Seoul Positive About Foreign Teachers Association
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Korea’s international education agency under the education ministry reacted positively to foreign English teachers’ move to form a representative association.
National Institute for International Education Development (NIIED) President Rhee Taek-soo, 55, said that the agency will have open-minded dialogue with the fledgling Association of Teachers of English in Korea (ATEK). Rhee sees vigorous communication with foreign teachers as key to the development of English education in Korea.
``We need open minds to communicate with foreign teachers who are from different cultures. The two groups (Koreans and foreigners) from different backgrounds have to create a new culture through communication,’’ Rhee said in an interview with The Korea Times.
``It is our mission to turn foreign nationals into fans of Korea, and we should remember they are diplomats (who will promote Korea back in their home countries). Hence, we will correct and develop our current system to collect voices of foreign teachers,’’ he added.
A group of native English teachers at public schools and private tutoring institutes are forming the association. It is a body representing the interests of foreign teachers but not a trade union. ATEK already formed a policy-setting committee and received applications from over 100 foreign English teachers.
Last Friday, ATEK asked the education agency to support its official establishment. Rhee said that NIIED will ``positively encourage’’ the establishment of the association if foreign teachers, through the community, can share their difficulties and seek better teaching methodologies for Korean students.
However, he made it clear that NIIED will have to observe the association before providing any support. He was not sure about how the agency could help them but said it will seek a ``win-win’’ strategy.
``There are many kinds of support, such as moral, financial and communication. We can not say anything about it right now, however, as we don’t yet know what kind of organization it will be,’’ the president said.
English Programs in Korea, or EPIK, which operates under NIIED, has managed a system that deals with foreign teachers at elementary and secondary schools since 1999. However, it has been unable to cover all native English speaking teachers due to manpower and budget shortages. More than 4,000 foreign nationals teach English in public schools and education authorities plan to increase their numbers.
Against this background, the government plans to introduce a nationwide management system for foreign English teachers from September.
``We have focused on recruiting as many native English teachers as possible. But we have to manage them well and I’ve already asked the education vice-minister for full support for the project,’’ Rhee said.