English Toolbox Tips

Over 50 English teachers who were due to fly to Seoul to start new jobs were informed just 24 hours beforehand that they were not needed after all. Here’s the explanation:

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) Tuesday, it hired too many foreign English teachers to fill the 560 positions planned at elementary and secondary schools. It said it hired more applicants than necessary as some tend to fail to come to Seoul.
"About 100 applicants more than necessary were picked. Of them, we had to withdraw employment notices for about 56 applicants, and the rest voluntarily quit," an SMOE official said.
The sudden cancelation has frustrated prospective teachers, leaving many with complaints that they are now stuck without a job and demanding that the employer compensate for costs such as airline tickets and work visa applications.

Comments from a sympathetic blogger here, and a less-sympathetic columnist here.

Labels: EFL, teaching English, TEFL

// posted by English Toolbox Co. @ 1:02 PM