More Koreans to teach English classes and Budget Cut puts Foreign English Teachers at Risk?

An article says that the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will gradually increase the number of Korean teachers in English conversation classes at public schools while gradually reducing the number of native foreigners.

This is part of a five-year plan designed to "rationalize" English education in public schools for greater effectiveness.
Son Woong, Director of Education Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said “We plan to increase the number of Korean teachers who are qualified in TEE (Teaching English in English). We will continue to boost programs to train more Korean teachers to conduct classes in English. Their
expertise will be as good as those of foreign natives..."
Son said the education office will additionally recruit 95 teachers for middle schools and 553 more for high schools by 2014. However, the education office was not specific about the reduction in the number of foreign English teachers.



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By Yun Suh-young (ysy@koreatimes.co.kr) 

More Korean teachers for English classes

Another article mentioned that the Gyeonggi Provincial Council will cut the budget as part of long-term plans to eventually reduce the number of foreign teachers and replace them with Koreans. According to the article this sudden and drastic budget cut will force more than 800 (819 to be exact) foreign English teachers out of their jobs at schools in Gyeonggi Province in the second half of the year. 

Out of the 1,119 foreign English teachers in elementary, middle and high schools who receive their salary from the education office, 300 have already been laid off.

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By Na Jeong-ju, Yun Suh-young (jj@koreatimes.co.krysy@koreatimes.co.kr)

Budget cut puts foreign English teachers’ jobs at risk in Gyeonggi

Photos taken from
http://www.reachtoteachrecruiting.com/Teach-English-in-Korea.html
http://www.workingabroadmagazine.com/teach-abroad/teaching-english-south-korea/