Frequently Asked Questions |
How do you chose which schools to blacklist? The criteria we use for adding a school to our blacklist are either a complaint we can verify with the school, or have attempted to verify without receiving a sufficient answer; or a school we have found a complaint about from more than one source. We try to keep our list as accurate as possible, but please bare in mind that some entries may be outdated or incorrect. Any clear breach of contract, abuse, or failure to apply the labor laws are adequate reasons for a school to be blacklisted. Are all hagwons bad places to work? No. There are many good hagwons and directors who treat their foreign staff with respect, and go out of their way to make their guests' time in Korea enjoyable. If you choose the right school, and go with the right attitude, things will be fine. Unfortunately,, there are other places that consistently treat staff badly in various ways. That is why this list is necessary. Who compiles this list? We are teachers working in Korea who have seen hagwon bosses get away with too much for too long. What are you hoping to achieve? We are hoping to save teachers from the misery of going to work for a bad school. I,e, schools that have a record of badly treating foreign staff by breaking the contract, disregarding the labor laws, or have abused staff. We also want to make it very difficult for bad schools to get new teachers, hopefully putting pressure on them to change the way they treat their staff and/or put pressure on them to resolve current conflicts. How can I get a school removed? We want to know if entries are outdated or inaccurate. If you work at a school on our list that you believe should not be included, please contact us, and get other teachers at your school to also contact us (hagwon@aliveandkicking.com), with the reasons why a particular school should be removed. We will then reassess the inclusion of that particular institution given the information you have provided. How accurate is the list? We try to make this list as accurate as possible, and make an attempt to varify the complaints we receive. However, there is no guarantee as to the reliability of information on this site. Schools change owners, franchises, staff and policy frequently. Good schools go bad, and bad schools change names. Treat this as a guide only. What should I do if I have a dispute with my director? Visit ESL Law and other relevant sites (see links) to better understand your legal position and to get advice. Use the Labor Board. Will my name be published? No. Any personal information you provide us with will be treated in complete confidence. We do, however, as you to provide certain details (see add to list) so that we can distinguish and verify genuine complaints. Why do you have a 'Make a Donation' option on your main page? There are costs involved in producing and maintaining this site. Also, to provide a better and more effective service in the future, we require funds. If every teacher in Korea gave the equivalent of W1000, we could pay for this site's domain and hosting; investigate and put pressure on every blacklisted school; and make it extremely difficult for bad schools to get new staff. |
