends on whether or not classes convene. There will be no sick pay. What's worse, many classes at university regularly get canceled due to student club activities, intramural sports events, festivals, and even student demonstrations. The teacher could wind up going days and perhaps even weeks without pay. Benefits such as health insurance, housing, and severance pay have further been eliminated in the new 5-month (not 1 year) contract (meaning no paid breaks). That raises the bothersome question about visa issuance and Immigration concerns. But by far the worst slap in the face for the foreign professors employed there is the reduction in title to that of "lecturer," which in turn means they will no longer be granted support for research, new projects and conferences -- the very "raison d'etre" of being an academe and the very means by which a university builds its reputation. Bottom line, it's the school's reputation that's at stake here. The tragic result of this downgrading is that the quality of students' education is seriously at risk, and when the quality of education goes down because the program is substandard due to the lack of qualified educators, then the school will never be ranked at the top. It's ridiculous for these universities who are implementing contracts with reduced terms ever to expect to hire foreign instructors who have the certification and experience necessary for providing quality education for Korea's best and brightest. What qualified teacher with a master's or doctoral degree in English, TESOL or any other desirable field would ever accept working under such poor terms with no set income and no status in the academic arena? Who among professional experienced teachers would even want to represent such institutions of higher learning at international conferences when the only status they'll have will be that akin to "hakwon" teacher? In fact, that's exactly the level of quality the universities entertaining the idea of switching over to the reduced contract terms can expect in future - foreign instructors who have little or no experience, no background, and ergo, no clue about what quality instruction is all about. Eventually, the school's reputation will simply go down the drain and with it, the professional prospects of its students. Koreans all know how valuable subjects such as English are for meeting today's demands of globalization. Korean students are well aware that if they don't get good training in English usage, they will have a hard time competing for good jobs, good schools abroad, and good opportunities in the global market. Many firms recruit only those college graduates who have sound English language ability, knowing that their skills will prove beneficial in international operations. So, what self-respecting company will ever want to hire any student graduating from an establishment whose lowered English standards (because of poor quality instructors) make it seem like they attended " 'Hakwon' U."? Moreover, how can these students ever hope to gain admission to a foreign university when their TOEFL and GRE scores start dropping and their conversation ability remains at middle-school level? Is that the future Koreans want for their college graduates? Then there are the budgetary concerns and the need to lower spending. The demand for more foreign teachers means more expenditure for housing, insurance, and other benefits. Legitimate arguments all. However, when one learns that these same universities, fretting over the fiscal realties of a changing economy, don't think twice about spending billions of won for TV commercials and building impressive new offices on campus, one can't help but ask, "What are the priorities here? A nice new facade or quality education?" Don't they realize that once the quality instruction goes, so goes the level of education, and so go the students -- to other schools? The recognition by the international community that many Korean universities are striving for is beginning to look quite unachievable. Gullible Troubles Ed. note This letter was written by the other victim of this tragedy. He wrote it through the eyes of a student affected by the lunacy. - By Peter Ackroyd, FORMERLY of PU Here I am in paradise! This place is fantastic! If this is what the university has to spend on fancy buildings, landscaping, advertisements and TV promotions, just think how good the teaching will be. I'm so grateful to my family for saving so hard for so many years to send me here. It will be money well spent, I promise! I've decided to major in English. I can support the internationalisation of my country and pay back my parents for working two jobs to pay my tuition here. I shall be a good citizen and son. Now my first lesson with my university English native speaker is starting. They must have spent so much to get her here. She's blond, blue eyed, I could look at her for ever. Thank you, parents for sending me here. I'm in a crowd with sixty other students, all enjoying the view. She starts speaking; we can't understand a word - she seems to be blurring a lot of sounds together - but she's so nice to watch! Never mind. Now she's talking to the whiteboard, and writing stuff I learned at middle school. Never mind, this sight is better than TV. Now my friends at the front pass the word to me that she's telling us to discuss Korean education. What's the right answer? What does she want to hear? Better keep quiet and hope she doesn't see me. With so many students, it's easy to hide. Never mind. At least my Korean English professors seem so much easier to learn from. I can understand their explanations. They like the new native speaker a lot, make jokes about her and feel very superior. What?s a "good time girl"? Never mind. It's two weeks later and I still can't understand a word from my beautiful teacher. I'm such a bad student - it's all my fault; so I shall save up and go to a private language school. I will not fail my family. I'm OK with two bowls of noodles a day. Never mind. Wow! I'm lucky! My hakwon teacher is the same lovely lady from my university class. Now I understand why she is called a part time instructor. She's very nice - now I can understand her a little because the class had only fifteen students, and after two weeks it was down to four. Now I can learn much more. She has many boyfriends and is very friendly with me. Maybe that's why she has a special degree called "associate". Now I understand what a "good time girl" is. I had a very good time! She studied a very special major science called "domestic". She must be very clever! Strange! She has so much trouble with my TOEIC and TOEFL questions; her grammar and spelling are different from the books I studied... This is her first job. Never mind. I volunteered at the American USO to improve my English, and visited my boss. I said "Hi Smith! I wanna see yer!" Why did his eyes become hard? I was copying my teacher very carefully? Why do all the others avoid me? I worked very hard at my English. I must study harder. Never mind. I graduated with top marks in all my tests! The foreign instructor just gave us a multiple choice test. I did OK! Those 20 hour study days have given me my reward. My TOEIC and TOEFL scores were great. They got me a job! The years of stress, my lost loves and friendships, my stomach holes, my ruined eyes, my parents? medical and school expenses, they've all been worthwhile. This is my first day, and we are going to a business meeting. Now I'll show everyone how fast I can speak English. Promotion, here I come. The Chinese interpreter looks unhappy. What's the matter? Hasn't he heard English before? What the hell is he saying? I give up! I'll just smile, nod and pretend to understand. Never mind. My boss does not look pleased. Parents, please forgive me, I was such a poor student. Author's Note: Some universities are replacing full time native speaker professors with hourly paid part time instructors. Never mind!