By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

The government’s plan to field ethnic Korean and foreign university students in the country’s rural elementary schools as English teachers has been given the green light.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology recently launched the ``Teach Learn in Korea (TaLK) program’’ and the scheme drew positive reaction from students in foreign countries. In contrast to initial concerns that the program might draw a lukewarm response from potential applicants, interest was high.

The ministry has stopped accepting applications and announced Tuesday that a total of 836 people applied for the program. Approximately 400 will be selected for English teaching positions at elementary schools in rural areas. Among the applicants, some 73 percent are ethnic Koreans.

The largest group of applicants was from the U.S. with 588, followed by Canada with 145, Australia with 40 and the U.K with 17. Regarding age, 679 were younger than 25, while 103 were aged between 26 and 30 and the rest older than 30.

The ministry will announce the successful candidates next month. They will attend a four-week training session from August before being sent to schools in September.

The TaLK program aims to provide children at relatively underprivileged schools the opportunity to learn English. TaLK program participants will be named ``President's Scholars,’’ and receive benefits such as round-trip airfare and allowances of about 1.5 million won ($ 1,500) per month, as well as a monthly accommodation allowance of 400,000 won.

The government plans this month to ease the qualifications needed by native speakers to teach English. Instead of having to have graduated from university, teacher assistants will now only be required to have completed one year of their university course.

However, hagwon have to stick to current regulations. The discrepancies in English teaching positions for foreigners are expected to attract complaints from hagwon owners.

kswho@koreatimes.co.kr