Korean Black List

Feb 19, 2026, 1:38PM

I experienced a bait and switch type of leadership at Klai Pyeongtaek. Bait and switch was implemented frequently in regards to how my contract and related matters were handled; so anything that was agreed to, was rarely honored from the academy for the contract.

•Do not tell Klai Pyeongtaek management why you quit your job or why you did not continue another contract with your previous employer!!! What they asked me in details of why I discontinued working with my previous employer, Klai Pyeongtaek did exactly the same to me even though they said they wouldn't do it.

•E2's who pay pension I STRONGLY recommend you find a different company to work at, and if you decide to work at Klai in Pyeongtaek, clarify everything you need in the first contract. If they say meal allowance, tell them to add 200,000won to the salary in the contract so that your based salary matches the advertised salaries.

Here are the cons of working at Klai Pyeongtaek in my experience:

* management sends work related messages during non-working hours and expects you to reply (even at midnight).

* I did not like that Klai Pyeongtaek did the exact same things in regards to not following the contract.

* I did not like that Klai Pyeongtaek management didn't care about these matters after the contract was signed because it was confusing for me why they did the opposite of what was agreed to. I felt completely betrayed, but also management knew that this was not okay with me.

* I did not enjoy Klai Pyeongtaek management asking for additional work tasks that were not advertised, being required as an E2 to collarborate with F-visa instructors to create curriculum for the whole English department but also for the academy to keep for future use, needing to level test during 10 minute breaks in between classes when originally advertised those were personal breaks, and being asked to think of food ideas to cook or make with the students for an activity as an E2.

* I did not enjoy Klai Pyeongtaek management backtracking on nearly every agreement we resolved, and then management doing the opposite of what was supposed to be done.

* Management told me to just say my feelings when I need to to management. For the additional tasks that were not advertised, we renegotiated the contract hours and I asked for the amendment to be given to immigration; management said an immigration appointment would be set by them so that the amendment of the contract would be approved, I would be notified, and then WE would go together. I did not enjoy that the contract amendment was never made, and that we didn't go to immigration.

* I did not enjoy being asked to level test during my contracted break time; when I explained it was my break time, Klai management laughed in my face, and I didn't enjoy that; one of things about the level test is that since we agreed to adjust my working hours, I would level test only on Fridays since it is an easy work day and there are no classes with textbooks; management told me at that moment that the whole schedule was changing, and that I would have a class on Fridays at 1pm instead of my break. So management told me the new class times for March: Monday to Thursday schedule new (break times same),new Friday schedule, and that I could leave work an hour early. Basically, what was the foundation of the advertisement for me signing the contract did not exist anymore, so management told me to think about it and get back to them. I did not enjoy this. Klai management asked me to get back to them about what I thought.

* I did not enjoy how much lower my take home salary was due to a fake meal allowance being added to my salary without consent; I considered how much more grading work I would have to complete since Friday would be the Mon-Th textbooks, and I offered the academy a schedule I felt reflected the extra work, as well as how much the meal allowance was lowering my monthly salary I was receiving. I explained in detailed; instead, management got angry and texted late into the night.

Thu, Feb 19, 3:39PM

It was tolerable between 2024-03/205. The new xxxxxxx came, and things became toxic instantly.

1. We were forced to work during our lunch time and play with kids after that(lunch is 50 min, not 60 min, and there is no time to rest).

2. Micro-managed, peeked through windows, and spied through CCTV.

3. You have to clean classes, restrooms (clean sh**), discard wasted tissues, clean corridors, and windows.

4. Help Home Room teachers in their jobs, but they don't help you.

5. Long working hours with no time to prepare, and they tell you to stay behind after your knock-off time if you want to prepare.

6. No one cares about English teachers; you are on your own! They don't value English teachers, especially with that skin color.

7. Very poor communication, and no one knows English properly! So, you can't speak to them!

8. You decorate for events, birthdays, barth kids on some special days, dress them up, teach PE, science, take kids' pictures, and send them to KidsNote.

9. In the morning, you play with kids even though they don't want to play with you, chase them around!!!

10. If you are mentally, physically, or emotionally weak, this is not your place.

11. If bathrooms are blocked, they check CCTV to findout who blocked them! (dehumanising)

12. All English teachers are leaving at the end of February 2026, I repeat, all of them are leaving! In March 2026, they will hire new teachers because the environment is toxic!!!

12. Make sure the severance and flight ticket are stated clearly in your contract, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx !!

Sun, Feb 15, 1:42AM

the kids at this school are some of the most amazing children i've ever met, so much so that the morning I decided to quit, I went into school to say goodbye to them so they wouldnt be toooo sad.

However, the issues are with the management. Be prepared for no training whatsoever, you gotta figure everything out on your own. my first week at the school the staff atmosphere felt unusually tense. Not unfriendly, just very drained. imo both foreign and Korean teachers rarely seemed relaxed and the overall environment felt heavy compared to other places I've worked in.

When I arrived the schedule consisted of continuous classes. 9 classes a day with no breaks inbetween. This alone is inhumane. When one class ended, in that same minute the next would begin.

Outside teaching time, teachers are expected to supervise homeroom first thing in the morning, monitor students between class transitions, supervise lunch while students completed English diary work, handle pack-up, attend assembly or circle time, and then continue with afternoon elementary classes. The workday ran into the evening and there was no unscheduled time during the day.

You will work from 9am to 6pm or 10am to 7pm without any breaks and If you are found to be taking a break, another task would usually be assigned immediately.

They monitor constantly. Staff walking past rooms checking what you're doing, CCTV everywhere, and if you look idle someone will magically appear with work for you to do. Meanwhile a lot of Korean staff sit at computers all day and teach a max of 5 classes a week while foreign teachers supervise children all day. The imbalance is obvious.

They will teach 5 classes a week and you will teach 9 classes a DAY, the push all the work onto the foreign teachers while they lounge around monitoring you.

When I raised these concerns, I was told a break was a benefit. Only after I repeatedly pushed back did they reduce the amount of classes foreign teachers taught (8 a day which is still insane) and later they added lunch breaks for foreign teachers, which showed the schedule could always have been adjusted.

The school is also extremely disorganised. Events, birthday celebrations and graduation practices felt improvised every time. Staff running around trying to figure out what's happening while it's already happening. I often questioned how long the school had been open for? They run the school like they're working through start up kinks. The lack of direction is outstanding.

Whenever I brought up problems about the contract or how things were being handled, the conversation kept getting turned into "you don't like teaching". That was never the issue. I liked teaching and the kids were the best part of the job. The actual concerns just never really got addressed and the focus kept getting shifted onto my attitude instead of them taking accountability.

Management micromanages like crazy and communicates by shouting. Conversations go in circles because they contradict themselves constantly and don't actually listen, they listen to respond. During discussions I was called "difficult" for pointing out problems. Only after I left did management try and give me a half assed apology.

There was also a recruiter issue at the start. I was told to tell my recruiter I never came to Korea so the school wouldn't have to pay the recruiter fee. Because of that the recruiter contacted me constantly for weeks thinking I disappeared, putting me in the middle of a payment dispute between the school and the recruiter.

If you want more details feel free to DM me and I can explain what I experienced and what questions I would recommend asking before signing.

Wed, Feb 11, 5:57PM

Known by the mom blogs as a homework check academy. Despite making changes to the curriculum to improve this, it is still a homework check academy. Teacher workload is heavy with administrative tasks. Personalized daily comments for every student and each class. Progress reports are made twice a semester for every student based on around 8 performance criteria. Sometimes you've seen a student 3 times, but it doesn't matter, full page report.

Your workload will slowly increase the longer you spend here. Essays are produced at breakneck speak and need detailed feedback at all 3 stages of writing. Weekly vocabulary tests must be graded BEFORE end of class, so students who failed can be publicly shamed, along with a written comment & mark on the tracker about the aforementioned failure. If a teacher is perceived as having nothing to do, staff will create a task for them. If you have a bad relationship with staff, more of these nebulous tasks will be assigned to you. I know multiple teachers who worked full work days with no break time beyond the 5-10 minutes between classes. Despite having no time in the schedule to eat, you will be questioned if you bring food into your classroom while students are present.

Previously there was a week off between semesters, then there were a couple days between semesters, and now there is no time between semesters. Nothing will be done about this because taking 2 days off would mean less days the academy can make a profit from. Staff will coerce you into coming in even if you are sick, especially if another staff member called in sick first. No subs, so other teachers must pick up their slack and teach the lesson. Often, this means giving up your only break time during the day to cover for teachers.

Major events/tests are highly micromanaged but never planned in advance. The staff must always be right and always have the last word. You will be treated like a child with multiple reminder messages and extremely detailed instructions for simple tasks. You must act in exact specified ways or receive patronizing messages while being monitored via CCTV.

R&D team at the Bundang location are also overworked and underpaid, so the curriculum is riddled with mistakes, bad questions, and nonsense plans.

There's a newish rotating-day-off system to solve the problem of giving teachers enough vacation days. This is used with clear bias (imo) and the unreliable nature makes it impossible to plan trips or make appointments (many teachers are told day before or day of).

Some more rapid fire issues to know:

Bonuses are political, with a strong and obvious bias

Intensives pay info NOT shared in advance (and deductions for absent students)

Passive aggressive treatment from many non-NET staff members

Treating NETs like children who can't be responsible or trusted

Constant monitoring of CCTV

Delayed contract resigning/negotiations. Many teachers wait days or weeks to receive their new contract.

Will publicly call out teachers for small mistakes in GCs and meetings

2 bathroom stalls for entire floor w/ no hot water!

No sick days and absolutely no personal days

Work on red days, vacation days are pre-selected by the academy.

Arbitrary weekly schedule that sometimes starts on Wed., Thurs., or Fri.

There are other problems that cannot be enumerated for the sake of brevity and to follow the guidelines of this community. It's a shame because most of the problems are because of one person who cannot be identified here.

TL;DR: It's a classic hagwon that only cares about profitability over teacher comfort and student learning. Will never make a decision that benefits the teachers. Relationships with staff members can deteriorate at the drop of a hat and will make working conditions much worse until you inevitably burn out and follow the lead of most of their NETs and leave this place after 1-2 years.

Thu, Feb 5, 2:54PM

Worst management. Your "one hour break" is split into 20 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes lunch, and a random 10 minutes most teachers don't use or can't use until after 5:30. Your classes also begin when your breaks end which means you don't get the full time. Schedules are horrible- be prepared to either lose your one prep time a day because management forgot to schedule a teacher for a class or randomly be double-booked for the same class with someone. Schedules change often multiple times per day and the amount of marking and prep to do is insane, especially as a homeroom teacher. Workload is insane and I've often got paid the wrong amount for my paychecks. AVOID.

Fri, Jan 30, 12:50PM

RUN!!! I would strongly advise teachers to avoid this academy.

The gap between the advertising and the real working conditions is huge. It is marketed as supportive and foreign-run, but in practice it operates like a high-pressure hagwon with rigid control, poor communication, and constant expectation shifts.

The workload is far beyond what is presented during hiring. Extra duties, planning, and admin requirements stack up quickly, with little structure and no realistic limits. Promised support and fairness are mostly talk, not practice. Teacher concerns are brushed aside and nothing meaningfully improves.

Policies change, expectations move, and staff are expected to absorb the impact without question. The environment feels impersonal and disposable, with teachers treated like schedule fillers rather than professionals.

There are many better options. Save yourself the stress and choose somewhere else.

Tue, Jan 27, 12:33PM

So there have been many previous entries about this academy and it's branches. I worked there briefly and I can say in the short period that I was there that everything wrong that people have mentioned is true. I ran before things got worse, but the fact that the issues were apparent in such a short time certainly says a lot.

To reiterate: little to no admin time, the break room is barely a room (unless it's changed since then), you have to be active in replying to messages both from management and parents, you have to grade everything on the fly before the kids go home (including full stories and essays), you have to sub if a teacher is gone so you have even LESS time to do admin, unrealistic expectations from management regarding how to do all the above in such little time.

Teachers are worked like dogs and are constantly monitored/micromanaged.

No one should ever work at this place unless they like suffering.

Jan 21, 2026, 8:36AM

The Vibe The Hunger Games Capitol rebranded as a hagwon, with management operating in permanent SWAT mode.

Constant Phone Calls After Hours (Including Late Nights and Weekends)

YSO will not leave teachers alone. As if the Kakao chats weren't hellish enough (This place lives for a nighttime "crisis" to keep staff on edge!), the phone calls do not stop coming! If a teacher doesn't answer the phone, more staff can call them, putting lots of pressure on them.

All the Managers

Here's a manager, there's a manager! This makes for a very bloated middle management with lots of nitpicking and power plays. Teachers don't know what's going on because they are all told different things.

Teachers Are Always Under the Microscope

It's yoga and one student isn't doing his downward dog as gracefully as the girl next to him. Can't you see? That's awful. What kind of educator does that? Another little girl's mat isn't perfectly straight. That's a problem.

When grading books: a student made more of an oval *right over there* instead of a circle. The book explicitly says the child must draw 15 CIRCLES. But a teacher gave 15 checkmarks. That means they approved of an imperfection. Oh no!

During "classroom inspections," an admin can enter a teacher's room solely to find fault. That percentage score paper a teacher hung? Admin claims it's slightly crooked. Reprimand incoming!

The rules are arbitrary and inconsistently applied. Each day, teachers can be critiqued for dozens of miniscule whatevers that management loves to blow out of proportion.

Bully Culture

In most normal dumpster fire hagwons, directors see you as a cash cow. Just smile and make them money. Here, that's not enough. The Director derives pleasure from creating problems where none exist. Chaos is entertainment. Public shaming is the preferred delivery method. Victims and crises are chosen on a whim. This sets the tone for the entire school. Middle Management is terrified of this miserable little soul.

Revolving Door

KTs are treated terribly here and can't be kept. KTs will develop "health issues" and quit. The good ones always leave. The ones who stay tend to be aggressive and rude. Because of the revolving door, teachers may often be alone in your classroom, expected to handle everything all by themselves.

The Books

At YSO, teachers will go from being a typical hagwon babysitter to a drill sergeant overnight.

These books are a teacher's entire life.

Management storms in for "book checks" like a SWAT team. Teachers are expected to walk around with an eraser and eliminate every minor imperfection. Every single item must have a perfect-looking checkmark.

Did a teacher grade a child's gobbledygook with a heart in crayon on a "miscellaneous fun doodle page"? That could be a talk (unpaid) after hours.

Teachers must perfectly evaluate every letter, shape, font size, spelling, and punctuation. Mistakes are erased (by the teacher) until perfection is achieved. Does a teacher have a dozen kindy kids, 20 minutes remaining, and three workbook pages left to complete? Good luck!

Everything Is a Broadway Production

Everyone is so stressed from The Director's passive aggressive emotional spells that the whole school feels like a pressure cooker.

Teachers can expect nonsense like being interrupted during precious class time if a random hair clip is found on the floor. Management will barge in and stop instruction for a good 15 minutes to locate its rightful owner.

Because of xxxxx, middle management feels the heat. This also makes middle management very emotional. Expect virtually anything to be filtered through them as if the sky is falling.

No one seems to know what's actually a priority and no one remembers that this is…a kindergarten.

Kids With Issues/ No Behavioral Plan

YSO is known for accepting children incompatible with regular classrooms because more kids = more money. They love taking child castoffs from nearby hagwons with standards.

One severely disruptive child can destroy the entire class dynamic. Mommies will rally to protect their kids from one child's behavior. Who wants to deal extreme scary behavior?

Even so, xxxxxx does not care. Teachers, KTs, and even front desk staff are regularly overwhelmed. Some teachers abandon their classes entirely and storm off into the bathroom to cry because they just can't take it anymore. Teachers are pushed to the point of collapse.

Percentages

Monthly student assessments are publicly posted and used to make teachers compete against each other. Did a teacher get a 97% last month and a 96% this month? One teacher's might be in red, which is a signature Director move. Does a teacher have children with disabilities or serious behavioral issues? No grace. No exceptions. It especially sucks for teachers that are stuck with the "castoff kids". They work so hard and it isn't their fault.

Spreadsheet Nonsense / Endless Assessments

In addition to teaching, checking your Kakao group chat every five minutes to see what mood The Director is in, smiling and nodding, daily assessments, progress reports, weekly reports, teachers are expected to complete CALCULATORS (detailed excel sheets for each and every class). When? Unpaid overtime!

It's All About Tech… But Where's the Tech?

Copiers and printers are almost always in use. Files are constantly moved or renamed without notice. Lots of weird acronyms that make management feel that the school is more important than it is. Systems are down. Lots of things aren't working when teachers need it. Most of the staff have no idea how to troubleshoot it. Teachers lose massive chunks of class time just trying to function. It's hard to teach the lesson when you don't have the materials needed.

Five Minute Breaks / Bathroom Policing

A teacher's "five minute break" includes taking students down. Then, they're expected to give little daily tests to the next batch of kids. Teachers can get reprimanded for using the bathroom during class time. There seems to be a very limited understanding that teachers are actually human beings.

Paying Out of Pocket / Fishy Pay

Some teachers have had to pay over 100,000 won out of pocket because the school failed to pay their health insurance. They were never reimbursed.

Still Demanding Money Long After You're Gone

Some teachers have received ominous messages months after finishing their contract, demanding they pay several hundred thousand won, accompanied only by a screenshot of unexplained numbers.

Jan 16, 2026, 9:35AM

Twinkle Mokdong is one of the most hellish academies I have ever worked at in Korea. It is absolutely nightmarish. Prepare to be micromanaged, watched, gaslit the entire step of the way. This place runs on snitch culture and the sheep who stay loyal to administration are able to get away with a lot while everyone else is under a microscope. This particular location does a great deal of work on these blacklists to do damage control. They stalk these pages and try to make it seem like each location is different, but they are all the same.

The expectations of the teachers are so high with the paragraph long comments that are expected to go out daily and all the grading. First of all, some of the students are so poorly behaved and the administration only makes empty gestures to try to get the students under control. The standard of acceptance does not match the rigor of the coursework which will make your job as a teacher hellish.

Not to mention they keep accepting kids with no standard when there aren't even enough classrooms for everyone. The quality of most classrooms is so old and poor and they're stingy with materials for teachers to use.

Prepare to babysit during your lunch break. You're expected to watch the kids during your 30 minute break time because there is nowhere for them to go. There also isn't anywhere for you to go as a teacher besides the overcrowded breakroom that doesn't have enough space for everyone.

They make the biggest issue out of the smallest things, stifling teachers and making it an unbearable place to work. When they make massive mistakes they brush it under the rug but will be quick to blame and attack their teachers. The xxxxxx do their best so the XXXx don't find out what a mess it is. Overall, they're just trying to save their own skin and maintain a high position. The only thing keeping them from shutting down is the reputation they've already established. The kids treat it as a stepping stone so they can get to a better academy.

The retention rate of this place is so poor, and that goes for foreign and Korean staff which is the biggest red flag of them all.

They have this high expectation for teachers when the people in charge do not meet those standards AT ALL. None of the management is able to keep up, but they attack teachers who don't kiss up to them. When you make a mistake they attack, but suddenly the rules become flexible for favorites or if they make the mistake.

This place will do their best to sound good on paper but it is absolutely a mess. They really do a great deal of marketing— betting on teachers having worse hagwon trauma, and try to act better in comparison. Work here at your own risk. You've been warned.

AND A REPLY: Jan 22, 2026, 2:16AM

Some of these facts are simply not true. Only our kindy teachers (4/20 that we have on staff - 16 are elementary) eat lunch with their students (and are informed of such during the interview to allow them to decide), and during a 40 minute lunch as part of a day where teaching ends at 2:30. regardless - as current manager im always happy to connect potential teachers with current teachers. We have a slack for better workplace communication and I could show the list of names and allow somebody to choose a few at random to be connected with. Lastly, no mistake has ever been met with an "attack"; merely calm, and rational conversation and efforts to support improvement. People make mistakes, myself included - that's how we learn.

Tue, Jan 13, 2:14PM

If you value a healthy work–life balance and a respectful, professional working environment, I would strongly advise carefully reconsidering a contract with Francis Parker Jeonju Campus.

My experience at this school was deeply disappointing and stressful, largely due to poor management, lack of transparency, and an unprofessional workplace culture.

Interview and Hiring Process

The interview process initially appeared positive. The xxxx interviewer xxxxx was friendly, approachable, and created a relaxed atmosphere where candidates felt heard. However, this dynamic changed noticeably after the contract was signed. Once employed, the working environment became rigid, intimidating, and highly authoritarian.

Key responsibilities were not clearly disclosed during interviews. Teachers were led to believe administrative duties would be minimal and that lunch time would be a genuine break. In practice, teachers are required to supervise students during lunch and snack time, serve food, pause their own meals repeatedly, escort students to the bathroom, and assist with toileting duties — none of which were transparently explained during the hiring process.

Lack of Training and Organization

Although teachers are promised training before beginning classroom instruction, this commitment is not honored. New hires are placed into classrooms immediately with little guidance, preparation, or instructional support. Communication from management is often unclear, contradictory, or inconsistent, and teachers frequently receive instructions at the last minute — sometimes only a day before they are expected to carry out tasks or prepare materials.

The director often gave different instructions to different teachers regarding the same issue and failed to provide clarification or follow-up. This resulted in confusion, anxiety, and unnecessary stress among staff.

Favoritism and Teaching Control

A major concern was the evident favoritism shown toward certain teachers. While new hires are told during interviews that the school values individual teaching styles and encourages teachers to teach at a pace suitable for their students, this promise is not upheld in practice.

Teachers are instead pressured to teach exactly like favored staff members — using the same methods, teaching the same textbook pages at the same pace, and replicating identical classroom practices — regardless of student needs or learning levels. This contradicts what is communicated during hiring and undermines professional autonomy, creativity, and effective student-centered teaching.

Work Environment and Management

The overall work environment felt toxic and emotionally exhausting. Leadership lacked organization, consistency, and professionalism, and teachers were provided with minimal support. Collaboration was discouraged, and staff members who struggled were often criticized rather than guided.

Senior staff frequently engaged in gossip about newer teachers instead of offering mentorship. In some cases, management itself participated in gossip with select teachers, creating mistrust and division. During my time at the school, multiple teachers resigned due to the hostile atmosphere.

A particularly concerning pattern emerged when teachers chose not to renew their contracts. Teachers who had previously received little to no negative feedback suddenly experienced increased scrutiny, excessive criticism, and fault-finding — despite having taught consistently since the beginning of their employment.

Housing Concerns

Although housing is provided, issues arise when problems are discovered after move-in. Even when teachers documented concerns with photos and reported them promptly, responsibility for repairs was frequently shifted to the teacher. Explanations such as incorrect orders or inability to access the apartment were given, and teachers were ultimately instructed to pay for repairs themselves.

Conclusion

It took me a year to process and write about my experience at Francis Parker Jeonju Campus. Unfortunately, my experience is not unique. Numerous teachers leave this school each year due to unresolved management and workplace issues. While recruiters may dismiss such reviews as one-sided, the consistent pattern of high staff turnover suggests deeper, systemic problems. This school may not be suitable for educators seeking transparency, professional respect, effective training, or a supportive and collaborative working environment.

Fri, Jan 9, 11:07AM

Please please avoid applying. (Lengthy post sorry)

This kindergarten is understaffed, money driven and prides itself with hiring South Africans who are already in the country because xxxxxxxx. So many students have resigned leaving the school with only 7 students as the parents have caught on to the director's deceit because their students failed entry exams to international elementary schools. This means no job security for teachers and simply wasting out time. There is no curriculum and states that it is a theme based academy where you must keep producing material, externally source worksheets or even make your own on Canva and lesson plan daily based on the weekly theme because it is just an unstructured pipe dream that we must work hard to fulfil. So many unrealistic expectations as you do cooking, P.E, science, English and theme events. There are constant unnecessary meetings, passive aggressive messages and micromanagement as they constantly just disrespectfully barge into your classroom or peep through your window every chance they get.

The advert will state that you have 22 working days vacation which seems generous for a hagwon but instead it's just false advertising since we ended up with 5 because weekends and public holidays were counted. In just 5 months, 5 South African teachers have left (including 2 this week) after months of gaslighting, love bombing, deceit, poor cheap housing, lack of boundaries, moodiness, exploitation, manipulation and micromanagement we experienced. Still no payslips, signed contract and honest communication despite constant meetings. Please do not consider applying here, I know times are tough but no one should have to endure this it's not worth it. It'll be good for the first or two months max then goes downhill once you catch on then the anxiety and burn out will be real. DON'T DO IT, it's a sailing ship.

Thu, Jan 8, 4:57PM

I'll just get straight to the point and say do not work here. It's got nothing going for it and you'll be counting down the days until your contract is done (if you last).

Why?

1) Poor, cramped housing. If you take the company housing, it's a shoebox. A Norwegian prison cell is likely better. You'll develop claustrophobia.

2) Poor, cramped workspace. Hope you don't mind sitting elbow to elbow with your colleagues, with basically no windows! Times two when it's cold and flu season. Again, you'll develop claustrophobia.

3) Being contacted and messaged before and after work, even on your holidays and weekends. Remember, they think their schedule is your schedule and that's the only thing that's important to them.

4) Lame neighbourhood. Saha is literally factory-ville and except for Dadaepo Beach and Seunghaksan, it's got nothing going for it. You'll be hanging out in other parts of Busan or beyond any chance you get.

5) They try to shaft you what you're owed. Whether that's holidays, any type of pay, etc they'll try to pull something. Be on your toes at all times with them.

6) They gossip and socially exclude. If they don't want to deal with you, they will lie, misrepresent and try to drive you out. Don't fall for it.

7) Tantrums are their way of coping. Remember, when they don't get what they want, they get huffy and puffy. Waaah!

8) They are administratively incompetent. Visa? Taxes? ARC card registration? Bank account? Good luck being your own best friend as far as that goes.

9) They only care about the parents, not the teachers or even the students really. This is true of all hagwons, but **really** true about this place. And if it means them inconveniencing you to do some ungrateful tiger mum a special favour that's not in your contract, they will.

10) They switch classes and curriculum up on you mid term. They'll add new students at the end of the term. They'll open up some new class mid term and expect you to just do the book normally. Whatever. They don't care because you being inconvenienced is fine as long as they do any favour for any parent that asks.

11) High turnover rate. This place hasn't been open long and more than a few teachers, native and Korean, leave under a year. And very, very few have stayed over a year. If you spent a day at this place, you'd see why.

There's more, but you get the idea. Work somewhere else, turn them down, no matter how sweet and nice they are in the interview. That'll eventually fade and you'll be working with other teachers who just want to get out of that place. Deep down, they know they have a hard time keeping people. They think they're a posh place in Haeundae or Gwangalli, but they can barely meet minimum expectations in the industrial backwater they're in.

Run, don't look back, lock the door shut when you get home and give your pet a hug. Metaphorically speaking. Or not.

Sat, Jan 3, 9:16AM

The day to day operations of the school meant there is often little time to accurately perform admin duties. Whenever complaints were made there werent any efforts to understand the staff member's perspective. Staff that were disliked were also driven away. It will be great to consider other places of work that offer a better work- life balance and support.

Thu, Jan 1, 4:06AM

This place is the epitome of disorganization and miscommunication. If you're looking for a job in Seoul as a first-time teacher, I wouldn't suggest it. Better to have experience in an organized school before picking this school.

CONS:

- Hypocritical and vindictive upper staff (if you make a mistake they take it personally)

- Lack of and late communication. Often get told minutes before a class if you need to cover it or if there are any big changes/events etc.

- Some KTs aren't very supportive and sit on their phones most of the time

- Upper staff is always delayed in helping with any admin stuff - visa

documentation, sorting out housing, $ etc. You have to chase leadership down to get stuff done

- Do not feel valued

PROS:

- Staff can be friendly and kind (Foreign teachers usually get along well)

- Great lunches

- Mostly relaxed environment when no events or changes are happening

- Macro management

- Location

The kids can be very sweet, as is with most schools. But you will find a HUGE learning gap between students. There is no perfect hagwon in Korea, it's a matter of choosing the lesser evil.

Wed, Dec 31, 2025, 5:18AM

Little to no communication when there are changes or issues. Unethical practices with staff are increasing.

Thu, Dec 18, 2025, 12:09AM

Before you even consider signing a contract with FTK Bucheon, you must understand the professional devastation that awaits you. This establishment is not a school, but a toxic trap that will systematically dismantle your mental health and passion for teaching. Please heed this warning from someone who lived through the nightmare: your career and well-being are worth far more than this place will ever offer.

Management at FTK Bucheon is an absolute failure characterized by xxxxxx and a total breakdown in basic professional communication. Teachers are consistently left in the dark, often without even the essential login credentials for textbook websites, turning every class into a frantic, unsupported disaster. This intentional lack of organization creates a constant, soul-crushing inconvenience that forces you to work in a state of perpetual frustration because there is no transparency, only a void where support should be.

Furthermore, the housing provided is nothing short of a health hazard, plagued by persistent, toxic mold that administration shamelessly ignores despite repeated pleas. When essential appliances break or leaks occur, communication to secure repairs is met with a brick wall of indifference and endless excuses. You will be forced to wait weeks or even months for the simplest fixes, living in squalor while management treats your basic right to a safe home as an annoying after-thought.

Your daily life will consist of a grueling schedule with literally zero prep time because administration shamelessly steals every spare moment for last-minute, disorganized tasks. There is no concept of time management or respect for your well-being, reducing you to a disposable performing clown under the thumb of incompetent leadership. This toxic environment of impossible expectations and non-existent resources will inevitably break your spirit. Save yourself the time and avoid this academy at all costs if you appreciate and value your own worth.

Thu, Dec 18, 2025, 12:09AM

I am nominating Worwick Franklin Institute aka Dux in Ok-dong, Nam-gu, Ulsan (a block from Ulsan Grand Park) to be on the Hagwon Blacklist they have expanded/rebranded.

This is a professional courtesy to any self-respecting human beings that are interviewing or considering working at Worwick Franklin (aka Dux) to save yourself a world of trouble, stress, turmoil and move on and consider other schools.

Both schools have loyal scabs that will defend the managements tactics and practices.

All but one teacher has left after a 12 month run of an absolutely toxic, manipulative work environment. ***** had taken full advantage of pandemic and has put personal wealth over the well-being of the schools instructors. There has been a recorded pattern of verbal abuse of teachers, several threats of termination to keep teachers on their toes and a constant practice of gaslighting to divide and conquer the staff.

Be weary, ***** will do and say anything to make the work, school, program seem fair and logical but in reality it is as crammed as cram schools get. Reality of the severity of the, chaos, toxicity and disorganization was revealed about 2 months into the job.

***** and school make consistent claims that money is no issue but there were many occasions where, if we didn't ask or inquire about several items there would have been a lot of money lost and pocketed by *****.

The scheme of ***** is to get new inexperienced teachers to sign a contract, work them to the bone for 12 months and get a new set of fresh teachers to rinse and repeat the mayhem. If you have made it this far into this post, turn around and never look back or the cycle will continue for years to come. You've been warned. If it's too good to be true..it is.

Sat, Dec 6, 2025, 11:24PM

Do not work here if you like a well organized working environment or just being respected as a person. Xxxxxxxxx, and nearly every teacher who has ever worked there has quit or left for good reason. They cannot deal with xxxxxx system of constantly changing schedules and ever increasing workload. At least 2 left this year alone and there are only 2 foreign teaching positions, so that tells you something. Accept at your own risk.

Wed, Dec 3, 2025, 2:15PM

I would like to express my serious concerns regarding HCIS Songdo. In our experience, the school's environment and management practices do not reflect the standards we expect from a reputable educational institution. We also observed indications of staff being pressured to engage in activities that appear unrelated to their professional teaching responsibilities. This raised concerns xxxx about the appropriateness of certain internal practices and the overall working culture, especially considering the notable turnover among teachers. Because of these issues, we strongly feel that the school does not provide the transparent, xxxxxx, and student-focused environment that parents and educators should be able to rely on. It's better don't join in this school and xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Thu, Nov 27, 9:27AM

I would like to add VIS in Yeouido to the hagwon black list. I believe they have been added by others, but it has been removed. Any green list posts you see from them please assume they were not written by any English teacher that actually worked there. The workplace is highly unprofessional due to one person. They cannot keep an English teacher because of the work environment that one person has created. Every English teacher except for maybe one will be leaving when their contract is up. Constant attempts to bully and micromanage by way of constant Kakao messages or using native teachers. You will also be expected to clean the classroom as there is no housekeeping. You will be expected to serve lunch and the morning snack. Something I was not asked to do at any other school I worked at here. The classroom can be hard to instruct due to unaddressed behavioral issues that everyone seems to be aware of but do nothing about. If you attempt to correct a child that is misbehaving there will be an issue with it. Just don't work there.

Mon, Nov 24, 10:59PM

This is review for Hillside Collegiate Wirye. Soul crushing experience. I was excited about my teaching journey in Korea and wish I saw the blacklist posts about this school beforehand. The curriculum provided is way to advanced for the students and you will be blamed if the students don't perform on that level, (I later learned the curriculum was from Hillside Collegiate Canada and not designed for non-native speaking students who are still trying to learn basic communication). The xxxxx made a lot of promises during the interview that were not delivered on, most importantly was the fact that I was told that each classroom has a Korean speaking teacher to help, this was not the case as I ended up alone 99% of the time having to serve and clean after lunch, take children to toilets etc (Many of the students being so young were still in diapers/learning potty training). New faces would frequently pop up as midnight runs are standard at this school. Lack of training and constant new teachers added to the confusion and it was completely overwhelming. Micromanaging is another big issue as we are constantly being monitored by xxxxx on cameras and often receive translated messages on Kakao from xxxx containing complaints, which crushes what little work morale you have left. Also teachers at Hillside Collegiate often have to fill in for teachers downstairs at Iya skola as arranged by the xxxx which is another disaster on its own. If you do see this message in time, steer clear of this hagwon.

Wed, Oct 29, 1:30PM

- Terrible communication from management.

- The schedule gets changed at the last minute way too often and things are almost always so disorganized and chaotic.

- New books don't get ordered on time so when a new semester starts, you'll find yourself making copies every day or teaching off your phone.

- There's no guarantee of XXXXXXXXXXXXX.

Fri, Oct 24, 8:24PM

It will be better to consider alternative places of employmen as staff retention rates weren't great and employee morale was low.

Oct 17, 2025, 5:52AM

Korean Proficiency:

To start off, if you got a call for a phone interview it means you are 1) Korean American or Gyopo, or 2) a native English speaker who also can speak Korean. These are the two criteria that this hagwon looks for. If you are not confident in your Korean speaking skills, I would not consider this place, as you will have consultations every other month (every five weeks), essentially 10 parent-teacher consultations a year, either over the phone or in person. I have never heard of a hagwon that meets 10 times a year with parents. There were times where you were expected to make 17–20 calls within a one-week time frame during the consultation period. If you are not comfortable speaking to Korean moms in only Korean to talk about their child's grammar, writing, and general behaviors, then reconsider working here.

Work Environment:

The work consists of you teaching alone in a room with anywhere between 6–10 students (grades 1–4). While the hagwon is open with how you teach, they will still micromanage your work. They are constantly watching the CCTV to observe you. They might tell you to fix things about your teaching after seeing the CCTV footage. When you ask them why they want you to fix it, they will say, "No reason! By the way, you are doing great!" The words they said and the things they asked you to do were always contrasting. In addition, it's important to note this hagwon is small. There were only five teachers when I was there. So if you value having many coworkers who you can chat with or feel comfortable around, this is not the place. Everyone is antisocial and keeps to themselves. I spoke more with the children than with the employees.

Vacation, PTO, Sick Days, Holidays:

If time off is a huge deal for you, this is not the hagwon to work at. This hagwon works on the majority of red days in Korea. They work on the red days and move them to a random week so that the hagwon can rest for one week straight. So rather than letting their employees rest on the days the entire nation is resting and provide a vacation, they would rather justify a week off by saying, "Well, these are the red days we worked." It makes zero sense. Technically speaking, you are not given the vacation days you are obligated to have; you are just getting the days off you are legally owed. There are no sick days. If you are sick, they will deduct pay for the hours you missed. Also, there are no subs to cover your classes, so you are pressured to just come into work. I was extremely sick for two weeks, and while the upper management was aware, they did not care and told me remedies to make teaching more bearable. I was expected to go to the team dinner as well, even in my sick condition. You get zero PTO or personal days. You are only given the days that the hagwon chooses for you. Keep that in mind when considering if you want to work somewhere that has zero flexibility with vacation or time off.

Class Time:

The official work hours are 2 PM to 8:30 PM, Monday–Friday. You are expected to teach two classes back to back with a 10-minute break in between. Each class is three hours long. If this is your first time teaching, run. You are essentially babysitting kids who are being pressured to be in an English academy. It's very half and half. Half of the kids want to be there, and half of them will do everything to show you they want to go home. During breaks, you play movies for the kids. That should speak volumes for what this hagwon values. The classes all follow a specific learning structure. The hagwon does not deviate from this type of teaching. The material requires you to speak for the majority of the three hours, but the hagwon wants the students to lead the class. The lessons require a teacher to teach them and yet they want the students to do most of the talking. There are teacher workshops throughout the year to go over the teaching style here. Be aware that you must follow their syllabus and workbooks. This could be a pro for those who like to follow a schedule, but a con if you want to teach in a way that fits your style.

Culture:

While this place prides itself on being very "English first," they are still operating in Korea as a Korean business. Do not be fooled. All hagwons are businesses at the end of the day. They offer a service and collect money. I was told many times while here that I am not here as a teacher for the students; I am here to service the moms who pay. So if you are looking to make a difference in a child's educational experience, this is not the place. You are expected to be accommodating and flexible for the parents. There are probably 3–4 team dinners in one year, and you are expected to attend all of them. In addition, one thing that truly bothered me the most was that the teachers here often gossip and talk negatively about the students who attend the academy. They criticize a student's writing and speaking skills, personalities, and other aspects that cannot be changed These are children, and it was disheartening to see this behavior.

TLDR:

You will be burnt out here. You will feel underappreciated. The classes follow the same structure every week, every month, every term. There is little to no support. This hagwon will demand a lot from you and then expect you to come back the next day to do it all over again. You will be stressed with little time to just breathe. The work environment is challenging. You are a teacher, babysitter, a janitor, and a customer service provider to the parents. Both inexperienced and experienced teachers should avoid at all costs.

Save yourself the trouble and do not work here.

Wed, Oct 15, 1:50AM

I would like to add TwinkleAP Mapo to the blacklist. I will keep it short because Twinkle is already on the blacklist multiple times but from different locations. However, I experienced the same issues in mapo branch.

First and foremost the workload is overwhelming. You have to pack about six to seven hours of classroom work into three hours. One ten minute beak is given but you must use that to grade workbooks. In addition during class you are required to complete lessons and grade each students book before they leave the classroom. While you are grading the workbooks you must also correct any spelling mistakes or rewrite entirely the essay or story so that each student understands the answer. Keep in mind that each class has between 11 to 12 students.

You are required to write detailed parents notes everyday. Detailed description of what the students went over in class and describing something specific about each child. Keep in mind there is no additional time provided to write notes. Parents can respond to these notes and you must respond to parents request. The parents run the classroom and dictate how you must teach.

You will be excessively micromanaged, and gaslight you while you are teaching. Emails are sent from administration during class and you must promptly respond while you are teaching.

If a teacher is sick or takes vacation you are the substitute. You are given a little prep time before class but parents are allowed to send students during prep so it becomes babysitting while you are trying to prepare for classes.

I could go on and on but it's not necessary. I experienced the same problems as the other Twinkle academy's listed on the blacklist. Different branch same problems.

One more word of advice. If you value your mental and physical health run don't walk away from this school.

Thu, Sep 25, 2025 at 2:05AM

The general work day goes a bit like this:

Show up and clock in. If you're more than five minutes late, you'll need to write an apology message to the academy. Sit at your desk for a long while, preparing for classes. Most of the classes don't have a lot of prep, but there are essays to grade (many) and they will expect you to make handbooks for them to sell to students. (You will not see a penny from this.) Then, you'll likely have between three and five classes a day. The students vary from lovely, attentive, and ready to learn to rude, litigious, and distracting. There will not be any support from management. Dinners are supplied. You can choose between two options and they order take-out. During test times, you'll be expected to check essays and proctor exams all day. The essays are alright usually, but when I did this, I was expected to check over 100 essays in a week with a grade and comments.

Management is unhelpful and will disregard any complaints. There is a strict 'chain of command' and skipping a step is seen as betrayal and not acting as a team player. If it gets to the point where you're considering quitting (as many do), they will suddenly fawn and say they never knew there was anything wrong. This is always a lie. At times, they might encourage you to bring work home to make sure you can get essays graded, classes prepped, report cards written, and handbooks created on their schedule.

There are some nice events like dinners and the owner speaks excellent English. There are occasional opportunities to do extra work for a gift card (and because you have no choice.) The coworkers are generally nice people, but the office environment encourages competition and separation. In the spirit of fairness, I will concede that I learned how to stand up for myself and my time. I learned that a workplace (especially on the visa required for this one) will not back their employees and that unions are incredibly important for both job security and mental health.

Sep 13, 2025, 10:12AM

This place used to be an SLP. There was CCTV spying, working full days in a classroom (including lunch) alone without even time to use the bathroom, managers showing favouritism and driving teachers they dislike out, no transparency with pay for 6 months and witholding of pay (i.e. housing allowance/airfare). Once they decided they didn't like you, they did anything to drive you out. Favouritism was also shown towards male teachers. Pictures of housing were very misleading and the house was in a terrible state on arrival despite taking cleaning fee.

Tue, Sep 23, 6:57AM

My experience at CDI Chungdahm/April Yeongdeungpo was extremely disappointing. From the start, there was a lack of organization and transparency. Promises made during hiring and onboarding were not followed through, and communication from management was often vague, dismissive, or contradictory.

The workload was far heavier than advertised, with unrealistic expectations placed on certain teachers. Instead of focusing on quality teaching, the system seemed more concerned with profit. The rigid teaching style being pushed here leaves little room for creativity, and the micromanagement can feel suffocating.

Support for most teachers was minimal, and feedback was rarely constructive often it felt more like nitpicking than actual guidance. Scheduling was also a constant problem, with sudden changes made last minute and little consideration for work-life balance.

Overall, CDI Chungdahm/April Yeongdeungpo is a place where burnout is inevitable. If you are considering working here, I would strongly advise weighing your options carefully. There are much better schools in Korea that value both their teachers and their students.

Tue, Sep 23, 10:09PM

Teachers are not happy at this school and the high turnover rate shows it. There were 5 midnight runs since I started. After I left, three teachers terminated their contracts early. Since there s no chance of a release letter, you have to go home and a penalty fee applies. Long work hours (10 hours) and not enough pay, between 2.4-2.5 million won. Teachers who worked for a year negotiated for up to 2.7 million won. Should be higher due to the workload. We had to work on some Saturday s to test for new students, which was unpaid. Although they state that teaching resources are given, teachers have to prepare additional lessons, projects and activities to supplement the curriculum. This takes a lot of time and is heavily scrutinised, therefore teachers have to add additional time to tailor lessons based on management s demands. If you don t enjoy being micro-managed and don t want your mental health to decline don t go to Knox in Anyang.

Sat, Sep 13, 11:47AM

If you are considering working here I highly advise against it. No matter how much they butter you up in the interview.

Their management style is either a game of Telephone or radio silence.

Favoritism is also worn on the sleeve. If you are not on their good side you can expect to be sidelined, recieve extra work, be micromanaged, etc.

Their turnover rate is also comically high. One class alone went through 5 different native teachers in the previous year. And as far as I know, 5 have also left this year.

Next to nothing is done about poor behavior even if said children are a danger to others.

They seem hellbent on "not being like a Korean school" all while handing out excessive amounts of homework and setting expectations that are way beyond realistic.

If you are on an E series visa they will have you **************.

They were also being openly homophobic in one of the teacher workshops so if that doesn't give you a good image of their character I'm not sure what will.

Tue, Sep 9, 10:38AM

I can t name the exact reasons as per the rules but please avoid it by all costs. There are many violations that happen there on a daily basis. You will be miserable and you will not last more than a month or two there without SERIOUS problems and even worse, real ramifications for your visa status etc Just be careful and don t let a recruiter trick you into going there.

Sep 8, 2025, 5:41AM

CRADA International Academy Korea, also goes by: CIK, Crada International School, CIK CRADA International, CIK CRADA International Kindergarten The only reason you haven t seen even more posts about Crada International Academy Korea before is because of how deeply they ******** - I ve seen it myself. Working at Crada means constantly being **** (to put it VERY mildly), left on edge in fear every single day, and treated with zero professionalism. All the classic hagwon nightmare stories you read about? This one fits so very snuggly on that list.

Here s just some of what you can expect if you work at CIK:

Fighting tooth and nail for your *****.

Constant stress about housing, paperwork, and other important matters

Getting ***** for no reason during normal conversations

Endless false accusations about your teaching or treatment of students, always with no proof

Being watched on CCTV cameras all day every single day for every single thing you say and do even outside of teaching in order to try to come up with elaborate alleged missteps about the most inconsequential and non teaching related behaviours. Teachers are constantly interrupted mid-class, humiliated in front of students over ridiculous things like how they re sitting or where their books are placed. Never once do they actually explain how they want teaching done. Unsurprisingly, excellent teachers end up leaving well before their contracts are over because no one can withstand this treatment.

Crada International Academy Korea forbids teachers from stepping outside during the day (not even for lunch), often gives zero personal breaks during a 9:00 5:30 shift, piles on unpaid extra work, makes questionable decisions with very important outside parties that put your status at risk, and wants teachers to quit if they dare ask even a polite clarifying question. They spend every day glued to the CCTV cameras, not to help teachers improve, but to invent fake reasons to discipline them.

CRADA calls itself an English-speaking academy for international kids, but the truth is it is a typical hagwon with a fancy name to attempt to drive in international families and almost none of the staff speaks English The English teachers keep the school running and are used to help upkeep the schools brand, yet we re disrespected not only by leadership but also by local staff, who clearly want to push us out. Don t make the same mistake of thinking the international student population means this school will be tolerant of other cultures! I know for a fact CRADA ******* about what they ve gone through and their tactics have kept up for years. Please, for your wellbeing, don t make the same mistake I did!!

Aug 20, 2025, 11:14AM

High turnover rate for obvious reasons. On average, about 8 teachers leave a semester. Highest number I knew was 12 teachers in Spring 2024.

Low pay, difficult work, poor student behaviour.

Unfortunately, no specifics otherwise I can't make this post.

Mon, Aug 18, 5:30PM

I have been told by a former coworker that Knox school in Pyeongchon is on the Green list and upon confirming this, I would just like to offer my two cents. Knox school is by NO means a good school to work for, and I (like many others) did not stay the entire year when I was there. I think management knows they have a terrible reputation in terms of long days, lots of complaining by management, and workload, so I find it very dubious that a foreign staff member posted Knox on the Green list. In any case, I would not recommend that place to my worst enemy and my advice is to avoid it.

Aug 5, 2025, 5:11PM

I recently left JLS Gwacheon (English center). Korean and foreign staff are xxxxxxxx about the way people are treated, and in 5 months I saw 4 people leave (myself excluded). Bye-bye!

Tue, Aug 5, 5:07PM

This management is plagued by problems I cannot name (as by the four rules). STAY AWAY!

Aug 4, 2025, 10:34PM

As a former teacher at AMJ Academy in Seongnam, my experience was far from what I had hoped for. One of the most notable concerns is the high turnover rate among staff. Teachers leave unexpectedly, often without prior notice, which creates instability within the school and makes it difficult to maintain a consistent learning environment for students. It s clear that many teachers become overwhelmed by the workload and the lack of adequate support, contributing to their decision to leave.

The workload itself is a major challenge. Teachers are required to prepare individualized content, such as creating videos for each student, grading a large volume of tests, and providing detailed comments, all within tight timeframes. The administrative demands are high and often leave little time for lesson planning or providing quality support to students.

On top of this, the overall organization of the school is problematic. There are frequent last-minute changes, poor communication, and a lack of clarity about the day-to-day operations. This chaotic atmosphere often leads to confusion among staff, making it hard to stay on top of responsibilities and maintain a positive work environment.

Aug 4, 2025, 7:58PM

This is a school that I had previously submitted to the Green List, but now change my mind.

It s not completely horrible, but there are some things to keep in mind - and I would put it on a gray list rather than blacklist it completely.

I want to be fair to the school, though. They were in general good to me, but there were some things I missed during my first half of the year there and the cracks started appearing during the second half.

First, I'll say that the school paid me a satisfactory amount, and the principal was accommodating to me. Additionally, despite being a small school, there was a decent amount of opportunity to teach various topics.

However, there are some serious downsides that reared their ugly heads eventually:

1) the school truly is run by parents and students. Parents will make a stink about teachers after their own spoiled children misbehave, and the school kowtows to them. In my case, it wasn't immediate, but there was at least one major episode that was very emotionally draining.

2) most students are great, but you have enough awful students who will state straight to the teacher's face that they hate your class, who will straight up defy you in ways that far exceed normal typical teenage rebellious behavior, and then their wealthy parents will back them up over the teacher. to be fair, there are several excellent students who made class fun, but the bad ones are *really* bad

3) some parents will try to even tell teachers how to teach, even scrutinizing the grading system of your class by decimal percentages

4) there is animosity among colleagues fostered by management, and though most coworkers are great, there are some pretty toxic personalities

5) management fails to exercise discretion appropriately; whether it's using school chat to advertise personal performances or sharing private information about staff/personnel via chat, or whether it's entirely frivolous inquiries to teachers that are forwarded to several chains of higher-ups about false and trivial allegations made by students after a massive game of broken telephone (when I say trivial and false, I mean as trivial as whether or not jump ropes are banned in PE class, and false because no such ban ever occurred despite a random student's complaint that they were - not an "issue" that needed to be forwarded to multiple higher ups in management or even addressed at all for that matter)

Teachers are only human, and there's only so much disrespect a human being can take before snapping at one point. Felt so demoralized that I couldn't wait to leave at the end of the year, and yes that affected my performance during the last month.

To emphasize: the school was overall good to me up to a point, and I am generally happy that I had this experience. Nevertheless, some of the cracks became apparent and I could see better why this school has received so many negative reviews. If this were a star rating, I would give ASP three out of five stars - not the bottom of the barrel, but wouldn't be my top choice again either.

Tue, Jul 15, 1:12PM

I would like to add MI Songpa Seoul to the blacklist. The reason being is that the workload is too much for the time that they give you. You will not have enough time to eat lunch. You are always being supervised. You are stuck inside your classroom at all times. The management has changed many times. High turnover rate. It is not a good environment for a good teacher. You will be a machine here expected to adhere to the rigid curriculum. You will be reprimanded if you make mistakes. Steer clear.

Mon, Jul 14, 9:26PM

I want to share a warning about the work environment at MPoly Ilsan Campus. While it may appear professional on the outside, the reality is often high-stress, disorganized, and lacking in support for both Korean and foreign staff.

Those in leadership positions have displayed unprofessional behavior, including pressuring and intimidating staff in private conversations and failing to communicate important information. New hires typically receive minimal training and are left to navigate complex responsibilities on their own. In some cases, teachers were expected to teach eight classes in a row without advance notice or adequate breaks. Contracts have also been threatened for reasons unrelated to job performance.

There are strict rules in place such as a requirement to stand for all classes, even when teaching back-to-back periods. Staff are required to keep their phones in the office. Staff are monitored via CCTV, and feedback is often based on these recordings. Concerns raised internally have largely gone unaddressed.

Although pay is issued on time, there have been issues with xxxxxx, and foreign staff are often discouraged from using their leave. Time off is typically only approved during testing weeks (the last three days of each month), while xxxxxx seem to have more flexibility in taking time off.

There are also reported concerns about academic integrity, including inflated test scores and the withholding of low results. This is in order to boost the campus s ranking.

If you are considering a position at this campus, be sure to ask detailed questions, review your contract carefully, and speak directly with current teachers before making a decision.

Sun, Jul 13, 12:11AM

I would like to submit J.US Institute to the Black List.

In my time as a teacher I have never worked in a more toxic workplace than this school. I dreaded going into work everyday. You are monitored on CCTV every second. Your co-teacher's principal job is to spy on you and report to supervisors. Some of the criticisms I received were ludicrous and would have been grounds for a wrongful termination suit in North America (however I decided to quit). Here are a few of the red flags that I only saw once I had already started working there:

A Korean teacher quit on her first day working

Another Korean teacher cried audibly on many occasions presumably after meeting with management and quit after 2 weeks. Many of the foreign teachers walk around with plastic smiles in fear of what management will criticize them for next. Teachers were told they breathed too hard, their faces got to red, they didn't know anything about teaching, they couldn't wear a certain type of pants, they couldn't wear headphones when eating lunch, they didn't know how to give out stickers, etc.... I am a very experienced teacher and I was shocked at the toxic leadership style and the Big Brother surveillance employed by this school to generate fear in their teachers. You will be threatened with termination for any reason at all. If you are not sycophantic with your co-teacher or management you will be bullied.

Avoid this school if you care about your mental health at all.

Fri, Jul 11, 1:41PM

LPAS I (Wirye)

I am choosing not to disclose my nationality or identity for safety reasons. I worked at this academy for a portion of 2025.

In my personal experience, this was one of the most disorganized and poorly managed workplaces I ve encountered in the education sector. This sentiment was quietly echoed by most other teachers during my time there.

The person overseeing operations was completely unaware of many, if not most, day-to-day details and decisions. Communication regarding schedules, policies, and expectations was often unclear or last-minute. The overall atmosphere was frequently chaotic, with teachers receiving little guidance or support.

Staff turnover was extremely high. During my time there, few teachers stayed beyond six weeks, and many left much sooner. At least ten teachers came and went during my time here. The only staff who remained longer were three part-time instructors with limited hours and minimal involvement in the school s daily operations.

The working environment, in my view, was toxic, stressful, and completely lacking professionalism. There was minimal help, structure, or leadership, and the management style often left teachers confused or unsupported. One major concern was the presence of many students who appeared to have special educational needs. Unfortunately, teachers were not given training or support to accommodate these needs appropriately. While many students were kind and well-meaning, it was disheartening to witness a lack of adequate resources for them.

It s also worth noting that the school underwent a major schedule shift during my tenure, after which the management and morale declined rapidly. It was clear to many of us that the new system had not been thought through. Ultimately, this academy was not a healthy or sustainable work environment in my experience. I would advise any prospective teachers to approach with extreme caution and to explore any other opportunities first.

I am writing this solely in the interest of helping others make informed decisions and avoid potentially damaging experiences.

Jul 10, 2025, 5:23PM

If you value a peaceful work life balance and a harmonuous environment in which staff are valued and treated respectfully do approach with caution. Along with inadequate prep time. The teachers often had to scarifice time outside of classes for decoration sudden event days despitr having not enough time. On a few occasions, contractually obiligations were not followed often at the expense of a worker.

If students were clearly misleveled teachers were blamed even though they weret responsible for plackng the students in such classes.

Mon, Jul 7, 2:47PM

I would like to advise teachers against working for the Poly campus in Pyeongchon. The largest issues lie with management. In general, management is very unorganized and has a hard time keeping themselves, their office, and their tasks in order, which then tickles down to affect the teachers. On many occasions, teachers are given assignments last minute and expected to complete them in only 1-2 days with little prep time. Training is minimal, with an intense day-long info-dump followed by a few shadow classes before you are thrown into a full day of solo teaching with minimal (or no) support afterward. Students threaten teachers or classmates and are not punished or removed from the campus, despite management promising to do so. Management also has blatant favorites, offering time off or special schedules to some while denying it to others, even those who have seniority and higher performance. Like many other Poly campuses, they also do not provide adequate prep time or break time. There may be worse hagwons out there, but there are also definitely better. I recommend teachers steer clear of this one.

Fri, Jul 4, 5:39PM

Warning About Poly Daejeon Toxic Environment, Avoid If You Can

If you're considering a job at Poly Daejeon, think twice or better yet, don t.

What was once a manageable and wonderful workplace before, has become an absolute mess since the recent management overhaul. It s now run by a group that is disorganized, unprofessional, and completely out of touch with what teachers need to succeed.

Teachers are burned out and demoralized and blocked from showing any initiative to teach.

No support, constant micromanagement, and last-minute chaos are the daily norm.

One of the upper management is rude, condescending, and incapable of leading without belittling people and being cocky.

It s not just poor leadership it s toxic.

Worse, there s a staff member who plays friendly but is fully in management s pocket. Many have found out the hard way that what you say can and will be used against you and you are being watched. Trust is a rare commodity there.

If you're a foreign teacher looking for stability, respect, or even basic professionalism this is not the place. There are far better schools out there. Save yourself the mental strain and look elsewhere.

Thu, Jun 26, 10:20AM

SIE Central is about as bad as they come in terms of ethics and behaving like a legit international school. It's a fake international school (Hagwon registration) and I can't imagine the Amsa branch being a whole lot worse.

Much of the international aspect is just marketing spin. Don t expect alignment with real international standards. Teachers are often subjected to vague or shifting expectations and demands based on a single parent complaint.

Management clearly plays favorites. Certain people get protected and promoted no matter how incompetent or unprofessional they are. It creates a toxic, demoralizing work culture where merit is nonexistent.

Thu, Jun 19, 1:19PM

Mine and my partner s experience was fairly standard when we first arrived at Spartan. The school had just opened its doors officially to take in their first intake of students. My partner and I were the only two teachers at the school, no Korean co-teacher and the director was not at the school during the day. They did take two classes in the evening for the first month and a bit however. We had no curriculum or syllabus and no teaching materials when we arrived, just a mishmash of Korean-English textbooks of vastly different levels which made setting up any kind of teaching schedule with them useless.

After our first two months our director stepped back from teaching responsibilities and handed over the teaching of his classes as well as additional classes in the evenings to me. Suddenly my partner and I went from teaching 4-6 classes in the day to teaching from 10am to 7pm everyday. With no class prep time the quality of our teaching began to struggle. We had no intentions of working at home on classes as we had discussed with our director before we signed our contracts. Unfortunately this sparked some heated debates about the future of the school.

My partner and I are incredibly hard working and continued on teaching with one half an hour break for four more months, whilst also being forced to work two hours extra overtime twice a week. This along with the director hiring another foreign teacher who came from another school along with a class she brought in, forced us to reconsider working with this school.

They are the highlight of typical shady Hagwon practices. Now the director provides poor recommendations to all who worked for him previously. We saw it with a teacher who left a month before we arrived. She worked at Spartan for a month before leaving.

I would recommend to stay away from this school as far as possible as only bad things will come after you leave.

Sun, Jun 15, 2025 at 7:52PM

The kids and coworkers were the highlight of the job warm, supportive, and fun to work with. However, pay was consistently delayed for all staff, including foreign teachers, despite claims of prioritization, and communication from management was lacking.

Teachers were sometimes blamed for raising valid concerns with parents, even when acting in the child s best interest. Leadership often reacted defensively to feedback and shifted responsibility onto others, which affected morale.

If you value clear communication and supportive management, I d recommend approaching with caution.

Fri, Jun 13, 12:46PM

I am posting this warning about Knox School located in Pyeongchon (near Beomgye station) even though I quit there seven years ago. The reason is because just recently I saw that it was on the 'Green' list and it was obviously posted by the 2nd in command at that school. Knox is not a quality school as the post claims. It is 10 hours a day and the kids are in charge and they know it. I was there for a mere two months back in 2018 and I gave my written notice. Two months after that, I was out of there. My advice is to stay clear of it as it is not a good environment and the workload vs pay is not worth it. The best word I would use to describe that school is 'scary.'

Tue, Jun 10, 11:37AM

I rarely typically submit an academy to the blacklist but I need to protect others. I'll be fair and reasonable about this.

First, the positives. 1. the studio apartment is close to the academy. 2. most of the kids are kind. 3. xxxxxxxxxxxxx 4. Given enough time to adjust to the curriculum. 5. some help to do work because the workload is big.

Negatives 1. low and unfair salary for the HUGE workload. 2. co worker who caused unneeded trouble 3. no information desk teacher, so you have to do roles of teaching and administrative work. For example, Do the attendance, make and print many things also, do all the duties of a teacher as well. 4. extremely little break times that makes you exhausted. 5. An individual here,unfairly blamed me for something that wasn't my fault. This happened often because she didn't communicate the necessary information in the first place or she mistakenly thought it was my fault when it was someone's mistake. When I made small mistakes, her tone of voice and delivery of the feedback was inappropriate. 6. I was also intentionally and repeatedly misjudged for someone I'm not, on a personal level. The statements were not accurate, and had nothing to do with my work as a teacher. 7. micromanagement, that person walks by the classroom to check up on you.7. kids are not learning content right for their level. 8. double standard on how anyone with the KT and FT titles are treated. There is favoritism here. 9. fair and reasonable agreement not entirely communicated or not honored. 10. Mistakes by that person which made my duty as a teacher difficult. The pages for the lessons were not correct or not available at all. I spent time a lot of time planning an event but at the end, the person with power does whatever she wants all the time at the end. 10. Xxxx didn't have my best interest when I was sick. 11. not enough prep time.

During the time, I was here, the revenue of academy increased a lot. I came to work early before my working hours and stayed late beyond my working hours. It was a lot of hard work which sacrificed my personal time. What I got back in return... I never got sincere thanks for my overall positive contributions. I did all the big important things right but got negative feedback for the small petty things I should have done better.

Tue, May 20, 2025 5:05AM

You start off thinking everything is great, especially in terms of openness to feedback/input. But then things shift surely. The following has happened since March 2024:

-There was a complete English staff turnover Mar 2024 (as in the whole English teachers team left and replacements were found). Then 2 teachers left mid-contract Oct 2024 (1 of the 2 positions was already a replacement for a midnight run), and 4 Korean teachers left Feb 2025.

-Within one month of the new school year, the quota had been met. And then the following changes happened within ONE SEMESTER: 2 additional kindergarten classrooms opened, classes were level based (many parents disapproved and pulled kids out), additional afterschool classes opened, and a 3rd kindergarten class was to be opened but the FT canceled the contract. It was no longer a fun learning environment as promised, but focused on completing level-based books/curriculum.

-As the school year progressed, there were more and more special events happening, which required all hands on deck; this came with the expectation to stay OT to complete the setup/decorate. So now you have to prep for all these special events, leaving you less time to prep for your regular classes.

-The illusion of support, accommodation, reciprocity and leadership was created. It's all "democracy" until it wasn t; and then, explicit statements of order/demand was given. And if you express your opinion otherwise, then all of a sudden you weren t a team player.

-Like many schools, it s a money-making business and all about withholding a good image so parents want to enroll their kids the following year.

-Another teacher pulled a midnight run Apr 2025, a FT was hospitalized because of work stress and was later let go without warming, FT staff are screamed at in front of kids comfortably (instilling fear in then, and 1 student was pulled out by parents because she began having nightmares), a new KT that was hired left within 1 month, and another KT left abruptly.

It s better to avoid than tolerate such a work environment.

AND A REPLY: Dec 17, 2025, 3:19PM

Here is a rebuttal by someone at the institute:

Hello Jon

This is about posting dated May 20th 2025.

Thank you

If someone claiming that we are chaotic and toxic, we can understand because those are personal feelings and relative terms. However, we would appreciate if such is expressed without any lies, and comprehensible explanation.

Not a fact

- We are never short of supplies or materials, how would we have big events if so.

- 4 Korean teachers left: 1 maternity leave, 1 moved far, 1 quit, 1 went to school.

- Complete English Turnover never happened. More new hires than remaining yes.

- 1 School events per month, overtime never requested by school

- FT was hospitalized due to stress and let go without warning? We don't mind telling entire story behind this here if this poster wants to continue to talk about this.

- FT teacher was yelled in front of students? Really? When and Why?

- Please name the KT who was hired left within 1 month

Makes no sense

- Our school isn't democratic, we are school run by management. Since when any school is democratic?

- We are money making business, who isn't? Yet we hire licensed Korean kindergarten teacher with higher salary for good education.

- Didn't open class because FT canceled contract? Why not hire another FT?

- School became more book/level based, but more special events?

- 2 kindy opened, yet students had nightmares and left?

We'd like to believe that there is no evil teacher, and no evil school.

If there is an evil school, maybe there is an evil teacher as well.

We simply wish that one person's difficulty is only by school. Also, please only state facts, why add lies?

Thu, May 1, 2025 at 2:19AM

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT WORK HERE!!!

Let's start with the good things. They pay you on time. The housing is decent. That's about it.

This school just opened in 2024 and already is horrible. It changed hands in the middle of the school year last year, which caused things to break down. There is not much good training. Teachers are expected to have the training manual read to them, observe some classes, and then teach perfectly. Teachers who have been at the school for a while are given better treatment than new teachers. New teachers are treated extremely poorly.

Teachers are not allowed to talk in the teacher's room and are not allowed to do prep work in their classrooms, they must remain in the teacher's room. During breaks, teachers MUST be working on something. Teachers are not allowed to have a minute to decompress. Class loads are extremely heavy and break times are essential for just that, A BREAK. There are no sick days so if teachers need to see a doctor during school hours, a time-off slip needs to be filled out. Some times they are denied by xxxxxxx with less than satisfactory reasons. Teachers are allowed to eat lunch off campus but if you choose to do so you will be looked at strangely.

Teachers are xxxxxxx overtalked, and taken advantage of. Many times xxxxxxx will talk bad about the foreign teachers in Korean in front of them to other Korean teachers. Not all red days are taken. Instead, the school opts to pay teachers extra. Teachers are often forced to complete extra work outside of what is required.

A lot of crucial information that the foreign teachers need to know that directly affects teaching schedules and lessons is often withheld until the absolute last minute. The amount of work the students need to complete is often too much. Books, homework, etc. have to be checked exactly the way xxxxxxx wants it or you will be scolded. Teachers are often monitored through CCTV and micromanaged and xxxxxxx will come into the classroom to interrupt you and reprimand you. During the first month of the school year 3 teachers have already quit or are in the process of quitting.

There is so much more that can be said but I'll end it here. Please save yourself the tremendous headache. Don't work here.

Apr 27, 2025, 1:06PM

This job is way more trouble than it's worth. They boast paying a high salary, but for the area in Seoul it's a very wealthy district and you can find better elsewhere. The work itself is tedious and often nonsensical. You'll find yourself asking why they do things a certain way and often there is no good answer. There is a running joke among the teachers that if there is a more practical way of doing something, they will never adopt that way of things because "that would make too much sense."

Teachers are required to input daily grades and comments for every single student every day. While they do have auto-filled options, you will be looked down upon if you use those. Additionally, fully custom midterm and final reports are written for each student. If you are found to be re-using phrases too often, again, they will look down on you for that. There are also monthly essays that need fully custom feedback for each student. Each teacher can have anywhere from 60-80 students at one time.

Breaks are not guaranteed every day, many teachers have at least one day of their week where they skip eating a meal. They get by on this because there are technically 5 or 10 minute breaks between classes.

You may also be denied a sick day. I know it happened multiple times to different teachers that were asked to still come in despite having a fever or throwing up because other teachers were already out and they do not provide substitutes. If your coworkers are sick, you may be asked to cover their class (forfeiting a break you would have otherwise had).

Trying to follow the rules for posting here, but xxxxxxx is one of the bigger problems. Things may not be obvious at first, but if you end up on their bad side, they come to visit you more frequently. Conversations will go in circles and have no clear point. I know teachers that were some of the most professional and smart people I know that would leave conversations with management feeling like their intelligence was insulted.

Additionally, different xxxxxx often give different instructions. If you have an issue with a student you are encouraged to bring it up, but one xxxxxxx might tell you to do one thing when another will say that's a bad idea and don't do that. There is a real lack of communication between the xxxxxxx team which leaves teachers feeling directionless and confused.

TLDR:

While I would say this job MIGHT be okay as a first time teaching job, I am not really sure. I believe they don't really want first time teachers. They do not offer airline costs if you are coming from out of the country (which is a standard from any decent hagwon or company). The teachers are easy to get along with and the kids are the best part of this job. They tend to be clever and capable of holding conversations. However, I would also not recommend to anyone with any actual education degree or experience. The teachers who come in with such things are often scrutinized WAY more. I would also discourage working here for a prolonged period of time. Curriculum changes basically every semester, making it virtually impossible to reuse any of the material you created in previous semesters, so the job will not get much easier over time.

Apr 25, 2025 at 8:08PM

Please Research Carefully Before Accepting a Position at This School

If you re considering working at this institution under the impression that it s a traditional Montessori environment, I would encourage you to pause and do thorough research.

While the school presents itself as Montessori-aligned, it s important to note that none of the staff hold AMI or CMI certifications. The materials are created internally and often diverge from established Montessori principles. Though they advertise trained, experienced Montessori teachers to parents, the training provided is in-house and not recognized by any official Montessori organization. This may limit how transferable your experience will be.

Concerns About Transparency and Communication

Teachers are sometimes placed in difficult situations where they are expected to support information presented to parents that may not align with their professional understanding or ethical standards. This can be especially challenging for educators who value open, honest communication.

Workload and Support

Staff are responsible for a wide range of duties, from cleaning classrooms to managing bathroom needs with minimal support. Training sessions, while positioned as professional development, are often unpaid and scheduled on weekends. Foreign staff may also experience disparities in how labor protections are applied compared to local staff, leading to feelings of imbalance.

Health and Wellbeing

There have been instances where teachers felt pressured to come in despite being unwell, which raises concerns about how staff wellness is prioritized.

Contracts and Exit Processes

The probation period has, in some cases, been used in ways that made teachers feel uncertain or unsupported. Teachers have also experienced delays in receiving their final pay or Letter of Release upon departure, adding to the stress of transitioning out.

Classroom Safety and Special Needs

There is limited support for students with special needs, and teachers have occasionally faced challenging behaviors without adequate training or assistance. In some situations, staff were held responsible for incidents beyond their control, which can make it difficult to feel safe and supported.

Final Thoughts

This school may be a better fit for those who are comfortable with a Montessori-inspired approach and are not seeking formal Montessori accreditation. If you value working in a certified Montessori environment with clear support systems, this may not align with your goals. Speaking to past and current staff could offer valuable insight into whether it s the right fit for you.

You deserve a work environment that supports your growth, values your well-being, and respects your professionalism.

Thu, Apr 17, 5:20PM

Wouldn t Recommend This Kindergarten to Anyone

I worked at this kindergarten (now called Francis Parker, located at Achasan-ro in Guri it used to be known as Wiz Island), and honestly, it was a very frustrating and disappointing experience.

Pay was always late, every single month. I constantly had to message and follow up just to find out when I d get paid, which added so much unnecessary stress. Overtime hours piled up with no acknowledgment or compensation, and conversations about it always led nowhere.

There was also very little support for teachers. Basic things like textbooks were often ordered late, so we were expected to run classes without proper materials. Then once the books finally showed up sometimes two or three weeks into the semester we were rushed to finish everything in just a few days. It made no sense and created so much pressure.

One of the most frustrating parts was being asked to film the students repeatedly doing speeches or dances in English. Even if a child made a tiny mistake or looked away from the camera, we had to start over. Sometimes we d film the same video 30 50 times. It felt like the focus was more on appearance than actual learning.

Leading up to events, the workdays got even longer staying at work until 8 p.m. or later was just expected. If you couldn t stay, the attitude toward you changed quickly. It created a really uncomfortable atmosphere among staff.

I saw so many of my coworkers burn out emotionally. The kids were never the issue it was everything else that made this place so difficult to work at. There were more issues in regards to money, insurance and tax, but I can't talk about it to be able to post this review unfortunately.

There are definitely better, more supportive schools out there. This one just isn t worth the stress.

Tue, Apr 15, 11:05PM

Working at FTK Bucheon was one of the most exhausting and demoralizing experiences of my life. From day one, I was overwhelmed with an impossible workload and barely any support. You re expected to create lesson materials, activities, and admin reports on top of teaching up to nine classes a day, often with zero prep time. The curriculum is completely inappropriate for the students level, which makes everything harder and despite repeated warnings from native teachers over the years, nothing has ever changed. Every few weeks, the stress doubles as a new cycle of testing begins, and you re just expected to somehow manage it all.

The worst part is how management treats you. There s no respect, no recognition, and no understanding. Instead of support, you're met with micromanagement, last-minute changes, and constant criticism. During your busiest, most stressful days, they ll take away your only prep period for unexpected make-up classes and then question why you re behind. I ve never felt so small, so unheard, and so replaceable. You're made to feel like a failure for not being able to keep up with an inhuman workload, even if you are doing your absolute best.

The emotional toll this place takes on you is devastating. Pay issues are ***************. The housing provided is often substandard some teachers lived with mold, broken appliances, or were asked to move during the school year with no help at all. You re given almost no vacation time, and it s clear they don t care about your health, your time, or your basic dignity.

This school will break you. I watched teachers burn out, break down, and quit mid-year because they simply couldn t take it anymore and I completely understand why. I ve worked hard my entire career, and nothing prepared me for how emotionally draining and toxic this place would be. Please, if you value your mental health, your professionalism, and your well-being, do not work at FTK Bucheon. No job is worth what this school will take from you.

Tue, Apr 8, 9:27PM

Grove Learning - Chungju-si: I would like to put Grove Learning in Chungju on the Hagwon Black list. This academy used to have a good reputation, but now teachers, including myself , are leaving left and right. From working Saturdays and extra overtime work for no compensation, to constant broken promises of said xxxxxxx, and other money related struggles. The hagwon is clearly going under and instead of accepting it, The academy hires new teachers, xxxxxxxxxx. You know it's bad when even the Korean teachers are quitting for the same reason. Although the academy is kind, I can't just let some innocent new teachers go there and struggle every month because of the lack of on-time compensation.

Mon, Apr 7, 5:58PM

I want to nominate WILS language academy in omokgyo for the blacklist. From working 10-7 without a lunch break, forced Saturdays without pay. New students added to classes without notice, books changed last second, no notice for a change in work hours, no time off, no sick days, no vacation and being told you re a terrible teacher on a weekly basis. Paid late consistently. No pay stubs. No communication whatsoever. Constant communication outside work hours. You get your schedule at 10pm the night before. They refuse to pay you if you quit. The housing is complete with black mold EVERYWHERE as well.

Mar 29, 2025, 4:20AM

On the surface level, this job had such potential to be a great job. You are granted a bit more freedom in the classroom, your co-workers seem (key word being seem ) nice and care about education and their jobs, and the vacation time is more generous than traditional hagwons.

However, that is on a surface level, and there were so many catches to this job.

1. Lack of professionalism, specifically in leadership.

* Head teachers are chosen based on admin s (who have no prior formal qualifications in education or leadership development) personal opinions on staff. Admin will specifically handpick head teachers who will submit to their every will without considering professional ramifications of any decisions that those head teachers will make. Because of the obvious favoritism, head teachers have abused their power by purposely assigning unreasonably excessive workload onto their teachers. For example, head teachers split lesson planning by giving their teachers 2-3 subjects each to plan and prepare materials for whilst they would assign themselves only one subject to plan and prepare for. There is only one head teacher in the entire kinder campus that fortunately is a fair leader, however this is only one out of many.

* Administration is constantly changing their minds when it comes to planning events, deciding curriculum standards, behavior management, and their opinions of employees. Their opinions and decision making is entirely based on their moods and how they are just feeling that day. Korean Teachers will work hard during event days only to have their ideas diminished and changed entirely by admin, who do nothing to help during event days and just merely stand and watch as KTs and FTs prepare and set up for events. Admin fails to communicate their desires for anything to foreign teachers, and relies solely on foreign head teachers to deliver feedback, which is rarely constructive and based entirely on personal opinions. In addition, because of admin s lack of decision making and communication, curriculum is constantly being changed. Lesson plans and materials that were agreed upon teachers as well thought get tossed because admin thinks they are boring , messy , too hard or too easy , when admin themselves never observe classes. Instead of observing classes or meeting with FTs to discuss curriculum or provide effective feedback, admin sits down in front of their computers for the whole day, sometimes on YouTube or online shopping.

* Behavior management is inconsistent and based entirely on whether or not they simply like the kid. There have been times where teachers have observed certain kids not receive discipline from admin, but instead admin will take said kid behind their desk and coddle them and offer them snacks. Certain students may cause disruption or uproar in the class, and it will be entirely up to the KT and FT to enact action because admin will simply give them a hug. On the other hand, when certain students are causing little to no harm, or may be in need of minor discipline, admin will yell at them unnecessarily. It all depends on how they personally feel about the student, class, and sometimes even the teachers of that class. ASP thrives on favoritism, needless to say, do not send your kid to this school.

2. Work environment (specifically with the foreign teachers).

* While on the outside, the teachers at ASP seem determined and dedicated to their work, they also thrive on one of the most cliquey type cultures someone would ever see.

* If you are not someone who consistently kisses up to administration, or is a yes man , you realize that there is a divide between the yes men and the others . Admin further exacerbates this gap between foreign teachers by showing the utmost favoritism and engagement with the yes men and subdued attitudes towards the other teachers.

3. Korean Teacher Quality.

* Unfortunately, most, if not all, of the Korean teachers at ASP Kinder do not have their foreign teachers back. Admin encourages, almost forces, the Korean teachers to report and gossip about any foreign teacher behavior to them, driving the gap between foreign staff and Korean staff even further. If a korean teacher does not like their foreign teacher for whatever reason, instead of communicating with their FT (if it is a case of their teacher), they will almost always report anything and everything to admin, causing the foreign teacher to get in trouble out of nowhere.

* Admin constantly will side with Korean teachers, even going as far to try to terminate their employees based on the opinions of the Korean teachers, without meeting with the FT and asking for clarifications.

* Korean teachers and admin will pose unreasonable and unqualified expectations onto foreign teachers, and will report them if they are not met. Again, this is usually done without ever meeting with foreign teachers. This has caused some foreign teachers to not trust their Korean teachers.

4. No training/no meetings

* Teachers (experienced or new) are told virtually nothing of their positions. Teachers are rarely told that they have to create their own lesson plans and prepare materials. While experienced teachers in Korea can somewhat navigate through this because of previous hagwon experience, new teachers are thrown into the job without being told of expectations, and how to even lesson plan.

* Some foreign teachers have unfortunately been subject to intense criticism and in some cases, termination, simply because Korean teachers and admin would complain that they were not prepared or did not know what to do , when teachers, in fact, literally do not know what to do because of the lack of training.

* In some cases, when teachers have inquired about lesson planning and how to plan appropriately to the schools standards, they have been simply told to just go on the Google drive and look at the stuff there , instead of a more detailed, adequate explanation.

* Regular staff meetings are never held, and all essential communication is done through KakaoTalk (yes, KakaoTalk, not even slack or teams) chats. Because of the lack of regular staff meetings, foreign teachers do not get the chance to have a space to air out any concerns or ask questions. In addition, this opens the door for further miscommunication as all communication is done through text messages instead of in formal meetings.

5. No employee protections

* As mentioned before, this school does not care about their foreign teachers, and funnily enough, their Korean teachers as well (although they are more protected than foreign teachers).

* There have been past instances of Korean teachers and foreign teachers not getting along, and whenever such issues are brought to admin, admin will continuously side with the Korean staff.

* Years ago, there were instances of a male foreign teacher acting inappropriately towards his fellow female teachers. He made inappropriate comments about their outfits in front of the students, and used a function to flirt more. After several female teachers expressed their discomfort with his behavior, some of whom had proof, he not only was not fired or moved immediately, but when the school eventually moved him to a different campus, he was moved back to the school months later without question and remained employed until he himself quit due to his own personal frustrations with the school (the irony).

It is simply easy to attribute a lot of this schools behavior to the Korean work culture , however, there has to be a point where even the culture should not be an excuse to explain unprofessional and toxic practices. There are other hagwons in Korea that, while having their own problems, are not as bad as American STEM Prep Gwanggyo Campus. It is not advised that anyone should work here. Teachers are severely underpaid in comparison to any other previous experience and their workload. It is also not advised that anyone should send their child to a school that can not decide on its own curriculum, let alone treats children differently based on any rapport admin may have with their families. Consider this your official warning to stay away from American STEM Prep Kinder Gwanggyo Campus.

Fri, Mar 21, 10:22AM

Save yourself. Management is very difficult to work with, curriculum is not developed, managers are extremely rude to teachers. For the hours and pay they offer, you can find much better. None of the teachers are resigning here. SO MUCH non and miscommunication.

Thu, Mar 20, 10:56PM

Unfortunately, I have seen the Poly Daejeon campus change over time and can not recommend foreign staff to work here. As a long-term employee, I have had a bad experience for the following reasons.

Incompetent Korean Staff

I have worked with Korean staff that were unwilling to cooperate with me. It has made the daily workload heavier, and taking the blame for lies communicated to parents and other staff members. This has shined a negative light on foreign teachers. Some staff members could not communicate well in English at all, this created friction between foreign and Korean staff. Some members cheated on test scores because of a competitive atmosphere, once more making foreign staff look like bad teachers. There was a promise that a change would come in the new semester but staff were just relocated from classes and divisions. Foreign staff became annoyed and there was a large turnover with foreign staff quitting. The morals and intentions are not focused on the well-being of students, parents, and teachers who are willing to work hard.

Divided Foreign Society

Although there are a lot of foreign staff on campus, it is a clicky environment. Staff feel tired from long hours and constant changes. You will find yourself lonely and become homesick quickly. It is clear that people feel unhappy here and it shows in their interactions. Daejeon does not have a large international society, so I feel it's important to get along with other foreigners at work.

Empty Promises

There was a miscommunication about a Red Day. Staff were upset about working on this day and being paid 1.5 days instead of having the day off. Just as there was supposed to be a change in staff the next semester. It seems that we are promised things by the company, to make us sign contracts and then they do not live up to these promises.

Dangerous Signs

Every time huge accidents happen at a hagwon, we tend to ask if there were any signs to prevent it. The signs are clear that there are teachers both foreign and Korean that could be a risk to the safety of students. Multiple times, we have tried to make people aware of some teachers' incompetent and bad behaviors. We have mentioned that we would like these members not to resign contracts or be removed. Every year they receive another contract and stay. I personally don't want to stand by and wait for something bad to happen here. Some people should not be working with young children, and I feel ashamed for not being able to do more about this matter.

For these few reasons please be aware of Daejeon Poly campus and consider your choices carefully.

Tue, Mar 18, 2025 at 5:43AM

If you want to be over worked and burned out in just a few weeks, go ahead and apply. They do not follow the methodology of the school. Curriculum is changed on a whim and you are expected to keep up. They will pretend to be kind and caring but as soon as you make a mistake, they will resort to mean girl behaviour. Xxxx has never employed NETs before and it shows. Most lunch times are spent preparing because there simply is no time to prepare for your classes. No prep time for most teachers. There is clear favouritism, especially towards xxxxx. xxxxx is protected and you will be told aggressively that you have to be friends with xxxx. XXXX starts off nice, but when they decide they no longer like you, they will make your stay miserable. They ve gone through 4 foreign teachers in their first year alone. And 5 Korean teachers in the first 6 months. Everyone is miserable and tired constantly. The environment is extremely toxic and rampant with favouritism. I ll stop here and let you decide if you want to take the risk.

Fri, Mar 14, 2:15AM

Avoid this school at all costs.

It seems great at first. Kind people, great apartment, everyone speaks politely, sick days are easy, random coffee and snacks, etc.

Then you find out that you will be randomly filmed multiple times a month with no warning, to be publicly posted. It's alright though, a little discomfort is a fair exchange.

Then you realize that the weekly meetings involve going over each of your classes in detail, then publicly defending any choices you made. Sometimes with a pointed moral lecture. But it's alright, the lectures aren't meant to be pointed, and the reports are fair considering you make up the curriculum yourself, books aside.

Then the girl who can barely tell you how her day went is unable to verbally summarize a 2 page article, which means the kids aren't learning. You are teaching wrong,

Then a non-native admin misunderstands a word you used, spends a week being passive aggressive, and finally accuses you of not being willing to help other teachers. Literally half an hour after you offered to help that same person clean their wall.

Then you spend an hour being threatened with the contract being enforced (yes, I was confused too) because you clearly care about it more than helping out. The day after you stayed an hour late to be interrogated about teaching style and two days before you planned to spend half a Sunday helping decorate for an event. With vague promises of compensation and because the boss made a personal request for help.

What a nice time for the admins to demand you let them see the inside of your apartment.

Hey, now you get a free period once a week! Spend it translating this document for a family friend of ours. Then writing 6 plays from scratch. Then designing class structure documents to show potential parents. Then....

By the end, I had stress rashes bad enough the kids noticed, had lost weight from barely being able to eat, had been seen crying in public by multiple parents, and overall had the worst mental health of my life. This being my 5th hagwon, including an illegal one, one where 14/15 teachers mass quit, and one where a teen off his meds physically attacked me. KELS was by far the worst.

Passive aggressiveness, high school mean girl politics, intense scrutiny, and walking on eggshells every day only to be blown up at every couple weeks anyway. Fun times.

But hey, they mean well. That makes it all fine

Mar 13, 2025, 11:20PM

Avoid FIS at all costs. This place is a complete disaster and will cause nothing but frustration, stress, and being disrespected.

Let s start with severance, the most recent anger inducing thing they ve done. The xxxxx made us open bank accounts for it, but gave us absolutely no information on how to access our money or when we would get it. We were left completely in the dark. If we hadn t figured it out on our own, we would have walked away with nothing. When we tried to go to the bank and sort things out, they didn t help at all giving us wrong information and blocking us from getting the answers we needed.

The xxxxx generally Completely unprofessional. We were constantly belittled and called lazy even though we were coming in early, staying late, and working weekends to meet their impossible demands. It was never enough. No matter how much effort we put in, it was met with criticism, and no recognition for the hard work we did. If they ever were told to be kinder, they would put on an act of being nice (completely fake and even doing aegyo at other fully grown adults to pretend to be nice) until the cycle of disrespect started again. They would add on extra tasks constantly and we were made to just figure it out , even if that meant we had to work on our days off.

When we brought up legitimate concerns, the response was always dismissive. It s your job, they d say, as if it didn t matter if the workload was unrealistic or unmanageable. There was no effort to listen, understand, or support us in any way.

Native xxxxxx tried to help as much as they could, but xxxxxx were so unreasonable that nothing could get through to them.

And once teachers gave notice they were leaving? It only got worse. We were treated like we were in the wrong for making that decision, with zero appreciation for the work we d put in.

If you care about your well-being, don t waste your time here. The disrespect, the stress, and the toxic environment are not worth it. Find a place where you are treated with respect, because you will not find that here.

Mar 11, 2025, 1:05PM

Hey John, I d like to add BEK (British Education Korea) to the blacklist.

In the five-plus years I have worked in Korea, BEK is the only school that I have felt I had to write a negative review for.

Management:

They engage in dodgy practices, both in business and education. There is a revolving door of employees and management, with high turnover and constant confusion. Xxxxxxx will pass the blame down to teachers for miscommunication, and they have no regard for the truth. The school spends a lot of money marketing itself with glossy brochures and fancy videos, but internally, it feels as though it is falling apart. There is no standard for anything, yet despite a lack of KPIs or clarity on what you are supposed to do, you are always in the wrong, according to xxxxxxx. If you do this, you re wrong. If you do that, you re wrong. They also find other ways to interfere with your livelihood.

Pay:

The lowest pay you can imagine for the level of qualifications most applicants have. I d say more, but I want to abide by this site s rules.

Facilities:

Tiny, broken furniture, and, at times, what I believed to be hazardous conditions. Definitely not something I would pay this much for if I were a parent. To be fair to the school, teachers are allowed to rearrange their classrooms to accommodate some of these issues, but even that is just a minor reduction rather than betterment.

Coworkers:

Generally good most people who are not in xxxxxxx or in cahoots with them are friendly and hardworking. There are exceptions, including a few toxic personalities, but for the most part, we are all in the same boat: good people being taken advantage of by the school.

Benefits:

There are things written in your contract that will look different from what you end up receiving, whether due to one excuse or another.

Hiring Process:

Google Eton House Prep scandal. BEK was formerly known as Eton House Prep and is still engaging in the same behaviours.

Many people are actively trying to jump ship. Stay away.

Tue, Mar 11, 10:05AM

Do not work here. Everything stated in the job post and interview were lies. The 100% kindy classes are in fact Kindy + elementary classes. You must eat with the kids during lunch break. "Easy workload" is actually overworking to the point of overtime. New rules being implemented almost daily, yet poor communication of these rules. Classrooms rarely have materials, such as student books.

Mar 8, 2025, 9:57PM

I didn t experience the worst when it comes to Poly but Poly Dongtan definitely has issues. First, no prep time. They say you have prep time, but it s always less than forty minutes and it s usually with lunch or bus duty or right before elementary. They make you do bus duty. What is bus duty? You literally have to go meet the children as they get off the bus and take them to the school. Even though there is a Korean teacher there, you still have to do it. Prep time/workload: it s a lot, especially if you are a new teacher. You are expected to grade, write comments, write lesson plans for all your classes, do bus duty, fill out behavior scores, grade essays, and the list goes on. You will either have no break or one or two breaks, depending on if they like you or not. They take things very personal even if it s not work related. If you don t do something correctly, they will shame you for it. They will shame you in a big group chat so that everyone knows. Something like not having a clean apartment, they will call you out and shame you to death.

Wed, Mar 5, 12:21AM

I would like to add these two schools to the list. They are two institutions which reside in the same building plot and are xxxxxxxxx.

Both carry the same work environment which can be extremely difficult for anyone to adjust to; given how stringent the working conditions can be.

This is majority of a family business so there is no way to report unfair practices or general concerns without there being some form of bias. Most of the family members that work there are the higher positions.

There is no concrete structure of how to receive information of work procedures. The rules are always changing without warning and when the staff are not told of the changes; they resort to yelling and verbal threats to intimidate you.

There are no proper allocated breaks by law regulations. They prefer to watch over your shoulder on your prep time and small window break periods.

Foreign teachers and Korean teachers cannot communicate properly because of how tense the working environment is. The environment is cold and has many workers competing against each other rather than having a cooperative working scheme.

They do not allocate holidays legally by the summer and winter standards. Although the legal amount of days is 11 for a first year; admin dislikes you taking one day of vacation even if justified by the summer vacation period and will not allow you to take your paid leave days.

For new foreign teachers; they tend delay important obligations such as paying health insurances; making the correct tax deductions. They wait to be reminded of lawful obligations before correcting their mistakes.

This school has a high turnover rate. They have fired many teachers; both foreign and Korean without warnings (especially written warnings). They strategically fire teachers close to the end of their contract without it being on the eleventh month to avoid xxxxxxxxx paying severances and flight reimbursements.

They also have a tendency to hire teachers from a specific nationality which they can take advantage of because of the misconception of coming from a poor background. They also hire this particular nationality in hopes that they won t fight back or oppose the way they conduct their school.

I would highly encourage anyone considering to work there to deeply consider the contracts they re offered and think twice before accepting.

Feb 27, 2025, 11:44PM

I don t know if this school still exists, but just in case it is .

This school says international, but it is not an international school. It is just like other english kindergarten in korea. Just like some s schools in korea, they prefer foreign foreigners as the teachers. If you are korean american or korean something, they would treat you differently than other teachers. They are shallow and will treat you differently of how you look like(?). The principal is a ****** kind of person, so if you are okay with those kinds I guess this school is okay. The ********************, so just be aware.

Workload - if you know the basic work of english kindergarten, then you know the gist of it. But there is no korean teacher. It is an english kindergarten but there is no korean teacher or assistant teacher to help you.

In conclusion, I think there are other places that are better to work at.

Wed, Feb 19, 2025 3:51PM

If you re considering working here, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. This school is a prime example of why so many foreign teachers leave hagwons disillusioned and burnt out. I quit this place late last year. The worst English academy in Daechi.

1. Favoritism Over Professionalism

Teachers at this school are not treated based on merit but rather on whether they are liked by the head teachers. One of the head teachers in the Fiction department has openly categorized teachers as either being in the light (aka, their friends) or part of a dark cloud (aka, anyone they don t personally like). If you are not in their inner circle, expect to be ignored, talked about behind your back, or set up to fail. One head teacher even went so far as to hire their personal friends, further deepening the nepotism and toxicity.

2. Constant Lies to Corporate

The xxxxx do not report honestly to corporate leadership. They frequently twist the truth, hide problems, and outright lie to make themselves look better. Meanwhile, teachers are forced to cover for their mistakes or are blamed for things completely out of their control. If you ever raise concerns or ask for support, they will either gaslight you or tell you it s "your responsibility to figure it out."

3. No Support for Teachers

New teachers are given little to no training, then thrown into classrooms with unrealistic expectations. If students don t perform well, teachers not the lack of structure or support are blamed. Teachers have asked for feedback or guidance, only to be told it s up to them to figure everything out. Problematic students are ignored, and the administration does nothing to help teachers manage difficult classroom situations.

4. Toxic Office Culture & Gossip

The work environment is filled with gossip, and the worst part? The head teachers themselves are leading it. They will smile to your face and then badmouth you behind your back. Private conversations in the office are not safe if you share anything personal, expect it to be used against you. One head teacher has even been known to report teachers' personal matters to corporate, completely violating any sense of professionalism or trust.

5. Office Staff Are Spies, Not Support

The office staff is not there to help foreign teachers. Instead, they watch your every move, waiting for a reason to snitch on you if they feel you ve crossed the line. Expect to be micromanaged while simultaneously given no real direction.

6. Unethical Practices & Threats

Teachers are pressured to lie about student performance, making it seem like all students are doing well, even when they are struggling. There have also been alarming emails suggesting that some staff might try to use severance pay as a way to manipulate teachers who try to improve their teaching. This kind of unethical behavior makes it clear that the school values control over actual education.

7. Extreme Workload & High Turnover

The workload is overwhelming, with unrealistic expectations that are impossible to meet. Unsurprisingly, nearly all of their tenured teachers have quit. The fact that they cannot retain experienced teachers speaks volumes about how badly this school is run.

Final Warning: Stay Away!

If you value your mental health, do not work at this hagwon. The unprofessionalism, favoritism, toxic work environment, and lack of support will drain you. No matter how good the offer sounds, it is not worth it trust me.

If anyone else has had a similar experience, feel free to share. These places need to be exposed so fewer teachers fall into the same trap.

Tue, Feb 18, 3:34AM

Do not work here. Working conditions and environment are stressful and unbearable. Many native and korean teachers have left because of management. Anything they tell ypu is a lie. Your housing apartment is not new but a crappy shoebox that is falling apart. They tell you maximum students in a class is not 12. Could be 18-20 students. You will not be given breaks everyday and only favorable teachers are given less classes.

You cannot take vacation when you want to and only during testing days at the end of each month. And if you take too many days off they will tell you not to come back and replace you with a substitute.

The curriculum is outdated and books have many mistakes. Often contain lessons about xxxx xxxxx and other inappropriate things that they expect you to ignore. They dont care about you and will not do anything to help you. They will mostly complain about how you teach and care only about how many students stay in the class. They will make you attend pointless meetings and make you write weekly reports that no one reads. And they will mostly come into your class and yell and berate you in front of students and other teachers staff.

Mon, Feb 17, 5:10AM

Please add Doctor English to the black list. This academy made a lot of promises when they first hired me that they never followed through on, and the working conditions were very taxing on my mental health. Also, it wasn t just me. Four other native teachers left this academy at the same time I did. Just a fair warning to anyone considering working there.

Wed, Feb 12, 2025 10:35PM

I'd like to add American Step Prep in Songdo to the blacklist. This school is poorly managed. The leadership encourages disputes between teachers, and when something happens, the owner starts gaslighting and manipulates it as if the other person has done something wrong. They make up stories and spread rumors about what is going on in school and between staff. There is no respect for the people that work there, only thinking about how to take advantage of people for their own benefit. The owner of this school also tells parents different things, so parents try to find out the truth through conversations with teachers. Without professionalism, this school has no system and just pretends to be. Many teachers in the meantime have not considered working here under stress and being there. If someone wants to choose this school, I highly recommend dont even consider it because it is worse than any academies. It is a fake international school.

Tue, Feb 11, 2025 5:02AM

I would like to add YBM Daechi Gate School to the blacklist. Management doesn't know how to properly manage employees and the communication here is not good. There is a lot of miscommunication. You will be made to redo a lot of assignments given to you because of the lack of clarity of the assignment.

You might be micromanaged. The general atmosphere of the school is not good for teachers who enjoy flexibility in learning and curriculum. I do not recommend Daechi area for friendly caring teachers.

I would recommend you to think very carefully before committing to a job here. It is overly competitive and takes away from the student-centered approach. The curriculum is very rigid and the atmosphere is not friendly. There is not a lot of room for flexibility here.

Tue, Feb 4, 10:43AM

Cons;

This place is constantly posting for new teachers because nobody can suffer the insane lack of organization from the underqualified CEO, who also struggles to communicate in Korean efficiently to the awestruck parents that seldom ponder enrolling their children in such a place.

Their ads suggest working your own hours, and competitive pay, which is simply not true.

There were instances where parents (who even spoke English) came for a meeting with myself and the person in charge, and this person wasn't even present. The poor parents laughed and looked round the academy in confusion. A few days later, they announced their child would not come anymore. The blame was then passed down to the teacher, despite the issues pouring down in avalanche proportion from the top of the chain.

Do yourself a favor and do not waste your time going here. The entire place reeks of unprofessionalism! :)

Pro;

Lack of organization/students meant numerous periods without students, sitting twiddling thumbs wondering what's going on.

Sun, Feb 2, 8:53PM

Another SLP branch for the blacklist. Every bad feeling you get during the interview isn't a mere gut feeling you should ignore, this place is not worth working for in the long run due to number IV. in the rules for posters that legally can't be spoken about.

Besides legal reasons, other unprofessional behavior was staff from other businesses unrelated to the hagwon being shouted at in other rooms. You'll be ignored when greeting others in the hallway, also ignored on kakaotalk, there's always strangers unrelated to the hagwon having meetings in the offices, and if you attempt to talk about issues or take action, you'll be blamed and probably won't succeed.

Sat, Jan 11, 2025. 1:18PM

Please try to avoid this school at all costs if you can.

- They blame foreign teachers for parent complaints or business failings. They have not taken accountability for any problems since they opened.

- They micromanage and nag you if your classes aren't "fun" but they aren't trained in the franchise's methodology.

- They actively go against the advice of childhood education theories and concepts because they are cheap and don't like anyone suggesting they know more than them about anything.

- They have very high employee turnover. They went through 3 Korean co-teachers in less than 2 months. They've been through about 12 teachers within the year they have been open.

- The schedule is overwhelming, under-planned, and unrealistic. You are teaching between 2-4 different age groups daily in kindergarten alone. There is no break in between the classes for the teachers or the students and they will scold you if you end class 5 minutes early to give your students that time.

- Lastly, they act like high schoolers by treating teachers they don't like with condescension and "mean girl" behavior. Meaning they will talk behind your back, complain to other teachers about you without telling the whole situation, and complain to the boss but act like it was out of "concern".

For the sake of your own health, mental and physical, please don't work at this school.

Sat, Jan 11, 2025. 4:13AM

This place is the worst. Seriously question if the hours and money are worth the cost of your mental health. The drama there is insane, it s never peaceful. If it s not the parents, it s the Korean teachers, then it s the English teachers, in an endless loop. So much favoritism, backstabbing, and gaslighting you ll feel like you work at a mental asylum. There is no organization, things are told last minute, disrespect is tolerated and even encouraged, there is no HR or anyone to report to if there s a legitimate problem. There is no job security, they can and will fire you and look for your replacement before even notifying you. Please do not work here.

Dec 27, 2024, 1:19AM

This place suffers from severely negligent management that seems completely disengaged. The leadership appears to spend their days aimlessly at their computers while chaos unfolds around them. It s run by people who show little regard for either employees or students, treating it as a cash grab albeit a poorly executed one at that, due to the shoestring budget on everything. The parents who enroll their children here are utterly insane wiht their demands and make life miserable for everyone. It s baffling that they keep expanding with new campuses. What person would want to replicate this?? They can barely manage the main campus, which already struggles with an unoriginal and lame academic program that is half-baked at best. It feels like someone is xxxxxxxxx.

Tue, Dec 17, 2024 5:27PM

The school is very disorganized. They don t know how to communicate responsibilities to their FTs. They have no understanding of the lesson plans and what it actually entails but want to micromanage you in doing what they want you to do. They don t follow the methodology of the school. You don t have your full lunch hour to yourself, you always teaching and don t have enough preparation time for your lessons. They have lost a total of 11 teachers in the space of 11 months. Be careful of this school.

Mon, Dec 16, 2024 3:46PM

The GOOD

You are paid on time and you are paid on the higher end even starting (2.3 even with no experience).

There are many bad things happening at this hagwon.

The xxxxx micromanages beyond all compare. I don't even know how to describe it. They are always there to the point that the person I feel is the xxxxx got pushed out of xxxx office and now works and the foyer desk on the second floor. The xxxxx treats the Korean staff terribly and xxxx has a henchman at the front desk who watches everything (nickname CCTV teacher). xxxxx will report things to the xxxxxx to talk to you about. The atmosphere in the school is heavily toxic as many teachers are overworked and underappreciated. This is one of the many reasons behind the high turnover. Foreign teachers are not even allowed to chat with each other. When i visited one of my coworkers class during my free time, just for a minute or two. I was being watched on their cctv and later the manager came to tell me off that I am allowed to do my work only. Foreign teachers have to make 5.6.7 years old korean age kids, write essays and make them morise two pages long essays. There's not break time at all because you have to eat with the kids and after the kids finish their food. You either have to play with them and read books to them one by one. The workload is absolutely insurmountable and you have not enough time to finish all the tasks. Biweekly comments, 3 different homework checks and reading 5 books per student, preparing all the craft materials, preparing the background for students speech video, monthly lesson plan, taking the students to the toilet, mopping the floor after kids wash their hands, preparing their morning snacks, serving their afternoon snacks, and after finishing the regular classes. You have more after school classes. All the teachers were miserable and foreign teachers were scared all the time. The xxxxx and another xxxxx are always watching your every move on the cctv and they will try to fix your postures too. Everyone was so overworked to the point that one of my ex coworkers said, everyday it feels like a big truck is about to hit her up and she would rather feel that then go work there at that hagwon. There's many more reasons to avoid this hagwon at all cost but I hope what i have said is enough.

Thank you, Jon.

Mon, Dec 16, 2024 1:20PM

I would highly recommend anyone who is considering working at either of this schools branches to think again. From late pay, gas lighting, xxxxxxx, lack of communication, having to clean up after the school mess, job uncertainty, and bad contract moving forward onto the next year, I would recommended not working there.

Having worked there myself I can say that it was extremely stressful. The biggest parts being job security, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. This leads to the question Is this job secure enough to work at? The school doesn t even have money to buy books on time, so how can I feel secure at a job like this?

The school has had some very messy things happen this past year that has left a lot of the workers shaken and angry. Without going into detail, just know it has to do with money and location.

Mon, Dec 9, 2024 8:28PM

Bethel Christian Montessori Academy ( BCMA / B.C.M.A. ) and Kids of the Nations International School ( KONIS / K.O.N.I.S. ) are run by the same people.

There is severe nepotism and cronyism, meaning any issue anybody has with another teacher or manager will never get resolved. You will always become the bad guy, even if every single foreign teacher says the same thing about the same person, management will not listen.

If you are already there, ALWAYS turn on an audio recorder (like an app on your phone) before going to ANY meeting, 1-on-1 or All-Staff. According to Korean law, recordings can be used to defend yourself if you are one of the parties directly involved. If they surprise you, ALWAYS follow up an in-person meeting with a "cover yourself" text summary and require management to confirm in writing. Screenshot the results so they cannot delete the message after the fact.

Secrecy is a power they wield over you. They avoid text messages and emails and will insist on in-person meetings, allowing themselves to control the schoolwide narrative.

As a longtime Christian, there is nothing remotely "Christian" about this school. That is a flypaper facade. Nor is that just my opinion; every Christian English staff member will acknowledge the same.

There is also nothing remotely "Montessori" here.

Management regularly gaslight trained Montessori teachers and tell them they just do not understand the "real" Montessori method, leading to astronomical turnover.

Children are daily forced to learn things they try to avoid, violating the Montessori Method and wasting everybody's time and energy. Despite this, teachers are routinely blamed for a student's lack of performance.

We also frequently handle children with learning and development disabilities, which are not recognised in Korea.

Expectations change from day to day at this school. After a three-hour after-work training session, I was told by a manager to do an activity the exact opposite from how I was trained.

There is no curriculum for this school. The teachers have to make the curriculum as they go, meaning: management-level planning and coordination without management-level pay.

Everything is an emergency here because everything is done at the last minute and nobody knows what is going on.

There are no rules for the children at all, by management's design. I and other teachers have been regularly ******. The teachers also never received an apology.

I did all of the cleaning and manual labour in my classroom because my Korean co-teacher would run to tell management if I did not do whatever they wanted me to do. On top of that, my co-teacher gaslit me every day by telling me to do their work for them, and that I just "do not understand my duties."

Any contract here is ultimately just a pretense. Management insists that you function under the "Teachers' Manual", which management adds to and takes from at will.

They also often verbally command their employees to do the exact opposite of what is written in their teachers' manual. They most likely do this to put their employees in a lose-lose situation.

There is a new clause in the "teacher's manual" that mandates we ask for our co-teacher's "permission" to go on holiday even with our families visiting the country. This is a huge problem if said coteacher is petty and vindictive, which is unsettlingly common here.

If you dislike any of these things, do not work here:

Severe Nepotism and Cronyism, Jungle Law, Kangaroo Court, Cliques, Daily Disrespect, Horrible Co-Teachers, Responsibility Without Agency, Impossible Demands, Gaslighting, Heavy-Handed Management Tactics, Backroom Politics.

Dec 15, 2024, 11:39PM

DISCLAIMER

This post reflects my personal experience and observations during my time at this school. Others may have had different experiences, so please consider this as one perspective.

I worked at a GATE school in Seoul for a semester before deciding to leave due to numerous unresolved issues that made the work environment unbearable. While the school has some positives, the lack of transparency, poor management, and toxic culture significantly impacted my experience. This post aims to provide the necessary context so others can make an informed decision.

PROS

1. Amazing Working Hours: Teachers work from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with no elementary classes in the afternoon. This is rare in Korean English schools and was one of the few highlights of working here.

2. Shorter Teaching Hours: Since teachers only work with kindergartners, the teaching load is lighter compared to schools that also include elementary-level classes.

3. Wonderful Students: The students are incredibly bright and a joy to teach. Their enthusiasm and curiosity made the teaching moments rewarding despite the challenges elsewhere.

4. Prime Location: The school is located in a bustling and highly desirable area in Seoul, full of activities, restaurants, and cultural opportunities.

CONS

1. Misleading Job Expectations

The hiring process lacked transparency, with key responsibilities omitted during interviews. Teachers were led to believe they would have minimal administrative work and no interaction with parents, only to discover otherwise after starting.

Here s what wasn t disclosed during interviews:

Teachers meet parents five times a year, including introductory meetings, open house events, two parent-teacher conferences, and winter musical.

Monthly report cards for each student require extensive work, often with insufficient time to observe meaningful progress.

Weekly parent letters and event newsletters are expected, significantly increasing the workload.

Large events like Open House and winter musical add immense pressure, as teachers are tasked with preparing students in just a few weeks, often with minimal help from Korean co-teachers. These demands leave teachers feeling blindsided and overwhelmed.

2. Housing Issues

While housing is provided, it often falls below expectations. Teachers are placed in older villas with high maintenance fees (₩100,000 ₩250,000 monthly). Many units suffer from plumbing problems, mold, or peeling wallpaper, and repairs are often delayed due to mismanagement.

3. Toxic Work Culture

The school s culture felt exclusionary and unsupportive. Senior staff often gossiped about newer teachers, with little effort made to mentor or support those struggling to adjust. A particularly unprofessional teacher frequently criticized and spread rumors, creating a hostile environment.

In my short time there, multiple teachers quit due to the toxic atmosphere. The root of the issue was a lack of training and support for new hires, compounded by an environment that discouraged collaboration.

4. Poor Management

Both the school s xxxxx and xxxxx contributed to the dysfunction:

The xxxx frequently gave unclear instructions, leading to repeated mistakes and wasted time. Feedback was often condescending or dismissive.

The one in charge rarely addressed ongoing issues, allowing the toxic culture to persist. Despite acknowledging problems, no meaningful changes were implemented.

5. Lack of Support from xxxxx Co-Teachers

Xxxxxx teachers, who are meant to help with classroom management, often neglected their duties. Many spent time chatting, on their phones, or even napping during work hours, leaving English teachers to manage large groups of young students alone.

This lack of accountability added unnecessary stress and reflected poor oversight from management.

6. Unfair Workload Distribution

After-school teaching assignments were distributed unevenly, with some teachers repeatedly given more responsibilities while others were exempt. Management claimed that this was a reward for good teachers, but it often felt like punishment. This imbalance caused resentment and further eroded morale.

Conclusion

While the school offers great students, reasonable working hours, and a convenient location, the toxic work culture, poor management, and substandard housing make it a difficult place to work. The lack of transparency during the hiring process and unfair treatment of staff were particularly disheartening.

If you are considering working here, proceed with caution and ask detailed questions during the hiring process to avoid surprises.

Fri, Dec 13, 2024 5:09PM

Namsung Elementary School markets itself as an "international school," but this is nothing more than a facade. The institution refuses to hire qualified teachers, provide proper training, or allocate sufficient resources, leaving staff to fend for themselves in an unprofessional environment. While the schedule may appear light at first glance, the relentless administrative tasks and excessive planning requirements force teachers to work late hours or take work home, draining any semblance of work-life balance. Management is consistently unresponsive to constructive feedback despite constantly soliciting it. They lack a proper pay scale, a cohesive curriculum, or even basic behavioral policies for students. Teachers are expected to create nearly all materials from scratch, adding to an already crushing workload. To make matters worse, the leadership crumbles under parental complaints, blaming teachers instead of addressing legitimate issues. This lack of accountability, coupled with a toxic environment of stress and overwork, leads to an unending cycle of teacher turnover. While the school may offer decent pay and long vacations, these perks are not worth the mental toll or the chaos that comes with working there. Save yourself the headache and look elsewhere.

Wed, Dec 4, 3:50PM

I would like to put Walnut Global Education Institute on the Black List.

Generally the atmosphere at this academy is horrible. There are good things and bad things about this place.

I will start with the (few) good things:

The other foreign teachers are great and they are all very good people, with the exception of a couple specific people that I will not name.

The kids are generally very good and super smart. They love their teachers and most of them treat their teachers with respect and love.

MOST of the Korean teachers are very talented and generally great people.

They let you leave after 1pm on your birthday.

Now the bad things:

The XXXXX are basically Professional Liars.

The gossip that happens (and is made by two specific xxxx teachers, then spread just so they can have more fun and talk bad about people behind their back) is on a ridiculous level.

Without being too specific, there was shouting and arguing within earshot of other teachers and the students.

Students being told to stay out of it by management when they try to protect their teachers' decisions. (in korean)

MASSIVE FAVORITISM

No privacy because management will stare at the cctv and watch your classroom to see if you are working the whole time you are in the building. If they see you not working, they will come to your classroom and tell you what you SHOULD be doing.

They will lie to the parents in order to make their business look good.

You will need to stay late often because they do events every friday and the teachers are the ones that prepare it. I didn t mind it because I knew the kids enjoyed it (and I enjoy art projects), but if it wasn t what they wanted they would tell you to take it down and redo it. They will require you to make all of the decorations for the event in your free time/prep time or after the students leave.

You need to post (lies) about every student in your class every week before you leave even on event days.

There are Afterschool Classes that you need to teach, but the students progress doesn t matter. They teach them how to copy from the board and finish books quickly. (you are required to write a post about these classes as well, at the end of each month)

Side note: all of the previous foreign teachers left before my time, and all of the ones I know that are still there, will be leaving at the end of their contract. They also have a VERY difficult time keeping Korean teachers.

PLEASE! If you are offered anything from them, DO NOT BELIEVE THEM.

Additional Comment:

I just wanted to add that Walnut Global Education is opening up an "international" elementary school that is going to be called Seoul Horizons Academy. So just beware.

Tue, Dec 3, 2024 4:24PM

I would like to submit Gangnam SLP to the blacklist.

This school lives up to the well known nickname given to SLP. Overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated, the turnover rates are high. I wish I listened to the warnings of the leaving teachers and got out of there before it was too late.

You will be constantly watched on CCTV (the CCTV is in the main reception area open on a TV for managers, parents, and even people walking by the building to watch at any time).

If a childs pencil is not sharp enough or if you sit down for a second there will be a passive aggressive message left if your inbox or in the group chat warning you.

You will work 9-5:30 with 0 legal breaks. 4 sick days are written in the contract but you are not allowed to take them, or you are made to feel extremely guilty if you do as they have no subs and the KTs don't teach.

The 'good' reviews on the greenlist are written by *.

They pick and choose which teachers they like and if you're unfortunate to be unliked by them it's usually because of the way you look or if you're outspoken about unfair or * things.

I could write more but it would fill 10 pages. No job should be worth your physical and mental health.

Wed, Nov 27, 2024 12:58PM

This is not a place where anyone would want to work. Just understand that as a foreigner, the organization will look down on you as a lesser xxxx. You will be treated as an outsider. Just imagine all of the horror stories you have heard coming from Korean Hagwons and it has occurred here. Do yourself a favor and stay far away!

Tue, Nov 26, 3:31PM

I would like to add Hwarang Elementary School to the blacklist.

Lack of Communication: There was minimal communication with both the xxxxxxxx and the English department. Many important details were only communicated last minute, and there was no clear structure in how information was shared, making it difficult to plan and execute tasks efficiently.

Inconsistent Rules: Native teachers were held to stricter standards than their Korean counterparts. For example, one teacher was reprimanded for playing music during break time, while a Korean teacher was allowed to play music during class time without any consequences.

Unequal Expectations for Camp Activities: Native teachers were expected to participate in pre-camp activities before the start of both Summer and Winter camps, while Korean teachers were not required to do the same. This created a sense of inequity and inconsistency in expectations.

Payment Discrepancies: Payment was not delivered on the contract date, and the housing allowance was frequently overlooked and not added as agreed upon in the contract, causing financial uncertainty and frustration.

Student Discipline: Students have no discipline and face no repercussions for misbehaving. This lack of accountability led to disruptive behavior in the classroom and created a challenging teaching environment.

Sat, Nov 23, 5:43AM

Do not recommend working here for anyone who values a work -life balance. Staff are even given additional responsibilities but lack the sufficient time to compleye tasks. Theres also differential treatment if staff. Specific staff were targetted and mistreated simply because they were disliked.

Please avoid at all costs.

Nov 22, 2024, 12:59PM

I want to nominate Gimhae Poly to the Black list.

Initially, this company seemed great to work for. THe xxxxxx seemed nice and attentive. Xxx was helpful when it came to work. There was a lot of work and hours, but it seemed okay.

After Covid, everything seemed to go downhill. Xxxxxx was never around. There are CCTVs with sound that xx was constantly watching. Xx always picks on one teacher each year. Xxx also has had a few teachers do midnight runs. There have been a few times where payments were late, not majorly late, but still late. Xxxxxx was hard to approach. Xxx never vouched for the teachers and typically seemed to go against them. You couldn't be late without good reason, not even 1 minute late. If you were sick, you had to ask to leave early for the doctors or just wait until the weekend.

I never thought I would have to nominate this campus, but here I am now having to do it.

Sun, Nov 17, 11:04AM

Quite possibly the worst school I've ever worked at.

It is so disorganized. You are told to do one thing and it will suddenly change the day of. There are sudden events that require you to take time out of YOUR WEEKEND to go to (like going to a HOTEL in the middle of NOWHERE).

You have no preptime during the day, so you have to rush to finish all work. There are weekly kidnotes posts that the parents don't even read. The workload is just overwhelming. Kinder lasts so long that there is no room to breathe during the day.

It is filthy. They just sweep around the dust and never really clean the school. The food is actually disgusting. It made a few people sick.

There is a promise of a much better school in the interview, but this is the classic bait and switch. If you value your sanity do not go here.

Sat, Nov 16, 2024 10:24AM

Hey there, John. I'd like to add American STEM Prep (ASP) in Yongin to the Black List.

I cannot recommend anyone work here. There is no sense of organization here and the parents really make all the rules.

There is a lack of guidance and support from the administration who try to pass on blame to these two guys in America who they say are responsible for all the teacher training and support.

There is an admin that basically lives in the school and uses the offices as his living room to watch movies until 11 or 12 at night.

All of the new hire teachers were mixed in with some of the most toxic personalities I have ever met and most of all in the elementary school.

We are often asked to work late, after hours, without pay. I am sad to see a few people volunteer to do what the owners want and go overtime, and I think they are great teachers but you can see the school it taking advantage of their kindness and burning them out.

I really weighted this post before making it but I know that people will soon be considering either working her in the spring or transferring their kid to this school. My advice is just for you to stay away. Just as an insight, many of us will be filling out our contracts for the year and leaving.

Sat, Nov 9, 2024 12:40PM

Run do not walk away from this hagwon!! Do not work for this hagwon unless you are okay with: Being worked like a dog with all kinds of extra classes and desk work, forced to work on saturday on as little as 12 hours notice, messaged at home in the middle of the night, denied breaks/ sick time/ holidays, having your every move and word spied on, and the list goes on. Ask any former employee if they would ever go back and the answer will be a resounding NO!!!! And that is if you can even find anyone who has actually completed a contract. The working environment itself is completely chaotic, extremely unsupportive, and downright toxic leading to constant miscommunications and needless stress. For the sake of your mental health please be well advised and stay away.

Thu, Nov 7, 2024 5:12AM

Pay is so low considering how overworked you are at this school. Xxxxxx has only gotten worse over the year with very poor leadership and organizational skills as well as bad communication.

There is a lot confusion when it comes to big event days and xxxxx expects you to read their minds when it comes to this giving you very little instruction or direction.

All of your "break times" should be used preparing lesson plans, materials, etc. It is looked down upon if you use your time to do anything other than prep. If you do use your break time, you can only be outside of the building no more than 20 minutes (out of the 45 minute break we are entitled to). This seems to only apply to foreign teachers though.

Mistreatment of foreign teachers is nothing new, if there is a situation in the classroom and you explain your side of the story, management WILL check CCTV and see if you are telling the truth. There is no real trust at this school.

As much as they like to make everything fair between foreign and Korean teachers, there is no real fair relationship between the two. You will always be put second no matter what.

Sun, Nov 3, 2024 10:11PM

I'd like to add an American Stem Prep in Songdo to the blacklist. It sounds like an international school, but it's actually just another academy. They run crazy theories that their school is better than other places without being overworked and treated properly. This place has a very high turnover rate (both Korean and foreign employees) and teachers leave this school even in the middle of the semester. You have to start your day with stress in this unorganized school, and the second contract is never kept. They try to make you feel guilty by listing their own reasons that are not reasonable, deceiving, and ridiculous. Another big problem is the inefficient and unprofessional xxxxxxx, which encourages competition among teachers and always creates problems. Xxxxxxx do not speak English, and it is difficult to trust them due to a lack of transparency in information. In addition, CCTV monitoring shows the quality of the teacher, driving it as if there is no quality of the teacher, gossiping and conspiring to produce conflict. Xxxxxxxx is also hard to communicate with and there is a lack of direction, with things always changing at the last minute.

The biggest problem with this school is that xxxxxx don't know how to run it. They don't actually care about education but try to adhere to the needs of parents who are consumers, and because there aren't many students, they always think about profits, but they pretend they don't, resulting in contradictory results. However, it is quite unusual for a school to be "unknown" for any part of the curriculum. In every way, this is not considered a school due to huge structural and basic instability, and working here was the worst.

I recommend staying away from this school as much as possible.

Mon, Oct 28, 9:16AM

I don t know where to start with Till I Am Eleven (TIE).

First of all, you are not the English teacher at this school. You do every other job BUT teach English. Here s a list of duties you MUST DO that are not teaching English:

Clean the school

Clean your classroom

Take photos of the kids

Upload the photos weekly to Kidsnote

Write Kidsnote comments biweekly

Administer medicine to the kids

Take the shuttle with the kids in the afternoon

Write a class newsletter

Make student portfolios of all of the kids work

Help the kids wipe after using the toilet

Make sure the kids have adequate clothing if there are accidents

Take the kids to the gym class

Watch the kids during gym class

Take the kids to the rooftop for gym

Greet the kids and parents in the morning downstairs

Teach the 4 year old class

Take the kids to library

Etc.

There are 14 kids per class, and during your designated teaching times (rooftop, library, your theme class, circle time, story time) your Korean teacher has her hour break so she does not help you at all.

Your one class per day is theme, which is just a craft or science experiment or cooking. This class is usually scheduled at the end of the day so you only have about 25 minutes to teach the lesson.

If a kid in your class has a birthday that month, your theme class is now a birthday party and you have to do everything. Set up the cake, sing a song, read a script, pass out the cake, take pictures of EVERYTHING. The parents will complain if the pictures are inadequate.

During our Korean teacher s classes (language arts and montessori) we MUST help teach, sometimes you have to take kids out to teach them small reading groups and computer tests. Good luck, because there is no designated room to do this in. You have to sit in the hallway or find a space.

You do not get any planning periods. You have 30 minutes before school starts and if you want to stay late after work. (Whatever time we might have after school is taken up by shuttle duty).

We have to create our lessons from scratch and you only get 25,000 to buy materials for your class. (Each class gets 50,000 but it s split between you and your Korean coteacher).

For one class period per week, you must go teach the 4 year olds. You have to make a lesson plan for it and prepare all materials with no extra budget.

3 days out of the week, or more if you re unlucky, you have to teach a PM class or an elementary level PM class. The elementary PM classes require a lot more work than kinder PM. You have to write comments, check homework, and report cards per day. Weekly lesson plans, no extra budget.

They (xxxxxx) do not care about the children s education or well being. You have Korean teachers who can not speak English, trying to teach phonics. The lessons you plan are not approved nor regulated. There have been a lot of really serious behavior issues that have hurt other students, and nothing is done. They do not respond to emergency texts if someone is injured until hours later. They re also nowhere to be found. So you have to figure it out all on your own.

They often have parent meetings in the middle of school hours in the cafeteria where the gym and library is also located. When the parents are here, you are not allowed to go downstairs at all. This causes the schedule to get really messed up and sometimes lunch has even been delayed 30-60 minutes.

TLDR: lots of stress, no time, dog eat dog, a lot of guessing, you re the babysitter, janitor, bus helper, and Korean teacher. Not for first year teachers, or second year teachers.

Sat, Oct 26, 2024 12:47AM

Please reconsider working here. Really bad conditions. Pay is inadequate and overworked. The people in management treat you horribly, with poor social skills and poor leadership skills. Bad communication. School tells many lies. So much confusion and no set standard for anything. Really disappointing.

Oct 23, 2024, 8:22PM

I'd like to add Tag Members to the blacklist, mainly because of the xxx and xxxxx. I'll try to be short. Pros:

- BEAUTIFUL facilities. The photos on the website don't do it justice. It's really a beautiful campus. They have a full sized indoor gymnasium, and full sized auditorium. Unheard of for a kindergarten.

- Paid on time. Didn't have to ask for payslip/breakdown.

- Decent apartment in a niceish building.

- Nice area

- Not sure if this is a pro or not. On paper, they have short hours. But you have to use every bit of your free time checking homework, doing lesson plans, writing reports, or making a stupid sign for their events and be ON TOP of everything in order to leave on time. Not feasible for your average person, as many teachers stayed late every day.

CONS:

- You have to make your own lesson plans. Every week. These include page numbers for every class and every book. There is a rough year-plan to guide you, but you have to come up with a consensus among teachers in your grade level of which pages to do when. Someone SHOULD make a uniform master lesson plan for the year, but no one wants to bite the bullet and do extra work. And no previous teacher wants to share their lesson plans with the new staff. Should tell you something. If you have education background, this will be a nuisance. If you don't, you will feel annoyed.

- The kinders and elementary kids have a lot of homework. And I mean a LOT. Picture diaries, plus actual homework books that you're expected to check daily. You don't always have prep to do it before the kids go home, which means yep you guessed it: do it during your lunch or get yelled at.

- Have to eat lunch with the kids. The Korean teacher is "supposed" to take the lead here, but they don't always. They are given a lot of freedom to be lazy and not serve the kids properly, or too busy on their phones to give kids more food when they want it or clean up spills. You have to watch them when they play after lunch, too. Don't expect any time to yourself to check homework either, with kids coming up to you constantly.

- Event preparation. Tag for some reason thinks you're all Leonardo Da Vinci level talented. And I mean that literally. You're expected to decorate everything from your classroom door (there is a very rigged "contest" for best door), to the entire school including large elaborate posters everywhere for different photo zones and events. You are given access to a hot glue gun, large rolls of colored paper and felt, and glitter. That's it. If they dont like what you've made, you're yelled at and belittled for not being an Art major in college and made to do it again until they're satisfied. This was the most annoying part of the job for me, since this is all on top of the mountain of lesson planning and homework you're expected to check.

- Korean staff. Korean staff were filled with xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Don't ever expect to have a real partnership with a co teacher. You can, and will be thrown under the bus in every opportunity.

- Parent-Teacher conferences. 4 times a year. Yes you heard me correctly. 4 times a year, you're expected to not only write report card every month, but eat up the little prep time you have to meet with parents and talk about their kids. Most parents do not speak English, so you're at the mercy of your Korean co teacher to translate. Based on what I said about them being two faced and back stabbers, you can guess how accurate they are. It is every bit as a waste of time as it sounds, since no Korean parent actually takes to heart anything we say anyway. Dumbest thing I've heard of, for a regular non-International & non-accredited hagwon.

- Salary. They offer pitifully low salary for what they expect, and push you out the door if you ask for too much. Which is what happened to me and many others.

- When I moved out, the place was spotless. Yet they xxxxxx.

This place changes staff A LOT. There are a FEW teachers that have stayed, and out of desperation they ended up offering xxxxxxxxxx but every year I see the other staff quitting. If you ask those few for an unbiased opinion about TAG, keep in mind they're making at least 30% more than you for not much more responsibility so they're likely to be much more accepting of the bullshit and you should take it with a few grains of salt.

Oct 12, 2024, 9:20AM

I was really disappointed by this hagwon, since everything seemed great on paper during the interview process. First red flag: I was rushed into paying for my own plane ticket and coming to Korea within two days of receiving my work Visa, even though the school had promised to pay. This ticket never got reimbursed by the school. I also had to buy it the night before departure because everything was rushed, which caused problems at the airport.

The apartment provided by the hagwon was dirty, with broken furniture, and there was black mold in the bathroom. The foreigner-assigned classroom at the hagwon was also cramped and dirty, with desks in disrepair (this was not the case in the Korean teachers classrooms). Adequate cleaning products were nowhere to be found, and the supply closet was in utter chaos. I had to use my personal Gmail account on the staff computers, which posed a risk to my online security because none of the computers were password-protected.

The hagwon itself had a hostile work environment with uncommunicative and unprofessional Korean staff (most of whom could not speak English despite being teachers of the language). Most spent their free time gossiping, including about students. A select few among the Korean staff were professional and kind, so I am very thankful to them. Unfortunately, there was no teacher training whatsoever. The orientation consisted of poorly written welcome documents prepared by a long-gone foreign teacher, which were not received until the second week due to lack of communication. The expectation was to figure out how the hagwon functioned immediately, without guidance. I was told I should ask more questions if I was confused but was met with annoyance and passive-aggressiveness whenever I did so.

At one point, someone in a position of authority cornered me alone in the staff room and yelled at me for not accomplishing certain tasks. I had not been informed that these tasks were my responsibility. Eventually this person switched to yelling in Korean due, I believe, to their lack of mastery of the English language. Similar intimidation tactics (such as the silent treatment) were used to try to make me take the blame for issues that occurred due to their poor management skills. They tried to show me CCTV footage of myself to pressure me into doing so. I was also falsely accused of playing on my phone in class, even though I used my phone exclusively to look up translations for my students. At the same time, I was blamed for not constantly checking the staff group chat on Kakao (on my phone) during class time. I was also guilt-tripped by a coworker into doing unpaid overtime and couldn t take breaks because of the workload (8-10 classes per day with very minimal prep time).

When I expressed concerns about the hostility and lack of guidance in the hagwon to a person in authority, they were dismissive and said I just needed to adjust to their work culture. I raised concerns about these issues three times. The third time, I was immediately terminated (via text) with no notice. They gave 2 days to vacate the provided apartment. It was a real struggle to get them to pay me (late), and they continued to make accusations against my character and work ethic (calling me a liar) throughout the whole process.

This is all very unfortunate as I found that the students were lovely and a joy to work with. I hope that this hagwon can change their management style in the future, if only for the sake of the kids.

Mon, Oct 7, 2024 8:54PM

I recommend not working here, and if you are considering working here, I highly recommend that you reconsider. Although it is an international school, it has no system and is worse than any academy or hagwon. Because there is no clear system, there is always chaos and drama and unnecessary stress on teachers as things are changed or decided at the last minute. They have no set curriculum for many of their classes. There is a *****, but there is only the position. There is a lack of any sort of leadership role, so there is always a lot of confusion. There is also a lack of financial resources, so it does not matter why teachers need supplies. When they request the items they need, the administrative staff decides if they need it. Teachers feel burdened by requesting to buy materials, so they often purchase class items at their own expense. Therefore, you would feel uncomfortable buying things. When a teacher is absent due to illness or other reasons and there is a cover class, the ****** has a lack of planning and seems to favor certain teachers when choosing a substitute teacher. The ****** always encourages confusion in relationships with people by lying and coordinating behind people s backs. As for the contract part, they try to play tricks and not follow the contract closely. When teachers take measure to sort out the problems, they make ridiculous jokes because they just follow the contracts from the headquarters. The ownership is incompetent and has no idea how to run the school. They also don t organize parent teacher conferences and have teachers do many meetings during their break time, not allowing them adequate time to plan for their classes. There is also no consideration in scheduling to make life easier for teacher. Loading many classes on one day and putting all break times on another day. With all of this chaos, there has been a high turnover rate with both administration and teachers, with nearly no returning members from when the school first opened. It is ridiculous that a place without an elementary school system is expanding to middle and high schools.

Oct 5, 2024, 4:09PM

I worked at Daejeon POLY for one year (I finished the contract). The entire management staff are the issue here.

I actually loved my students, and put a lot of effort to have a good relationship with my Korean co teacher. Even though her English was TERRIBLE. And I do mean terrible. She couldn't even put a single sentence together and FLED when us FTs met our co teachers for the first time, which felt bad as everyone else was happily conversing away, talking about classroom decorations and whatnot. I didn't hold it against her, I held it against management, whose job it was to hire co teachers that have at least conversational English ability. Pretty hilarious, considering the Korean co-teachers are expected to speak in English only to the kids, as POLY's everywhere have a very strict EOP (English only policy).

Due to her shitty English, there were a lot of communication issues between what I wanted her to relay to the parents and what was actually said. Not only this, she blamed me for her own mistakes (it was her first year doing this kind of job) to the parents so I had a bad rep for most of the year, despite the kids all doing phenomenal test wise and no matter how much they improved, the parents still hated me because of her. I experienced a lot of gaslighting with Korean staff before, but she really took the cake. Even after the open class, and seeing even my lowest level kids speak in full English sentences and do extremely well, my co teacher did her best to make sure the parents knew it was all because of her. (Which is hilarious, because the one "class" the co teachers do is literally just a comprehension checking worksheet to make sure that the kids understand what I already taught).

A lot of teachers were micromanaged. I wasn't, but I constantly saw teachers being pulled out of their classrooms to get scolded for what I considered minor stuff, which they obviously only knew about through watching teachers through CCTV or being in their classes for the entire time. I'm all for managers offering assistance or ways to improve a lesson, but these managers seemed to only be interested in berating and LOOKING for ways to belittle the teachers rather than help them.

The management team as a whole can be summed up from the re-contract period while I was there. There were a lot of FTs at that branch (20+) and of those, only 3 decided to re-sign; two of which were offered Head Teacher positions (which, if you ever worked for POLY means an extra 100,000 a month and a TON of responsibility). Not only did they wait until the last possible second to decide to ask teachers if they'd like to stay (mere weeks before contracts were up), they were cocky and assumed everyone would. The first wave of teachers of course said they were leaving, so they got more and more desperate. At first, they hardly offered anything outside of the traditional +100,0000 per month raise. Hilariously mentioned they dont have to give raises, and offered an additional 4 days of paid leave like they were doing us a huge favor, as though it wasn't in Korean labor law. Then, they started getting really desperate and started offering pretty large raises. If you've ever had a re-contract meeting, then you can take a guess how bad the job is if you refuse +400,000 a month raise just to stay a second year.

The cherry on top was that despite being one of their best teachers there, not only did I not get a good recommendation but I heard from prospective employers they actually bad mouthed me and told straight up ***** just to try to screw me over from getting another job. Petty as they come.

Workplace toxicity from top to bottom, I'm not sure how the management team got their jobs, but until they're all fired or transfer to another campus (it's been known to happen at POLYs) steer clear from this one unless you enjoy being berated for actually trying to do a good job.

Fri, Oct 4, 2024 8:51AM

Working at Mavens has been an incredibly frustrating experience for many. From day one, teachers feel undervalued and overworked. The expectation to arrive 30 minutes before contracted time without pay is unreasonable, and if they re not walking in the door exactly on time, they face scrutiny.

Prep time is virtually nonexistent unless a student cancels, which is absurd. Teachers are required to use ChatGPT to create homework based on news articles, but there s zero training on how to do this effectively. When feedback comes, it often feels like blame rather than guidance, leading to a toxic atmosphere.

The demands don t stop there. They re expected to send encouraging emails, follow up on class sign-ups, and chase after students who haven t completed their homework all during those precious few minutes when a student cancels. To add insult to injury, teachers were pressured to work through illnesses like COVID and influenza, and one colleague was even threatened with calls to immigration while they were in the ER.

Management's tactics are alarming, including xxxxxx. The so-called "mandatory" Saturdays seem selectively enforced, targeting those the administration doesn t favor. Salary gets xxxxxxx. At the end of your shift you cannot leave until someone at the front desk checks all your daily notes. And as everyone leaves around the same time, it's a rush to get there first.

Teachers have been banned from using the staff room, supposedly to prevent a "revolution." If they manage to work a split shift, they get a half-hour break, but taking it is frowned upon.

To top it off, the location near City Hall means constant protest disruptions, making commuting a nightmare and if you happen to have your office on the eastern side the noise from protests and sirens made it hard to hear the students.

Overall, Mavens lacks proper training, support, and respect for its staff as employees and as humans.

Thu, Sep 26, 2024 3:49AM

Unless you are 3+ years into teaching ESL in Korea I would avoid MapleBear Bundang at all costs. This is not a place for people looking to try out Korea - find a traditional hagwon for that. It is an all consuming job with no curriculum, misplaced management energy, and a very tough parent clientele. To be clear being a teacher in other countries probably will not help you in managing Korean standards.

The Korean teachers are great, the kids are not destructive, and operation managers at this location are helpful.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. From what happened there I would say again if you are seasoned in Korean Academies then you will should be fine.

Wed, Sep 25, 2024 10:47PM

At FTK Bucheon, you are overworked and in a constant state of stress. You are expected to create activities and supplemental materials among many (many!) other admin tasks in a very minimal amount of prep time, and usually at very short notice. This is because the curriculum is inappropriate for the kids, even though native teachers have been warning about this for years. Also, every 6-8 weeks a new cycle of testing begins and your workload doubles with no extra prep time or even consideration for your workload. During the busiest and more stressful times, admin will also schedule make-up classes for individual students who missed your (or other teachers) classes, which will be thrown at short notice and take your entire prep time that day. It is moments like that, where you get overwhelmed, that you're made to feel crazy for not being able to complete your work on time. I consider myself an organized, hard-working and caring teacher but could NEVER keep up with the workload.

There is very little regard for us as human beings from admin. They don't see us as qualified teachers, so our opinions aren't heard. We lived on the whims of parent opinions - if one parent made a complaint, suddenly the whole school had to make a new rule which often conflicted with an existing rule so it felt chaotic. We are also not given the legal minimum amount of self-chosen vacation days and so be ready to be burned out! Not 100% awful but avoid if you can

Tue, Sep 24, 2024 at 10:29AM

Retention rate is extremely low. Rarely given constructive criticism and schedules changed often monthly. Prep time is our official break times, often not until 4:30. When I joined no specific dates were listed on my official first contract. Coworker was told that she had to continue working past her end date because the year ended the first pay day, not the day she started. Overall school is not organized and events are left to teachers to organize with little instruction.

Sun, Sep 22, 2024 5:12AM

At first glance the school seems to be an International school but is far from it. If you thought you had great mental health this school will prove you wrong. After teaching at this school you will doubt your abilities as a teacher and leave teaching all together. This has happened to multiple teachers and they were great teachers and advocates for the students. You will be gaslighted to the extent that you will go home believing everything that has been said. The school's approach is that they pay your salary so they own you and that includes your personal time. Favoritism is a huge thing. You will be treated based on how much you are liked. No ownership will be taken for things that has been said or agreed upon. Please remember this is a business! The school has an extremely high teacher turn over rate and this will be blamed on people they have "fired" (whom have resigned).

Fri, Sep 20, 2024 6:31PM

Do not work at DYB Pohang. The director is not kind at all and you ll quickly realize it s a toxic environment. You ll receive conflicting instructions that change frequently, and important information about new students and lesson changes may not be communicated, leaving you confused. Some KTs will distract your students and wait for you to make mistakes to report. Expect constant meetings about class preparation, and you may even be asked to change your accent.

FTs are treated like clowns, always expected to perform while KTs dictate what you should do, leaving you feeling inadequate. You ll be expected to perform miracles and predict students' needs without proper guidance. You ll be pushed to meet unrealistic expectations and are expected to smile through it all. You ll be asked to teach during your first week with minimal training and resources, only to be critiqued later on policies and teaching methods. While the apartments might be decent, the stress of working here is not worth it. You ll live in constant fear of being fired and feel like you're treated poorly. Please reconsider before accepting a position.

Thu, Sep 12, 2024 10:40AM

Has their favorite teachers, and those who aren t are made to feel terrible. It felt like you could never do anything right because rules changed every day depending on their mood. For example scolded one day for not having extra work ready when the children finished their main classwork. The very next day, coming prepared with a worksheet for early finishers, and being scolded for overworking the children. You can t win. Teachers (besides one or two) are not valued whatsoever. Zero communication. Extremely rude. Fosters a very toxic environment within the school. Was left crying on multiple occasions. Don t do it. You ll be sweet talked well, but the reality is much different.

Sep 5, 2024, 4:40PM

DO NOT GO HERE

Your days will be spent making plans only to be asked to change them 10 minutes before time then criticized for not doing well enough.

Administratively they will not come through. I will not say the specifics, but believe me, you will have problems.... serious problems that lead back to very important things like your v*** renewal and filing t****.

Socially, it's tiring, fake, gossip-y, and there is a lot of cruel commentary and talking behind other people's backs.

Lots of micromanaging except no one knows what is actually going on and if you ask for clarification they will physically run away from you.

Books are made by ****** and are wrought with grammatical errors. Kids don't learn anything properly and just become experts at copying from the board. Frequent incidents between kids that are pushed aside or covered up rather than dealt with.

******* will outright lie and then laugh about it. They also behave in a way that makes many employees uncomfortable and makes an effort to see employees outside of work.

Sat, Aug 31, 2024 3:39PM

This school used to be a decent place to work, but the Bundang location has gone downhill lately.

Current issues:

Management has changed a lot over the past year. For years, teachers have been told the campus would "relocate" to a new building nearby, but it's always "next year." As a result of this anticipated move that never seems to happen, upper management is unwilling to provide proper funding to the Bundang location. The students and teachers have stopped being a priority.

There s a lot of missing or inconsistent information given to both parents and teachers about these changes. This has led to a mass exodus of students, with entire classes leaving the school. I worry that the remaining teachers may resign before the move, and then they ll be scrambling to find replacements. I feel it s prudent to warn other teachers who might be researching this school here's your warning.

Several highly qualified teachers have either been "let go" or pushed out as a result.

As class sizes shrink, teachers are being told they must work at other campuses within the franchise or face being sacked. We're also being told not to report the change in location immigration. To make matters worse, teachers are expected to commute over an hour to these other campuses.

Funding for events and supplies has been steadily cut back.

Teachers have been pulled from classrooms and told to prepare for new students, only for management to change their minds. Those without a class are left sitting in empty rooms or cleaning out storage.

During a two-week summer break, the school had no ventilation, and mould spread alarmingly throughout the classrooms.

Teachers and students started getting ill. We were told that professional cleaning services were hired, but in reality, the maintenance staff just painted over the mould.

Wed, Aug 28, 2024 6:07PM

This private academy opened at the end of 2023 by the same who runs xxxxxx area. DUX focuses on essay writing, so the teachers must always check the journals for spelling mistakes, and it can be very time consuming to check so many writing journals. So there is a lot of out of class prepping. The new academy aims for higher level students but the majority of the students are way below the class level. Some students can't even read or write a basic sentence but are expected to write an essay. The books are impossible to complete within the given time frame and way above the students level. The hours are long and very little break time for the teachers, working 8 hours a day and a small break time. During the summer camp we worked 11 hours and also a very miniscule break time. We also must write student reports every month and the report has to be 5 paragraphs long. This job might be suitable for a person who really really loves teaching and has a lot of energy to teach and doesn't need time to eat and can also read minds because the person in charge isn't the best communicator.

Tue, Aug 27, 9:51PM

I'd like to add another SLP to this list.

A higher-up was recently fired for a lack of leadership and leaving the academy at or before the time when the teachers start working. This made work more complicated as administration was completely detached from how things should be done when starting a new session, including meetings, but administration has taken charge of these duties rather than hire another person to. They hire anybody to teach, which has resulted in great disturbances to the work flow such as frequent schedule changes. When classes get exchanged, you are expected to know every last detail about that class even if you've never taught it before which is just completely unrealistic. There is so much misinformation and lies spread around that no one knows what is happening. With report cards being written monthly, it's nearly impossible to stay organized and sane. There are only two printers available for printing for around 20 teachers, but they often break or are just unresponsive. They keep adding more admin work and classes without hiring new teachers when others leave so the workload has significantly increased without pay or break increases. That being said, there is no actual break time or meals provided by the academy for afternoon teachers.

Aug 27, 2024, 5:39PM

I feel it is essential to share my experience at Fastrackids Bucheon (Sangdong), highlighting several critical issues that future employees should carefully consider before accepting a position.

Disorganized and Profit-Driven Management: The administration prioritizes financial gain over the well-being of students and staff. Decisions are often erratic, and some xxxxxxxx treat teachers poorly, fostering a toxic work environment.

Inappropriate Curriculum: Kindergarten students are taught material far beyond their level, and teachers are unfairly blamed when students struggle. Native teachers often lack resources, curricula, and preparation time.

Overwhelming Workload: Teachers are burdened with numerous responsibilities and minimal prep time, making it difficult to manage effectively.

Unstable Housing Arrangements: Teachers may be asked to relocate mid-year during work hours with little notice and no assistance. High utility bills and inadequate support add to the instability.

Compensation Issues: Xxxxxxxxxx

Racial and Gender Xxxxxxx: Xxxxxxxxxx

Toxic Work Environment: Negative behavior among KT and NT xxxxx is common, with conflicts often left unresolved by management.

Student Welfare Neglect: Behavioral issues are unfairly blamed on teachers, with inadequate supervision and safety concerns for students.

Poor Hygiene: Restrooms and classrooms are poorly maintained, with basic necessities often lacking.

Intimidation Tactics: Xxxxxxxxx

Poor Communication: The management's communication is severely lacking, often leaving teachers uninformed and unprepared for changes or expectations.

High Turnover Rate: A significant number of teachers leave within the first three months. This year alone, four teachers have quit, reflecting the challenging and unsupportive work environment.

Prospective employees should thoroughly evaluate their options before accepting a position at this academy.

Aug 17, 2024, 11:18AM

Dirty classrooms, furniture falling apart, chaotic and disorganized, xxxxx will throw you under the bus. It s a really awful place to work. low salary. Extremely high turnover of teachers and staffers. A few people even left Korea because of them.

Aug 14, 2024, 10:54AM

I BEG YOU DO NOT WORK FOR THIS COMPANY. I saw another creverse location already black listed here but a recruiter assured me since it's a different branch I had nothing to worry about. BOY WAS I WRONG!! Not only is this branch completely hands off, with little to no english speaking employees working as xxxxx (and tasked with helping the English teachers get visas, file paperwork etc) but they also go back on their word. (i.e xxxxxxxx will be reimbursed, then after I fronted the bill they stated they will not be reimbursing me, and many more instances such as these). Though I can not include claims of illegal activity due to group rules I MUST warn you do NOT go to this company and do NOT trust a certain recruiter who might push you for this position. Please be safe out there!

Tue, Aug 6, 2024 8:52AM

Do not work at this school if you value your mental health. It is a hagwon disguised as a private elementary school. When I started working there, everyone seemed very kind and welcoming; however, I quickly noticed how toxic the working environment was.

First, there is a poor work-life balance. English teachers are consistently forced to prioritize work over their personal lives. I cannot count how often I've had to come to work on a weekend or an off day (school anniversary, etc.) to complete grading students' assignments, book reports, etc. You have to teach 24 classes during the week, create and do monthly quizzes, final tests, monthly lesson plans, monthly student reports, book reports, and progress reports, judge speech competitions, help the Korean teachers during sports day, and have open classes with parents.

Second, everyone will know your business. Gossiping is the norm at this workplace. I've never been in a working environment where staff members were consistently told a person's personal business. There are also a lot of cliques. Some teachers will speak to each other, while others won't. Some will have a personal vendetta against you, and you don't even know what you did to them.

Third, poor communication. There is always a lack of clarity or miscommunication about the teachers' expectations, assignments, deadlines, etc.

I have a lot more to say about the place, but it would go against the guidelines of this page, so I will stop here.

Sun, Aug 4, 2024 7:20AM

I have no words for how truly bad this hagwon is, I'm surprised it's not already on the blacklist multiple times. This school is a revolving door of both native teachers and Korean teachers quitting and doing midnight runs. Even the kids are dropping out regularly. They will micro manage you constantly and interrupt classes and embarrass you in front of other colleagues and students. Teachers are burnt out due to the curriculum being so messed up and constantly angry parents as there is no structure/ materials and major favoritism and bullying of the students. The xxxxx has never had an academy before this and uses it as an excuse given at any inconvenience despite it being open for almost 2 years now. Obviously no research was done before opening. The native teachers are required to prepare everything and come up with all ideas for events with no time to do it except in lunch breaks or 5 minute bathroom breaks. The kids are always in the classroom and even around you in the teachers lunch room when you try to eat. They have no play room or gym so they run riot and there is no office or private teachers room so you have no privacy to do work without screaming kids. Any free time you have will be filled with classes so you quite literally teach non stop from 9-6. There is only 1 korean classroom assistant there to help 4 native teachers now and no cleaner so you must clean your classroom too after they eat snacks, lunch and in between classes. The environment is so toxic and stressful and my mental health was at an all time low there due to the passive aggressiveness and lack of empathy. You will get messages outside of work hours and calls too. You will also have to spend your own money if you want any materials as they seems to be in financial ruin. Please do not consider this place because on the outside it sounds much better than it is and they will not listen to any feedback given by experienced teachers.

AND A REPLY: Apr 21, 2025, 6:46PM

Here is a rebuttal by someone at the institute:

1. This is not a revolving door of both native teachers and Korean teachers quitting and doing midnight runs.

** Most of the teachers successfully completed their contracts, except for one teacher who disappeared without notice. She owed 2 million won in taxes to the government tax office and fled at midnight. As a result, she is now on the immigration blacklist.

2. Even the kids are dropping regularly.

** We have an influx of more than 100 children enrolling in our academy.

3. They will micro mangage you constantly and interrupt classes and embarass you in front of other colleages and students

** Our head manager and I support the native teachers in their teaching without interference. We always ask for permission before entering the classroom during a lesson. We never embarrass teachers in front of their colleagues or students.

4. Teachers are burnt out due to the curriculum being so messed up and constantly angry parents as there is no structure/ and major favoritism and bullying of the students.

** We have our own curriculum, which has been developed through research and is provided by the school. However, we continuously improve it each year to offer students better programs. While some parents may not be fully satisfied with our programs, it is difficult to meet everyone's expectations perfectly. Nevertheless, most of our registrations come through referrals from current students.

5. The native teachers are required to prepare everything and come up with all ideas for events with no time to do it.

** Native teachers use online teacher resources or a teacher's guide to prepare for lessons. We have meetings to discuss ideas for events, but the head teacher or manager organizes the schedule and details for the events.

6. They have no play or gym so they run riot and there is no office or teachers room so you have no privacy to do work wihout screaming kids and 7. 7. Any free time you have will be filled with classes so you quite literally teach non stop from 9-6.

** We don't have a playroom or gym because this is a language academy. Native teachers have their own homeroom classrooms, giving them privacy, nearly two hours of preparation time each day, and break time between classes. No teachers scream at kids here.

8. There is only 1 korean classroom assistant there to heip 4 native teachers now.

** We have 4 Korean teachers working here to help and work with 4 native teachers now.

9. You will get messages outside of work hours calls too.

** We only contact teachers outside of work hours to have an emergency and sincerely ask them some questions and there is no overtime work or working on weekends.

10. You will also have to spend your own money if you want any materials as they seem to be in financial ruin

** Teachers can request any materials or class aids they need, and we ensure financial stability

Fri, Jul 26, 11:07AM

I'd like to add Elefuntree aka Alley Fun Tree at Hwaseong (now moved to Dasa) to the black list. XXxxxxx has no idea how to function. Not only does the xxxxx show blatant bias towards some staff over others, they are very rude to everyone who's not favored. There is no communication between what you're doing wrong until the mistake has been made for months, then you suddenly get a harsh and unprofessional final warning. The school loves to overwork their foreign employees and take advantage of them. STAY AWAY from this company!

Sat, Jul 13, 2024 2:37AM

Working at Twinkle Songdo is a decision I regret. You are a total work horse there! When Twin.kle states, escape the ordinary , what they mean is escape the ordinarily fair working conditions you re probably accustomed to working if you happen to be from a nation that has stringent worker s rights and protections. For context, I was a non-fiction teacher there and was slammed with a 30 hour teaching schedule off the bat.

Your time is definitely exploited as is your mental health. The teaching material at Twinkle isn't your ordinary one, so lots of prepping. When I say a lot, I mean it! It is very dense. Between all the lesson planning, marking and administrative tasks you have to conduct, (e.g., monthly homework schedules, daily parent communication via chat, and micromanaging) you feel squeezed. And there are no actual resources that come coupled with the lessons, just the books and maybe some YouTube videos. Also, my '30 minute' lunch break was never really honored as I often had to gulp down my dinner and stress about prepping stuff for the next three-hour class block. Moreover, you get about an hour of paid work time before students show up for class to do all the aforementioned unless you don't because there are weekly meetings that eat into that time. There was no tenable way for me to manage the aforementioned in a qualitative way, which was a requisite of course, without having my personal time taken advantage of.

For context, let me share a vivid memory of how I felt squeezed. In a given day, I had to manage marking extremely LONG stories written by students daily. As a teacher, I was happy to read the written work by our bright students, but what was stressful was having to mark eight students writing in a span of three separate five-minute breaks before the end of the three-hour class. Here s what s interesting though. You don t actually have time to mark them because during class, you have to teach the dense material that is beholden to a strict book schedule and during the breaks, you re constantly bombarded by students trying to guess answers to the daily riddles on the walls for them to collect Class Dojo points, so where was the time for me to mark I still wonder? When I made this point, I never got any meaningful answers other than my time management sucked and that I had to get adjusted.

You WILL be constantly criticized and micromanaged thereafter. I was not privileged to the reasons for the onslaught of criticisms I received, but I worked hard to receive them in a meaningful way. One major criticism I got had to do with how I marked student s writings, but you know the context. However, what became clear over time was the absence of any leadership within the school and the broader Twin.kle network. The managers on site were clearly inexperienced and I understood why as they ve only worked for Twin.kle. Varying perspectives, meeting someone at eye level and leadership were sorely lacking. Lots of groupthink. What was ironic about all of it was the incongruency to which I was praised and criticized by the same individuals. In the end, I attributed the ineffective leadership of those individuals to their youth and inexperience and Twin.kle s culture.

I resigned from Twin.kle on good terms. I came to Korea to not only teach, but have leisure time too. Luckily, I was able to do this as I was on an F visa, which allowed for me to have greater autonomy on where I chose to work in South Korea. Here s my advice. If you re thinking of working at Twin.kle, don t! They may pay a smidgen more than other places, but considering the volume of work and the intensity of the curriculum, it just isn t worth it unless you really want to be challenged. I fell for all the fluff about wonder and the vision of reforming education, but in my experience, the students there are already gifted because they test in and quite stressed by Twin.kle s work load in my opinion.

In summary, Twin.kle is part of the very problem that they aim to cure, so find a school that won t exhaust and overwork you and its students. If you re someone like me who wants to be a good teacher and seeks an engaging and innovative workplace that will stimulate your professional growth, trust me, Twin.kle isn t it albeit appearances.

Sat, Jul 21, 2024 10:10AM

I've been meaning to write this for quite a while now. Do not even consider this job if you care about your own well-being. This place has a cycle where teachers quit after just one year. Out of 10 teachers, I believe only 2 actually worked there long-term. In terms of all the administrative stuff, this place was alright. The bare minimum expectations were met. Salary was paid on time, vacation days were given.

However, xxxxxx side with teacher interaction and workload were the worst part. You will be spoken down to with rudeness, passive aggressiveness, a lack of empathy and respect, and as if you're stupid. This will happen most days of the week and will happen one-on-one, amongst other teachers, and even in front of the kids. If you don't understand something right away, you will be spoken down to. If you make a minor mistake, you will be spoken down to. If you don't follow the lesson perfectly, you will be spoken down to. This is the type of place where you will be scared to ask questions because you will be told that you should know everything already. This place needs to find management that actually knows how to speak to people. Otherwise, I think they will keep losing teachers on a regular basis.

The workload was the other worst part. Even though your contract will have defined working hours, I'm sorry to say that won't be entirely true. Just to keep up with the workload, most nights you will have to work at home after work. One type of homework given to the students is recordings. These will take the bulk of your time. Checking and correcting all of this homework takes about 2-4 hours depending on the day. You do have prep time before class to check these, but then you're left with no time to actually prep your classes. Then there was also lots of other homework to check. These kids are given more writing homework in books and writing homework online. There's a bunch of other stuff to mention, but to get to the point, you will have to work outside of your contracted hours every single week.

So if you want a job with an always tense working environment, xxxxxx that speaks down to you every week, and no resting and recharging time after work, then consider this job. Otherwise, please think of your own mental and emotional health.

Sat, Jul 20, 2024 8:22AM

I strongly advise against working here if you don't want to be treated poorly. The workload is excessive, and there s a complete lack of respect and appreciation for your efforts.

The school s situation is rapidly deteriorating. The management is clueless, and the headteacher lacks authority and direction. Since March, over three foreign teachers have quit and returned to their home countries.

The provided housing is dreadful and small. The curriculum is disorganized and ineffective; the textbooks are not beneficial for the students. The STEAM and STEM programs are chaotic, and we are often required to add to the incomplete work left by previous teachers who had quit. By March, we discovered that 5 of the 7 foreign teachers had quit, a fact hidden from new hires.

Facilities are inadequate, with only two adult toilets, both mixed-gender and offering no privacy due to open-door designs.

The treatment of Korean teachers is also poor. Foreign teachers openly discuss their salaries, revealing significant pay disparities. Less experienced teachers often earn more, leading to favoritism and neglect of others. Positive feedback is nonexistent; instead, faults are found in everything you do.

In summary, working here is a massive headache. Avoid this place like the plague.

Wed, Jul 10, 2024 6:11AM

I worked at Bano Willy during that time we always had to work during our lunch hour, during my time there native and Korean teachers were overworked. Xxxxxxxx who hires misrepresents the job greatly.

Tue, Jul 9, 2024 10:32AM

Please please please be very wary when applying or worse excepting a job at Rira English Academy in Cheongju. The environment is extremely toxic and some of the Korean teachers are very difficult to work with and go behind your back in order to increase their own standing at the academy. Then there is the xxxxxxxxxxxx (who) does not see or value you as a person but rather a work horse and as for your wellbeing - I'm not sure that word is even in her vocabulary! Korea is an amazing country and if you are lucky enough to come here, please do your research throughly before accepting an offer to ensure you get a good school. I've heard that there are a lot of nice Hagwons but sadly Rira English Academy is not one of them.

Jul 5, 2024, 6:03PM

Please be wary when applying for BHCS Big Heart Christian School located in Jukjeon, Yongin, Gyeonggido. I have seen their job ad on xxxxxxxxxxx. At last check they were hiring for SEVERAL positions without detailing the exact duration of the expected work period, only the start of the work period but not the end. They brand themselves as a religious xxxxxxxxx International School but are not registered with the local xxxxxxxx even after xxxxxxx years in business. They rely on the tuition paid by wealthy parents of xxxxxxxxxx school students as their xxxxxxxxxxx graduates do not write the Korean university entrance examination but all apply for admission in foreign universities, namely xxxxxxxxx universities and so write the SAT. As a money-making and cost-cutting strategy they only give ten-month long contracts to teachers which means that even after the teacher successfully completes the contract, they are not entitled to pay severance pay to the teacher. They only xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx pay to teachers, who renew their contract and set to begin a second year of teaching after summer break. I was originally given a letter of intent in the spring asking for my response to their wish to renew my contract but they suddenly changed their mind xxxxxx weeks later when I tried to arrange a meeting to negotiate the renewal contract which was never written up. I was not even given an apology from the xxxxxxxxx regarding the sudden change.

The xxxxxxxxxx who is in charge of xxxxxxxx and his family of four run the school together as a family. His xxxxxxxxxx is the principal of the primary school division, xxxxxxxxx is a xxxxxxx and his xxxxxxxx has a title related to managing the attendance records, but xxxx came to work only twice all school year. The family of four all receive salaries and severance pay in accordance to the titles that they were appointed among themselves. On average, they only come to work, two to three times a week but some weeks they do not come to work at all. You can see that this is a family business that takes advantage of the perks and privileges of being the family that runs the school. There was a time in the past that they ran the school while briefly living abroad in the xxxxxxx as they have xxxxxxxxxx residency ties as well. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. The school is able to reduce their expenses by not paying two months of summer vacation to teachers who do not teach summer school and because contracts are less than 12 months long, they can get away with xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

I was given a warning for my performance just two months beore the end of my 10-month long contract because of some issues which I was able to improve but one day before meeting with several members of the xxxxxxxxx, I found a really harsh critique of my performance written by xxxxxxxxx addressed to xxxxxxxxx and that printout was just left on a shared printer in the copy room for several hours for other teachers to see, which showed the lack of professionalism on the part of xxxxxxxxxx. The school does pay on time and the cafeteria food is fair but the teacher has to pay 300,000 won per semester out of pocket to pay for lunch if they don't pack their own lunch. The accommodation provided was fair but it is an uphill walk or drive to the school, as the school is located on a steep hill, and parking on the steep hill can put stress on the parking brakes after a full school year as my car experienced. Be careful for unpleasant surprises and if you have limited options, do negotiate for the best possible conditions for yourself as they are hard and stingy negotiators. Don't sell yourself short and if their offer is well short, don't be afraid to walk away. It is their loss.

Tue, Jul 2, 2024 10:06PM

I worked there for a while and got to know the school well. Honestly, I wouldn t recommend working there unless you enjoy chaos. There's no level of desperation where it would be worth working here.

It's disorganized, and even the elementary students notice. The STEM curriculum they brag about? Almost nonexistent. You ll end up creating all the class materials yourself. The xxxxxx and xxxx are barely managing.

Most people are overworked, and teacher turnover is high. Leaders are constantly dealing with complaints from demanding parents and will do anything to appease them. The whole place feels like it could collapse at any moment.

Despite this chaos, they keep opening new campuses without investing in teachers or academics. This is a bottom-tier international school, if you can even call it that. It's a hagwon pretending to be one, which is a risky gray area xxxxxxx. Xxxxxxxxxxx. You ll thank me later.

Jul 1, 2024, 9:29AM

This academy has a history of various issues, which warrant careful consideration before taking up a position here.

You are often made to feel like you are always in the wrong, and it's never just about the work. You are constantly reminded that this is a business, and they use this to justify their threatening behavior.

The xxxxxxxx acts as a mouthpiece for very impatient and very angry management. They are ready not just to micro-manage but to tear apart any mistakes you've made, even those that seasoned teachers could make. Their expectations are extremely high while their patience is very low, creating a toxic power dynamic. This environment is particularly harsh for those trying to find their footing, with power trips from management being the norm.

They have a high number of midnight runners (teachers who leave without notice) and frequent firings. These issues affect not only foreign teachers but also Korean teachers, with former teachers issuing warnings through friends.

The long history of hagwons (private academies) cutting corners is evident here, to the extent that even seasoned teachers, both foreign and Korean, find fault in these behaviors.

It might be wise to avoid working here, as doing so could teach these choosy beggars that unfair treatment will eventually have consequences.

Thu, Jun 27, 10:05PM

I would avoid this school at all costs no matter how desperate you are.

They claim to be a Christian Montessori academy but this couldn't be further from the truth. It is a hagwon that forces employees to undertake Montessori work with no training or qualifications.

They lie about what is truly happening. By the time you realise what has happened, you will have been a teacher, a janitor, a nurse and a punching bag.

*****.

Your Korean co-teacher is your inclass boss and will constantly belittle you even though this kind of position requires qualified individuals and not *****.

They have a 3- 6 month probation period where you only get paid *****

They will promise on-the-job training and provide nothing or condemn you to 4 hours a week of evening training (***** )

The after-hour training is unpaid and you will not be supported xxxxxxxx at all.

Jun 7, 2024, 3:51AM

I would like to add InBloom Academy (which may also go by InBloom Institute) to the hagwon blacklist.

Let me start by saying that there are two branches that currently exist for this hagwon. One branch is located in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. The other branch is located in Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do. While you may think one branch may be safer than the other, you would be mistaken. Why? Because xxxxxxxxxx.

As long as you are agreeable, you will be liked. As long as you are willing to dance on some puppet strings, you will be liked. If ******** doesn t like something you say, do, or even think, they will demonize you in conversations with other people. ******** will always be thinking of ways to inconvenience you or make you suffer. All while wearing a smile on their face.

******** is an emotional decision-maker, so you ll want to keep that in mind if you ever find yourself interviewing for a job at the academy. That means that if ******** is in a good mood, you ll be able to breathe easily. However, if ******** is in a bad mood, you ll be walking on eggshells until their mood shifts with the tide.

Let s move on to payment.

This job offers race-to-the-bottom rates. You will have a hard time negotiating for a higher salary because ******** refuses to acknowledge that things like inflation exist. Almost everyone who ends up leaving this academy states that money is the reason for their departure. The academy has had several staff members quit within a matter of months from each other due to the low pay rates and unreasonable working conditions. And if they don't quit? They're fired and replaced with cheaper labor. Instead of hiring full-time staff with better pay, ******** prefers to hire part-time staff with worse pay, so they can be cycled between the branches.

Yep, you read that right. ******** makes teachers teach at both branches. ******** prefers to hire a handful of yes-men who will do whatever s asked without objection. And if you re thinking that working at both branches comes with some incentive like bonuses or better pay, think again. You will not be reimbursed for traveling between the branches either, so it really is a lose-lose situation for you no matter how you look at it. ******** only offers housing allowance (if they bother to offer anything), so if you're looking for a job that provides accommodation, you're better off looking somewhere else. The housing allowance is laughable to say the least, and it is probably one of the lowest allowances being offered these days.

If you're wondering about the workload, you're in luck. It's not too strenuous at all. However, ******** is extremely disorganized. As a result, schedules are always being changed at the last minute, so good luck with trying to prep beforehand. Of course, you have to be able to adjust to these abrupt changes in the blink of an eye and without any complaints. If you find yourself wanting to discuss any issues or hoping to suggest a better solution for these problems, you ll end up on the chopping block. None of the staff likes ********. They have all complained about the things mentioned above and more. That is why people are always being rotated in and out of the academy. It doesn't help that ******** has managed to lose an alarming number of employees (through resignations or dismissals) within a one-year period.

Wed, Jun 5, 2024 6:48AM

To be fair, I don t know if things have improved at the school for the current group of new teachers after ALL the previous foreign teachers, including myself and two Korean teachers QUIT! This was the SECOND time ALL the foreign teachers quit except one within a few years of opening the school.

*PLEASE READ THAT AGAIN*

I was so excited to work for the school in the beginning because during the interview, I was told it was play-based learning, a refreshing change from previous hagwons where I d worked. When I asked about the curriculum, I was told not to worry about that because I d be the homeroom teacher for the youngest ones (4 to 5 year-olds) who only use a few books, a premade curriculum and again play-based. It turns out that I was also teaching 2 to 3 year-olds which I was not expecting to do.

I discovered that this was actually a Korean-style school not an international school and the foreign teachers were NOT homeroom teachers but were to follow the lead of the Korean teachers which was not made clear during the interview. Lack of transparency comes to mind.

Things did not go well and here are the lowlights:

Overall chaotic and toxic work environment

Books/materials not available, lacking or not delivered in time for class

A few Korean teachers would gather in the classroom and have full loud conversations during my lessons

Numerous employees cried at work myself included

School lunch provided for students and teachers that wasn t eaten, was often reused for lunch the next day and sometimes the day after too. Sometimes hair was found in the food.

Not allowed to order your lunch so made to eat the used food.

Foreign teachers manipulated through gossip.

So many other things that I can t mention here. Trust. Find another school.

Wed, Jun 5, 2024 6:48AM

Sierra Canyon Seoul staff have been screwed over from December 2023 to the closing of the school in June 2024 - with monthly late payments of at least 10 days and notice thereof given on the day we were supposed to get paid (even on the promised delayed payment days, were salaries also delayed a few times).

In the first 3 months of 2024, The director was fired (for insisting on better practices and in this way not following what he was told), and 3 teachers left.

On May 20, 2024 we were called into a meeting to advise us that the school will be "suspending" their services and the last day for all staff would be June 28.

The school will not be closing down completely, but rather laying off staff in order to save money to plan better for when they open again. I'm writing this to warn anyone that might come across this school in the future to stay away no matter how much money they offer. Poor management and inconsiderate attitude toward teachers is their MO.

May 24, 2024, 11:12PM

Good: housing is new and close by, salary is on time, xxxx is friendly and approachable (but has no say)

Bad: make the curriculum yourself, a lot of lesson planning (worksheets off the internet), a lot of unnecessary admin work (Kidsnote everyday, overviews, newsletters and more), no actual lunch break, change students for swimming classes, hand out snacks, clean your own classroom, a certain person was always spying on teachers on cctv, one or two event days in a month which require NTs to prepare and stay after work hours for, the salary doesn't match the workload, no overtime pay, dishonest about student's behavior and progress to parents, higher ups don't speak in English and don t care about the high teacher turnover, there's no record of student's progress because they do not care about education or teaching so you can guess what type of kids you end up teaching, midnight runs, management give the parents the impression that this is a day care centre and all the parents wants will be met even if they have to squeeze it out the foreign teacher

Tue, May 21, 2024 10:47PM

School: KPI Institute / KPI Kids Education - Gangdong-gu, Seoul

Review:

KPI has recently changed their name and branding, but are still the same horrible institution. Please read the reviews about KPI or "Kangnam Pride Institute" and take every word seriously if fact, they ve only gotten worse since their recent blacklist posting. PLEASE do not work here. YOU WILL REGRET IT

May 21, 2024, 2:19PM

**Job Review: Ellen Langer Institute**

Working at Ellen Langer Institute has been a challenging experience, primarily due to the immense workload within very tight time frames. The demands placed upon teachers are often unrealistic, making it difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Additionally, the behavior of some students is problematic, as they can be disrespectful and rude, yet they rarely face any consequences for their actions.

The institute clearly prioritizes the satisfaction of students and their parents over the well-being of its staff. This imbalance is evident in several instances, such as when native teachers have fallen seriously ill and required hospitalization. Instead of receiving support, these teachers have often been met with indifference or even anger from the administration. This lack of empathy extends to the end of contracts as well; when other native teachers requested their letters of release, the school's response was notably cold and uncooperative.

While Ellen Langer Institute may not be the worst among hagwons, the treatment of teachers and the overwhelming workload make it a place to avoid. The job demands and the lack of support from the administration significantly detract from the overall working experience.

Sun, May 19, 2024 10:11PM

This place was a hellscape to work in. I only managed to do a full year there because I didn't know any better.

They will xxxx to you repeatedly about your duties, like for example... Asking you to come on a company weekend vacation with the rest of the team. Sounds nice, right? They don't tell you that they expect you to babysit their kid while her and her friend go shopping.

They will tell you how to teach a class and then tell you you're doing it wrong, before completely switching what they want you to do and saying "This is what I wanted."

They will give you an apartment.... with no bed. I had to spend the first 2 nights sleeping on the couch before they bothered to help me look for a bed.

Then to top it all off, after my contract was up, they refused to pay me xxxxxxx and then charged me a cleaning fee for the apartment, despite the fact that the landlady and I (who was a lovely person) spent 4 hours cleaning out the apartment ourselves.

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE

May 17, 2024, 8:01AM

I would like to add CANB Unjeong to the Blacklist

The work environment is very stressful. Hours are long with no breaks, or completely devoid of work.

School has a high turnover of native teachers, low pay, often working weekends or before opening hours.

There are equipment issues on a regular basis and issues with the program (we have been told we are beta testing). There are also frequent schedule changes on short or no notice.

We are under surveillance in our staffrooms and will often be reprimanded in front of students. Also have frequent visits and reviews from headquarters.

Would recommend avoiding like the plague.

Tue, May 14, 2024 at 1:44AM

I would like to add CCS Hagwon in Yongin City, Gyeongg-do to the Black List. To start, they tell every teacher when they are interviewed that the provided housing is a 5 minute walk from the school - in reality, it s inside the school (and you still have to pay a 600,000 won deposit for it). CCS English Kindergarten and Pureun Korean Kindergarten are under the same ownership, so they will expect you to work at both schools for one (low) pay. Also, even though you are only allowed to teach conversational English on an E-2 visa, they will xxxxxx. During your first month of work, you will be training under another foreign teacher, so the school will claim you are not really working and try to pay you xxxxx of your monthly salary. The school will also change xxxxxxx without your consent and try to gaslight you into believing you signed it. Overall, if you value your mental and physical health, as well as your hard-earned money, avoid CCS Hagwon in Yongin City at all costs.

Fri, May 10, 2024 8:14 AM

This place is a xxxxxxx. I wish I could go into the specifics, but to adhere to the guidelines of this site, I will not be able to share certain details.

Firstly, be VERY vigilant. Check everything before accepting a job. Their contract is very long and wordy and could catch you out if you're not careful.

They have a very high turnover rate of teachers, with VERY few completing their contracts; many have quit months into the job.

The pay and hours are atrocious; they will squeeze as much out of you as possible. Expect pointless busywork, petty behavior, and ridiculous demands from xxxxxxxx.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I have worked at many hagwons and have been teaching in Korea for many years; they were by far the worst employers I have ever had. Xxxxxxxxxxxx.

I would like to say more here, but PLEASE take my word for it and DO NOT SIGN WITH THIS HAGWON!!!

Mon, May 6, 2024 at 10:23 AM

Twinkle Academy, with branches in Seoul, Bundang, Ilsan, and online, presents a good program for students and parents. However, behind the facade of innovation and educational reform lies a troubling reality: the dismal treatment of its teaching staff. Despite priding itself on fostering critical thinking and curiosity in students, the school's treatment of teachers remains archaic, reminiscent of the disposable mindset common in many hagwons.

Teachers at Twinkle Academy, endure grueling working hours from 1 pm to 9 pm (yes, similar to many Hagwon's), but with a mere 20-minute break an arrangement not only counterproductive to fostering sharp, energized educators but also xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. With seven hours of student contact time and only a brief 20-minute break squeezed in between, teachers are left exhausted and burnt out. Their concerns are dismissed with a callous "this works for our parents and students" attitude, contributing to a high staff turnover rate, particularly evident in the Bundang branch where almost all teachers have left within the past year.

Important communication regarding significant changes to working patterns is often relegated to last-minute emails sent late on Friday evenings, indicating a blatant disregard for teachers' time and input.

While the salary may be average to adequate, it fails to compensate for the excessive workload and dearth of break time. As Twinkle Academy expands, it seems to have lost sight of its founding principles of revolutionizing education in Korea. True educational reform must extend to the treatment of its educators, recognizing them as valuable stakeholders rather than expendable assets.

Tue, Apr 30, 2024 12:48PM

There are a plethora of reasons not to work at Berkeley, so I'll try my best to describe and list them here. They xxxx in their advertisements. They say they are new but have been running for more than 20 years. They ask for flexibility on your part, but that because their pay is always late so they want you to be more flexible with them. They don't do a good job training their staff before they start. People have gotten fired for the school's inability to keep then on due to finances. They are trying to open a new branch when they can't even keep the ones they currently have full. They actually started to close down their operations at the new branch as they have had issues fully acquiring it and have a cohesive system that works there. The two branches are treated differently and are not supposed to coincide together financially, but there is a big suspicion that they do. Korean teacher, bus drivers, chefs and many more are paid months late with promises of being paid in full, but it always happens in chunks. They make a lot of promises just to keep breaking them every time. There is a lack of communication and when confronted about late pay there is usually no response from xxxxx. They are very nitpicky about everything you do. Beware!!

Sat, Apr 27, 2024 2:42PM

MESSAGE: Lighthouse International School-Ilsan I wanted to leave a few warnings for those that are considering moving way far away from civilization to isolate themselves in a converted building inside a noisy/dusty industrial park called Lighthouse International School.

1. It s not an international school. It s not accredited by the Korean government. It s an alternative school, meaning it s similar to what is called a hagwon or private academy.

2. Some people working there erroneously believe if you sign a contract, you are required to do absolutely any additional tasks they can possibly dream up whether it s outlined in the contract or not. It s an open contract, open to the vast limits of their imagination. So even though you respect your personal time and space to refresh yourself after a long day, other people don't.

3. Look at the amount of vaguely explained duties in their advertisements when you see them. Who has time for half of that? That s a great example. They expect you to do a full class load, then be on a bunch of committees, do after-school sports chaperoning, weekend events, homeroom tasks, meetings, religious retreats, winter&summer camps. And then get all your lesson planning and grading done at home too. They also low-key expect you to be a full participating member of a church on Sunday. Not really enforceable, but expected. It s two or three jobs when you count up the hours.

4. Parents are essentially paying for results. They fully expect their children to be pampered all the way through school, apply and get accepted to foreign universities. Did they learn anything? Doesn t matter, get them accepted abroad by any means. They post the names of students and foreign universities they got accepted into on their website.

5. So-called Christian students need to have an extra grading category for behavior. Of course, that grade and comment about it are edited by another staff member before it reaches the parents eyes. Then what s the point if there are no teeth in it, it s not accurate, and no consequences ever occur from it? It's Ok to smooth off some rough edges but not the meaning entirely. Parents pay money, they should know how their children behave when apart from their family.

6. People don t leave on good terms, people get disgruntled, leave disgruntled. A Christian school ought to have higher standards than that, but unfortunately, too many people don t practice what they preach.

7. Frankenstein. Good morning __________!

(Errrrr!)

Good afternoon _____________!

(Errrrr!)

That s the response you get from some people who can t even work up the courtesy to greet staff or paying students. Like Frankenstein, Errrrrr!

8. Silent treatment. You can literally have your desk 2 meters away from a certain staff member, and they will waltz in (late/leave early), ignore you, speak to the other staff members, and then text you information while you are literally 2 meters away from each other and can see each other! That also shows disrespect and contempt, and that s why people get disgruntled and leave disgruntled, because of childish behavior like that.

9. Which Christian staff member will graciously invite you over to their house for dinner to get to know you? Make you feel welcome, and part of your new community? Who will take you on a tour of the area so you feel a little bit at home, know where to shop and do things, considering how isolated it is? Zero. That will never happen. No one cares at all.

I could go on and on regarding the morals and high levels of Christian altruism one would expect from followers of Jesus, but it's too disappointing. I think you get a sense of the indifference at least one person felt while working there. Exhaust all other alternatives before you consider working with this bunch.

Thu, Apr 25, 5:38AM

If you value your hard-earned money and sanity, steer clear of ECC YBM Dangbong-ro . This place is a nightmare dressed up as an English institute. Firstly, expect your salary to mysteriously ******* as they deduct money for things you never agreed to. It's like they're running a scam under the guise of employment. And let's talk about ******* - good luck getting what's rightfully yours. They'll find every excuse in the book to ******** you.

Oh, and forget about breaks. Lunchtime? Nonexistent. You're expected to work like a robot and if you dare ask for a day off on a public holiday (the rare "red days"), be prepared for a battle. They make it seem like you're asking for a kidney, not a well-deserved break.

Not only does this hagwon mistreat its staff, but it also fosters an environment where students run riot with no consequences. The kids here behave like they re auditioning for a juvenile delinquent reality show. They litter without a second thought, turning the place into a trash heap. And graffiti? Oh, they re practically Picasso with a spray can.

But here s the kicker: the management couldn t care less. They turn a blind eye to the chaos, leaving staff to deal with the mess they've created. It s like working in a zoo with no keeper in sight. You re left to fend for yourself against a horde of unruly children with no support.

Save yourself the headache and avoid this hagwon like the plague. Your mental and financial well-being are worth far more than what this place has to offer.

It is also worth noting that they also run another YBM ECC kindergarten in Geomdan Ara Incheon which suprise, suprise is also on the blacklist.

Tue, Apr 23, 11:24PM

This school looks great on paper because every year they are increasingly desperate. When I was hired, almost everyone was new despite the school being allegedly open for a while. The only teacher that had re-signed with them quit two months into the semester.

They tried to trick a teacher into working longer hours than the others, and then ************************. Teachers are lied to about aspects of the job that magically change once you ve signed (no after school, having to bring heavy food trays up two flights of stairs every morning, you can not leave the school during your break)

There is unequal standards among the teachers. They love to make deals behind backs. Some teachers get extra breaks, some get to come in 15-20 minutes late without any repercussions. Some have less physical labor to do. If you try to bring it up, you will just be told not to compare.

There is an extreme amount of gossiping by everyone. The Korean staff is often rude and unhelpful. They will complain about any little thing you ask for help with behind your back and to your face. Xxxxxxxxx

They are desperate to keep students so you are at the whim of the most ridiculous requests (teachers were told not to use the word "silly" because a mom complained). The school will not have your back or believe your side of anything. Whatever a 5 year old or their mom says is the truth and that s the end of it.

I was able to get into contact with an old teacher from the school and all the problems stated have been experienced by past teachers.

Tue, Apr 23, 6:33 PM

Consider this a word of caution for any aspiring teachers: heed my warning, because I've been there.

From the moment I signed with this school, warning signs were glaringly evident, but I was optimistic and brushed them off. However, in hindsight, those warning signals were clear indicators of what was to come.

Short Version

1. Poor housing conditions

2. Lack of leadership

3. Lack of Communication breakdowns

4. Incoherent curriculum

5. Low wages (a part-timer was earning more than me, a full-timer)

6. Xxxxxxxx severance pay

7. Dishonesty and manipulation *******

Long Version

1. Housing

First and foremost, the housing situation at iGarten was far from ideal. I was provided housing with less than 24 hours' notice before having to vacate my previous accommodation, resulting in not one, but two moves on short notice, and the additional burden of double moving costs. Moreover, during the interview process, there was no mention of having to cover realtor fees, which amounted to nearly 800,000 won, including the moving fees. Despite these challenges being beyond my control, there was no offer of reimbursement for the second move.

The daily commute to work was equally challenging, consuming a total of 90 minutes each day on unsafe subway routes. It's disheartening that basic arrangements for housing were not adequately addressed for foreign teachers. Despite numerous emails exchanged regarding finding housing within a reasonable distance from the school, ideally with a 20-30 minute commute each way, a satisfactory solution was not achieved.

2. Lack of Leadership

The absence of effective leadership is glaring at iGarten. The school seems to run itself, with those in charge either physically absent or lacking the awareness needed to foster accountability, communication, and organization. This lack of oversight undermines the overall functioning of the school.

The 6th floor, housing all the 5-year-olds and new 6-year-olds, lacks proper supervision. This often leads to native teachers shouldering the majority of the workload instead of fostering an equal partnership with Korean teachers. Many times, Korean teachers are found either sitting in a corner of the room on their phones, taking selfies, or shopping, or they're outside the classroom engaging in gossip with the front desk or lunch staff. As a result, native teachers are left to manage 12 kids all on their own, without adequate support.

3. Lack of communication

The communication breakdown at this school is astonishingly pervasive. Here are 3 instances that exemplify the lack of communication and organization:

I. School Events:

Many school events end up being organized by the native teachers themselves. Simple things like scheduling a meeting or notifying teachers about upcoming events seem to be foreign concepts to the management. Instead, information trickles down through word of mouth from veteran teachers, leaving newcomers in the dark. Even when management does inform us of an event, it's usually with minimal notice, often just a week or two in advance, and downplayed as not being a significant affair. This lack of transparency and foresight puts unnecessary stress on the teachers.

II. Science Fair:

The handling of the Science Fair is a prime example of this chaotic communication system. Despite being aware of the event as early as August, no concrete plans or meetings were held until December, just before winter vacation, only because parents demanded to attend. This procrastination left teachers scrambling to prepare. It's frustrating that management only takes action when faced with the threat of embarrassment, leaving teachers to pick up the slack with little support or guidance.

III. Report Card Comments:

The lack of communication extends to the crucial task of writing end-of-year report card comments. Shockingly, this important information was only relayed in the last week of school, not by management, but through hearsay from a veteran teacher. This last-minute notification left teachers with minimal time to prepare thoughtful and personalized comments for each student. It's disheartening that such a critical aspect of our role as educators was treated with such disregard and lack of foresight by the management.

4. Curriculum

The lack of coherence in the curriculum is a significant issue at this school. It often fails to align with the students' proficiency levels, leaving teachers to navigate classes without adequate resources or materials. Many classes lack essential textbooks or supplementary resources, necessitating extensive time spent on creating a curriculum from scratch. This inefficiency adds significant strain and time consumption to the teaching workload.

5. Pay

The compensation at this school does not reflect the workload and stress endured by the teachers. A monthly wage below 2.7 million won, along with inadequate housing provisions, is simply not commensurate with the demands of the job. There are better opportunities available elsewhere, offering higher salaries, shorter working hours, and lighter administrative duties. It's essential for teachers to prioritize fair compensation when considering employment options. Moreover, the revelation that a part-time teacher was earning more than me as a full-time employee adds another layer of frustration to the already low pay.

6. Severance Pay

The school's handling of severance pay is both frustrating and legally dubious. Instead of adhering to the standard practice of paying severance on the last day of work or the last payday, the school delays payments by two weeks. This delay can pose significant challenges, especially for teachers planning to leave the country. Furthermore, there have been instances of overcharging for housing bills, with deductions taken directly from severance pay. The process of obtaining pay stubs and bill copies is unnecessarily arduous, leading to ongoing disputes even after leaving the school.

7. Lies and Manipulations

The culture of deceit and manipulation perpetuated *************. Attempts to prevent foreign teachers from communicating with each other and discouraging lunchtime interactions are tactics *********************************************** undermines trust and creates a toxic work environment for both Korean and native teachers alike.

In conclusion, my experience at iGarten Seocho Banpo Branch serves as a cautionary tale for prospective employees. From inadequate housing to ineffective leadership, communication failures, and a disorganized curriculum, the challenges faced by teachers are numerous and significant. Coupled with low pay, ******, and a culture of ******, it's evident that this institution falls short of providing a supportive and fair working environment. As such, I urge others to carefully consider their options before committing to employment at this school.

Tue, Apr 16, 7:49 PM

This company is a mess from top to bottom. Last year they fired 6 people and claimed financial reasons. They didn t grant a single release letter so all those fired had no choice but to return to their home countries. The management did not care at all how they d affected these peoples lives and simply said they wouldn t grant release letters even when begged. On top of this they continued to hire foreign workers from overseas despite claiming financial troubles. Even the Korean staff were messed around and because of frequent firings often employees were teaching two classes at once. Because management was so poor the place is leaking students and so the ones that stay get away with anything. The working conditions are so tough as everyone is walking on eggshells trying not to get fired for the tiniest thing.

I have seen peoples lives fall apart because of this company, people have had to leave their homes, families and friends because this company is spiteful and can fire you without warning. They have been taken to tribunal countless times now and still no change from them. If you are offered a place here, do not accept it. They couldn t run a bath, never mind a business.

Apr 16, 2024, 7:19 PM

As someone mentioned earlier, I can also confirm dirty classrooms and lack of adequate resources. In addition to that, unprofessional and incompetent staff, unqualified bilingual teachers and toxic atmosphere. Worst experience of my life. Waste of time and energy. Extremely low pay and imposed additional (unpaid) roles. I would not recommend this school or teaching in Korea in general. It is not a real international school, don t let them mislead you.

Sun, Apr 14, 2024 at 4:06 PM

I would like to add iya schola/ hillside collegiate wiyre to the blacklist.

The good

The housing is nice and the pay is on time.

The bad

The pay is on time but you will not receive a paystub unless you request one each pay day.

It is important to check your paystub each time because of unexpected deductions or frequently changing the agreed upon base pay.

You don t get a full hour lunch. 20 minutes of your lunch will be used to do homework with the children in the classroom.

You will receive lots of prep time. You will need it to supplement the inadequate "curriculum."

Leadership appears nice at the beginning but shows their true colors as the year progresses. The mood in the office is like going back to high school. The management will gaslight and talk about you whenever you leave the office.

Whatever you are told will be your roll in the classroom in the interview will be changed frequently.

Some of the Korean teachers are nice but most "watch" everything you do and complain to management.

You get no training. You will be reprimanded like a small child each time you teach something different from the way management would like it taught in the classroom.

You will be given no direction on how they prefer a certain subject to be taught.

Overall, I could write a novel on why you shouldn t work here. If you value your mental and physical health do not accept a position at this school. You will regret ever moment.

Sun, Apr 14, 2024 at 12:25 PM

I d like to recommend Dongjak SLP to be put onto the blacklist. Because of laws I can t state exactly why they should be on the list. But it s as bad in every category in terms of it as a business and institution. It appears like a good school, and it did used to be but things have drastically changed. but it s really not. You will be overworked, disrespected, have unnecessary drama, plus other things I cannot legally talk about. The micromanaging is crazy, nothing works as it should, it s unorganized, this job caused me so much stress and anxiety. They can t keep staff both Korean and foreign which I think tells you everything that you need to know. Just stay away from this school, the way it is being run makes no sense, it s as if they want it to fail. I could go on forever about this place, but I think even without me making this post this school won t be around for much longer. They don t deserve the teachers that work at the school.

Sun, Apr 14, 4:38AM

This is not a good place to work.

Management is very unorganized. They do not speak English well enough to give instructions let alone listen to your needs. They disregard your input and needs most of the time. Don't expect to get your salary on time or expect to get your severance. The school is facing many legal issues.

There is a reason there are no tenured teachers at that hagwon.

There are many more things that you should be warned about this school and due to the rules of this website i can not list them all but if you find yourself doing an interview for this school do not accept unless you ask to speak with current and ex-foreign teachers.

Mar 10, 2024, 7:21AM

Hi,

i'd like to add another hogwan to the blacklist, if this email is still working. I'd like to add Children's musical Company or GLITT to the blacklist. The look of the school actually looks nice. Looks like they have great facilities and the productions they have for the kids are quite flashy and elaborate. However, once you scratch beneath the surface, it's not great. I would avoid this school.

Overtime payments 3 months late, took money out of the salary without any warning and for things that the teachers shouldn't be paying for. Alot of the teachers were in their first year, so believed what was being told to them. Money was missing from the final payment. Tried to not pay teachers their flight allowance.

Teachers there are very cliquey and will not make you feel welcome. Teachers seem to be very competitive to try to score brownie points. Certain english teachers very ambitious. pointless long meetings, just dictated to and don't listen to english teachers.

The curriculum constantly changes, once they find out what other hagwons are doing they will change things on a whim. Gave a book/class designed for an 8 year old to a 4 year old. Food served to english teachers came out cold and english teachers got the scraps, as they ate last after everyone. Then korean teachers will come back and take food away. Had to ask for more food constantly. You will also eat with the kids around you shouting, the noise level is so loud you can barely think. No area away from the kids on break times.

Korean teachers are told to keep the english teachers 'sweet' i.e. not telling them about any complaints from parents, but once they are offended by the english teacher, thats when the complaints start.

If you are sick, you must work. even if you are badly sick and diagnosed by the doctor. Teachers told to come in and just sit in the class in the corner (to keep up appearance for the parents). If you do go to a doctor, they will call that doctor to check up on you.

Please don't believe the green list posts you are seeing.

Tue, Feb 20 2024 at 2:26 PM

I would like to add Canadian Language Center in Suwon to the blacklist. This will be a lengthy post, so I apologize in advance.

For some context, it was my first year teaching in Korea and this company is tiny. I finished a 12 month contract with this school. I will refer my issues to the school to avoid naming positions.

Everything was great and never had a serious issue until after the third month. The school had informed me of the schedule change for the new school year and said that I would probably be getting more classes added onto my list. The problem was that I was expected to give up my break if they needed me to. I expressed I wasn t comfortable with that and the school made it sound like I didn t have much of a choice. I called the MOEL to ask about break times and got my answers. I told the school I talked with them and they came up with a better solution.

After that, things began to sour a bit. The school became a bit distant, I was the last to know of changes and had to be flexible. These things seem to be normal in a Hagwon but it got quite frustrating.

The better reason for this school to be on the blacklist is because of my exit from the company. There was a huge misunderstanding about my exit.

I had a meeting with the school back in December (I recall) since my contract was going to end. I was told that I wouldn t be needed for the new school year and I expressed that I was already looking for a school with the reason of wanting to work with younger children and work a day shift. That was all well. However, I was concerned about my visa expiring before my new contract would start and I asked if they have any guidance on what I should do in the situation. I knew it was possible to extend my visa but I didn t know if it was the right decision or how it works.

From my understanding of the conversation, the school asked me to check when my visa expired for them to see what they can do. I would ve also done my own research. A month later, I really needed to solidify my moving details because I would be visiting my home county for most of February and moving out at the end of January, so I asked for a quick meeting. I come to find out that they expected I was going to stay an extra month to help cover until the new school year in March. Seems that s what the school understood from the last conversation. They were not happy to hear that at all. Things only got worse from then on.

I was mostly ignored by the school and didn t get a proper goodbye. I didn t expect one either with how things ended.

I was told by the school I had to pay rent for February 1st to the 18th even though I would ve moved out by January 31st. Why do you ask? The lease was cut short due to my contract ending and the Hagwon didn t want to pay for it, so I had too. I was blamed for moving in early and for them having to change the leasing the dates. However, I never moved in on the 18th and I m not legally responsible for any rent. The school knew when my contract was going to end so I m not sure why it was a shock to them. (A law specialist told me to ignore this comment)

I had to reimburse the school for the year I used their internet in the accommodation. I do not recall this being mentioned at the start of things. After consulting with the law specialists, if they show me receipts of paying it, then I am obligated to pay what they prove. I thought it was somehow included in the rent because the other utility bills were sent to the apartment. They did send me receipts, but not for the 12 month that I could see.

The school also said they were going to withhold the deposit they deducted from my paycheck to pay for the utilities of the last few months. That I could get the rest after 3 months. I was told it would also be used if I or my cats left any damage in the apartment.

I previously messaged the school that I didn t want anything to be deducted and how I would reimburse with a bank transfer. I eventually agreed to the deduction because I didn t want to increase the tension but I was not have about it.

I got my last paycheck and saw that not only did they deduct **********

I also wasn t reimburse my last three vacation days.

I really enjoyed the students and I m happy they were my first kids as teacher. It s really unfortunate on how things ended.

Sun, Feb 18, 2024 at 7:19 AM

Prospective employees should carefully consider their options before accepting a position at this establishment. While it may offer employment opportunities, there are significant concerns regarding management practices and work conditions. Compensation for foreign teachers appears to be xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Additionally, there seems to be a lack of flexibility regarding time off, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Communication with management is reportedly discouraged, creating a challenging environment for addressing concerns or seeking clarification on policies.

There are also observations regarding the educational environment, including limitations on student activities and inadequate teaching materials. Concerns have been raised about xxxxxxxx placed on staff. Furthermore, there are claims of cultural divisions within the workplace, which may impact social dynamics among employees.

In addition, employees report a lack of communication regarding schedule changes for classes, meetings, or unpaid weekend work and events. Ultimately, individuals should weigh these considerations carefully before committing to employment here.

Wed, Feb 14 at 11:22 PM

WARNING! IT IS ALL TRUE!

I am disapppointed that there are not enough blacklist posts out there about Dongnae POLY. This is a terrible institution to work for. STAY AWAY!

I am a current teacher who is leaving. All of our set are leaving this year. This is a warning for anyone who may be coming in at March to STAY AWAY AND RUN! YOU CAN STILL PULL OUT OF THIS JOB!!!!

Many of us came on tourist visas and had to make visa runs to HongKong to reapply for new visas.

My apartment is a rennovated love motel, it is haunted, it is disgusting, I can smell cigarette ash, and we only have a microwave and hot plate as a communal kitchen.

POLY tampers with CCTV to monitor teachers and children.

We have many tests in each class, but we have to change scores to whatever the management wants them to be.

Certain KTs receive special treatment by management, one may say there is a dalliance happening between management and them.

MOEL has already been involved and there are active xxxxxxxxxxx.

My afternoon classes became very empty because many ELE students left, so at least I had lots of time to write 50+ personalized comments a month.

RUN STAY AWAY PLEASE SAVE YOURSELF!!!!

Tue, Feb 6 at 3:23 PM

They gave out multiple contracts to people, told people that housing had been arranged let people get their lives sorted to start teaching and then decide that contracts are just abstract examples and there is no job. There are no breaks, no proper curriculum and no outside teachers so you need to teach gym, music etc prep and reports you are expected to do in your own time which is not counted as xxxxxxxx..

Wed, Jan 31 at 1:10 PM

School paid alright, 2.6m however it paid many of my coworkers much less (x.xm). Even with a much higher salary, the job was not worth it. Your office is shoulder to shoulder with other teachers packed around a table, very little break time allowed, many lunches are had with the kids. You spend 3 months preparing your kindergarten for an open class to show their parents how well they are but in reality you rehearse the SAME class over and over for 3 months to get ready.

Sat, Jan 27 at 2:19 PM

lan school in Mokdong

Hello, xxxxx.

lan school in Mokdong absolutely needs to be added to the blacklist.

First, work conditions are exhausting. 7+ hours of active teaching time some days, with babysitting/packing kids up duties for part of the other hour. The KTs don't teach any classes, and if you get a bad one, they don't help with anything else either. A really bad one will insult you in front of the kids, before they leave to gossip with other KTs.

Meltdowns are yours to handle. If you are too busy handling emergencies to teach the (always numerous) pages at the exact hour scheduled, xxxxxxxxxxxx.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I've worked at multiple hagwons at this point, with other assorted jobs before that. I know the ups and downs. I am also a pretty stable person. This is first time in my life that stress actually made me sick, and I've never cried over any other job.

But at lan, I cried on my way home 3 or more days a week. Cried in the morning walking to elan at least once a week (dread). I left work an hour late one day, because there were parents in a meeting and I couldn't stop crying for long enough to walk by.

I quit six months in and started working for a new school. My lingering illness cleared up immediately, and I haven't shed a single tear since. Do yourself a favor, and stay away from the hellish fever dream that is lan school.

Fri, Jan 26 at 2:05 PM

Shepherd International Education (SIE AMSA)

1. The people in charge are clueless when it comes to running a school. Decisions are made purely for monetary gain and the teacher's best interest is never thought of.

2. Teacher's feedback falls on deaf ears and the person in charge cares little about the teachers. It is apparent they have never been in any form of leadership position and it shows.

3. A rotating door of unqualified/qualified teachers have come and gone and it is due to the management's decisions and their lack of respect for their staff. If you took all the bad character traits from every Disney villain, you would get a worse version of the person in charge of the teachers.

4. The pay does not match the work that is required. Raises are paltry and often insulting.

5. Working here will take years off of your life. If you respect yourself, you would not work here.

Wed, Jan 24 at 6:05 PM

I want to share a sincere warning about a hagwon known as "Children s Musical Company" or "GLITT." Consider avoiding this school due to significant issues impacting both teachers and the learning environment:

1. Hiring Practices Concerns: The school has questionable hiring practices that create a less inclusive work environment.

2. Unprofessional xxxxxxx

3. Unethical xxxxxx

4. Constant Schedule Changes: Frequent adjustments to teaching schedules make it challenging for teachers to plan effectively and negatively affect the quality of education.

5. Lack of Teaching Materials: Teachers often face a shortage of essential teaching materials, putting them and their students at a disadvantage.

6. Poor Xxxxxx Preparation: Lack of preparation and organization xxxxxxx causes unnecessary stress for teachers and impacts the quality of education.

7. Unexpected Class Assignments: Teachers are often informed of additional classes with no prior warning, affecting their ability to prepare adequately.

8. Questionable Spending: Lavish spending on items like large TVs raises concerns about financial priorities.

9. Xxxxxxxx

10. Xxxxxxxx

11. Frequent Curriculum Changes: Regular alterations to the curriculum disrupt effective lesson planning and hinder the learning experience for students.

Given these issues, I advise against any involvement with "Children s Musical Company" or "GLITT." Explore educational opportunities that prioritize a safe, respectful, and conducive learning environment for both staff and students.

Wed, Jan 10, 2024 at 4:34 PM

Hello fellow teachers, I would like to make an awareness about Pangramon academy in Masan Changwon.

Pangramon academy is under Altiora franchise. They use the same curriculum as Altiora. The curriculum is difficult to teach and difficult for the kids. They push the kids too much up until they leave.After the kids have left they blame the foreign teacher. The workload is extremely too much, they want the foreign teacher to teach with the textbooks, prepare worksheets every week and prepare monthly tests for all the classes.

The apartment that they gave me was the worst ever. It was old everything was falling apart, every month I had to report broken stuff to the landlord.

Pangramon academy dismissed me two months before finishing my contract, because I went to my Mother's funeral for a week. I did ask for permission before I left. I think they did this because

xxxxxxx.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Think twice before accepting their offer!!!

Subject: IIG (international Institute of the Gifted)

Sun, Jan 7, 2024 at 9:57 PM

This school wouldn t be so bad if administration changed some things but the refusal to do so leaves the consistent evolution of worsening and unsustainable conditions. Firstly, there are seldom breaks throughout the day, forget the 60 min uninterrupted break time we re said to have. This is justified by having 5 minutes in between classes that add up to our E0 min Emeanwhile we also use this time as prep and watching the kids. Lunch is with the kids and prioritized to serve them throughout the period so teachers get seconds at a time to eat. For every homeroom class there is one Korean teacher and one foreign teacher. The classes contain 18 students that are then split into two groups and teachers are bounced between classes on rotating schedules. A typical day has no break times during kindy and possibly 1-2 periods during elementary for foreign teachers who are additionally responsible for doing weekly words for elementary classes, questions for jeopardy style PowerPoints (that foreign kindy teachers also have to create themselves and host), phone teaching, daily homework checks, weekly journals, monthly speaking tests/quizzes, and printing out own materials for class and sort them individually for a minimum of 3 classes per day for 36 students total (as teachers rotate classes and can be teaching 4 different classes for one subject. So, if Schedules do permit finally having one or two 35 min break times a day, they are now eliminated in order to fulfill extra work. Foreign teachers are expected to stay later on special occasion days up to 3 hours without compensation and vacation time is not definite. If they decide to, a vacation day may be eliminated by xxxxxx without argument. Foreign teachers are also required to conduct phone teaching one week per month. Fitting 18 students in your slim to none break time is nearing impossible and puts way too much stress and responsibility on teachers considering its addition to the base weekly responsibilities for full-time foreign teachers. Foreign teachers are also required to cover classes if they have a single spare moment and are guilted into coming into work if they try to use one of their sick days. The materials for classes are usually provided late and teachers are forced to figure out content and lessons independently without guidance from xxxxxxx. There is a lack of clarity, communication, expectations, and understanding with administration. Unless you want ton sacrifice your mental health and wellbeing for this job, I highly recommend finding another school, don't be fooled.

Subject: Creverse (Chungdahm) - April Academy - Maetan Branch

Sun, Jan 7, 2024 at 12:42 PM

If you love the idea of being watched constantly on cctv and being micromanaged while teaching, grading papers, inputting grades, taking breaks (dinner AND bathroom breaks) this is the branch for you!

All joking aside, this branch has gone from bad to worse to unbearable in a short amount of time.

Make sure you are familiar with the ins and outs of the Labor Standards Act and what you are entitled to before signing your contract.

Training is insufficient, sometimes new teachers are only observing current teachers for "training".

11th month firing can and does happen.

You are NOT allowed to leave campus even during the 15 minute "dinner break" (18 mins on Tuesday/Thursday).

Collective punishments for all teachers to correct the actions/dress code/choices of one teacher.

There is a high turn-over rate for a reason.

Should anyone have questions on this document, or just want some friendly advice on working Korea, please read over the FAQ.

Please if appropriate, submit to the GREENLIST. I know there are many people with positive experiences living in Korea.

Should you like to contribute to the Black List, please go here. You must provide a valid e-mail address for submission.

Recently I've gotten more than a few hokwon owners demanding takedown of posts. First: For everyone's amusement, I am considering the creation of a webpage which consists of angry takedown demands.

Second: There is one person who can take down any posting, and that is the original poster. Should Hokwon wish to contact me, note the following:

No names or identifiers (The Owner, Head Teacher, Director, "he," "she," etc).

No personal attacks (They are evil, incompetent, corrupt, etc.)

No claims of abuse (harassment, verbal / physical abuse. etc.)

No claims of illegal activity. (I did not get paid. They threatened me. They stole my ... )

Jon (disclaimer)

No animals have been used in the testing of these webpages. Any adverse effects of this website are restricted to humans.

This is my first attempt at text search. Note that both these searches work with Fire Fox, and neither work with Internet Explorer, unfortunately.

Here's a search highlighter. Give it a try.