I am a New Zealander and I have had quite
a bad experience teaching English in Korea.And in
particular I would like to list Sejong Hogwon in Yang
Sun City 30 minets from Busan.At the start of {2001}
was lied to right from the beginning back in NZ.I was
told that I would get my own single private
apartment.Just before I went there,I was asked if I
would like to live at the directors apartment for two
weeks as a cultural experience.
Well the cultural experience turned into
three months during this time,I had to live with his
whole family,his mother his wife and his children.I
had no freedom privacy or individuality.During this
time I frequently asked him to provide the promised
apartment,which was also stipulated in my
contract.After all this he said that there was an
apartment.It was just down the road and he told me to
take a look at it, and tell him what I thought.
The apartment was an absolute dump.It
was a dirty little hut that had no bathroom no
furniture or anything in it.The toliet was was a small
shed about ten meters from the hut.It was a long drop
toliet which had no flush system.It was dirty filthy
and disgusting.So I told him my opinion about the hut
etc.After this he told me that he couldn't afford a
decent apartment and asked me if I could stay with his
fairly for the rest of the contract.
I told him that I could not do what he
wanted.After that I arranged a good cheap apartment
through some other English teachers that I knew in the
area.He did not agree to this.His excuse to me was
that it was to far from the school.But I found out
that he said that he did not want to invest that much
money in a teacher.So I quit that job but he would not
give me a letter of release until I paid him 500,000
won. I'm pretty sure it's illegal under Korean law to
charge for a letter of release.
The director there has no excuses as
his English is excellent.He spent five years in
Australia during that time he achieved a university
education.He understands the western cultural value
system of privacy, feedom and individuality very
well. But he couldn't care less about western people
and their culture. And in my case he just wanted me to
live with him and his family,so that he could
manipulate control and monitor me,as well as geting
free English lessons.On the outside he seems like a
very nice caring and considerate man.But on the inside
he is full of lies deviousness and dishonesty he
couldn't care about you or your cultural values or
making your stay in Korea a good experience.He only
sees you as a business proposition and his aim is to
save and make as much money as he can.
As far as my teaching experience at
the school is concerned. My time table was continually
changed and I was continually shunted into different
classrooms in the school.So I was unable to get into a
good teaching rythum or routine.I ended up sharing the
computer room with one of the Korean computer
teachers.I didn't like this as this room largely
consisted of glass doors and windows were everybody
could peer in.And often the other children would
disturb the classes which I found extreamly
frustrating and annoying.So be warned and beware do
not work at Sejong Hogwon,Yang San city thirty minets
from Busan.The director {owner} of the school is
nothing but a lier.
Last but not least I went through
an agent named sally kim formally of Gold Valley.She
said that if anything went wrong,that she would help
and that she was my friend. I went to her for help
during my time at the school.But she didn't help and
when I quit I asked her for to help me get another
job.Her excuses were that the company didn't help
anyone that didn't finish their contract.And that her
only responsibility was to introduce me to the
school.And her last excuse was that she wouldn't help
me because I had a British accent and the schools that
she recruited for wanted a teacher with an American or
Canadain accent.
Also she only gave the school a
two month guarantee on the recruiting fee.So she made
sure that if their were any problems she could just
take her money and run.All this amounted to the fact
that she washed her hands off me.I'm not sure who she
works for now or if she is still in the teacher
recuirting business.As the www.goldvalley.co.kr web
site doesn't seem to exist anymore.But I would like to
list her as well.
The reason I am telling you about
my experiences of the above school and recruiting
company is that recently.I was offered another job in
Yang San City and I told the experience to the
prospective school.She rang Sejong Hogwan and the
director told more lies about me.So I am not putting
up with these kind of lies any more.I'm going to put
this school on as many Internet blacklists as I can.
And I am going to register the school at all the
English speaking embassies and consulates in
Korea.Hope to hear from you soon.
Greatest Regards John Hill