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인천광역시교육청 (교육감 이청연)이 원어민영어보조교사 선발지원사업(EPIK)을 통해 선발된 인원에 대한 가을학기 채용을 모두 취소한 것으로 알려져 원어민 강사들 사이에서 불만이 일고 있다.
EPIK 관계자가 1일 밝힌바에 따르면 현재 인천 교육청 측에서 7월이나 8월 중에 예정되었던 원어민교사들에 대한 채용을 취소했다고 한다. 이 관계자는 “인천시(교육청)에서 예산상의 계획이나 변동이 생겨서 원어민 자리가 다 취소가 되었다”면서 이런 식의 갑작스런 변동은 매우 드물다고 설명했다.
EPIK은 인천 지역의 학교에서 일할 예정이었던 교사들은 다른 희망지역으로 배치될 것이라고 밝혔다.
국내 원어민 교사들이 제보한 바에 따르면 인천시교육청은 이들에게 “새로운 교육감 취임으로 인해 기존 정책 시행을 연기함에 따라 2014년 가을학기를 위한 채용 제의를 모두 취소한다”고 밝히며 인천에서 채용될 예정이었던 원어민 교사들에게 사과의 뜻을 표명했다고 한다.
인천시교육청에 따르면 채용 취소는 예산 문제로 인한 것으로서 현재 예산 집행에 대한 부분이 동결되었다고 한다. 인천시교육청은 지난주, 올 하반기까지 필요한 1천621억 가운데 천억원 가량이 부족하다고 밝힌바 있다.
교육청 관계자는 “(정책) 사업들에 대한 재검토를 하고 있다”면서 EPIK 사업을 통한 추가 원어민 교사 채용은 추후 재검토 이후 결정할 예정이라고 말했다.
이 관계자는 “원어민 영어보조교사는 당연히 필요하고 학교에 배치되면 효용성을 증가시킬 수 있다”면서도 추가 채용은 재정적인 부분이 해결이 되어야 가능할 것이라고 설명했다.
그러나 이 교육감이 그간 공약을 통해 무상교육과 무상급식 프로그램을 확장하겠다고 밝혀온 만큼, 원어민 교사 채용을 위한 재원확보가 가능할지는 미지수이다.
한편 이와 같은 사실이 알려지자 원어민 교사들은 강한 불만을 드러냈다.
한 교사는 “갑작스럽게 교육감이 나서서 ‘예산부족 때문에 일자리가 없다’고 한 꼴이다. 이로 인해 우리 (원어민 교사) 중 상당수가 영향을 받았다”고 말했다.
EPIK이 인천지역에서 일할 수 없게 된 교사들을 다른 지역에 배치하겠다고 밝혔으나 상당수 교사들은 “이미 채용이 끝난 지역에 추가로 채용될 수 있는 수가 얼마나 되겠냐”며 의구심을 표하고 있다.
3개월 전부터 인천 지역의 한 학교에서 일하고 있던 그는 얼마전에 학교 측이 인천시교육청의 예산절감을 언급하며 사직을 권고했다며, 새로 채용된 교사들뿐 아니라 기존 교사들 역시 영향을 받는 것이 아니냐고 주장했다.
또 다른 원어민 교사는 한국에서 교사들은 장기에서 쓰이는 졸(卒)에 불과하다면서 자신들의 삶을 피폐하게 만들 수도 있는 이러한 정책으로부터 보호받고 있지 못하다며 불만을 표했다.
(코리아헤럴드 윤민식 기자)
EPIK 관계자가 1일 밝힌바에 따르면 현재 인천 교육청 측에서 7월이나 8월 중에 예정되었던 원어민교사들에 대한 채용을 취소했다고 한다. 이 관계자는 “인천시(교육청)에서 예산상의 계획이나 변동이 생겨서 원어민 자리가 다 취소가 되었다”면서 이런 식의 갑작스런 변동은 매우 드물다고 설명했다.
EPIK은 인천 지역의 학교에서 일할 예정이었던 교사들은 다른 희망지역으로 배치될 것이라고 밝혔다.
국내 원어민 교사들이 제보한 바에 따르면 인천시교육청은 이들에게 “새로운 교육감 취임으로 인해 기존 정책 시행을 연기함에 따라 2014년 가을학기를 위한 채용 제의를 모두 취소한다”고 밝히며 인천에서 채용될 예정이었던 원어민 교사들에게 사과의 뜻을 표명했다고 한다.
인천시교육청에 따르면 채용 취소는 예산 문제로 인한 것으로서 현재 예산 집행에 대한 부분이 동결되었다고 한다. 인천시교육청은 지난주, 올 하반기까지 필요한 1천621억 가운데 천억원 가량이 부족하다고 밝힌바 있다.
교육청 관계자는 “(정책) 사업들에 대한 재검토를 하고 있다”면서 EPIK 사업을 통한 추가 원어민 교사 채용은 추후 재검토 이후 결정할 예정이라고 말했다.
이 관계자는 “원어민 영어보조교사는 당연히 필요하고 학교에 배치되면 효용성을 증가시킬 수 있다”면서도 추가 채용은 재정적인 부분이 해결이 되어야 가능할 것이라고 설명했다.
그러나 이 교육감이 그간 공약을 통해 무상교육과 무상급식 프로그램을 확장하겠다고 밝혀온 만큼, 원어민 교사 채용을 위한 재원확보가 가능할지는 미지수이다.
한편 이와 같은 사실이 알려지자 원어민 교사들은 강한 불만을 드러냈다.
한 교사는 “갑작스럽게 교육감이 나서서 ‘예산부족 때문에 일자리가 없다’고 한 꼴이다. 이로 인해 우리 (원어민 교사) 중 상당수가 영향을 받았다”고 말했다.
EPIK이 인천지역에서 일할 수 없게 된 교사들을 다른 지역에 배치하겠다고 밝혔으나 상당수 교사들은 “이미 채용이 끝난 지역에 추가로 채용될 수 있는 수가 얼마나 되겠냐”며 의구심을 표하고 있다.
3개월 전부터 인천 지역의 한 학교에서 일하고 있던 그는 얼마전에 학교 측이 인천시교육청의 예산절감을 언급하며 사직을 권고했다며, 새로 채용된 교사들뿐 아니라 기존 교사들 역시 영향을 받는 것이 아니냐고 주장했다.
또 다른 원어민 교사는 한국에서 교사들은 장기에서 쓰이는 졸(卒)에 불과하다면서 자신들의 삶을 피폐하게 만들 수도 있는 이러한 정책으로부터 보호받고 있지 못하다며 불만을 표했다.
(코리아헤럴드 윤민식 기자)
<관련 영문 기사>
Incheon cancels hiring of new native English teachers
Foreign nationals looking to teach in Korea recently faced frustration, as it was revealed Tuesday that Incheon’s education office had cancelled the hiring of new native English teachers for the fall semester.
Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education has taken back all offers of employment for the fall term of 2014, according to the office of English Program in Korea, which is a unit in charge of recruiting foreign teachers under the National Institute for International Education.
EPIK conducts a screening process for native English speakers applying for teaching jobs and recommends them to local education offices. IMOE was to officially hire EPIK-approved teachers in July or August.
“There seems to have been a change of plans at the Incheon office, so all of the recruitment plans for native teachers were cancelled,” an EPIK official said. “The potential hires for Incheon will be allocated to other regions, if they hope to go there.”
The botched hiring process was revealed in a posting on Waygook.org, a website where Korea-residing foreigners exchange job and other information.
The unexpected change of plans is a direct result of budget issues, according to an official from the IMOE.
“The overall budget execution has been temporarily frozen,” the official said.
“This is because IMOE is suffering from financial difficulties. We are currently re-examining our programs, especially budgets.”
The official said that native English teachers are “of course needed” and are very proficient in classes. She left open the door for the possibility of recruiting more native speakers in the future, but remained mum on when the hiring process will resume.
“We are hoping that will happen, but (new hires) can only take place once the budget problem is settled,” she said.
This decision is expected to bring negative impacts on the lives of those seeking teaching jobs, said a person who was hired three months ago as a native English teacher.
“Suddenly the education chief came in and said there are no jobs available because of the budget cuts. So it’s affected a lot of us,” she said.
She also claimed that her former employers abruptly asked her to resign while citing budget cuts by IMOE, raising suspicions that the budget cut is affecting not only the new intakes, but already-hired teachers as well.
Lee Cheong-yeon, the newly elected education superintendent-elect for Incheon, has made it clear that his office will be run on tight budget. He said in a recent press conference that the IMOE needs an additional 100 billion won ($98.8 million) to carry out all the programs that it had scheduled for the second half of 2014.
IMOE was not the only education office short on cash. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education recently announced that its budget was 300 billion won short of sufficient.
The move by the IMOE garnered angry responses from foreigners.
Many claimed that while EPIK promised to place native speakers in other regions, there are probably not enough jobs left. This means that a considerable number of qualified candidates may not be employed.
One said that teachers in Korea are being “used as pawns in a game” and are never provided enough protection from authorities’ decision that can devastate their lives.
Another disdainful native English teacher claimed that Incheon was “never a good destination for EPIK teachers,” and said that the education office there hires too few and its practices are “shady.”
By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
Incheon cancels hiring of new native English teachers
Foreign nationals looking to teach in Korea recently faced frustration, as it was revealed Tuesday that Incheon’s education office had cancelled the hiring of new native English teachers for the fall semester.
Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education has taken back all offers of employment for the fall term of 2014, according to the office of English Program in Korea, which is a unit in charge of recruiting foreign teachers under the National Institute for International Education.
EPIK conducts a screening process for native English speakers applying for teaching jobs and recommends them to local education offices. IMOE was to officially hire EPIK-approved teachers in July or August.
“There seems to have been a change of plans at the Incheon office, so all of the recruitment plans for native teachers were cancelled,” an EPIK official said. “The potential hires for Incheon will be allocated to other regions, if they hope to go there.”
The botched hiring process was revealed in a posting on Waygook.org, a website where Korea-residing foreigners exchange job and other information.
The unexpected change of plans is a direct result of budget issues, according to an official from the IMOE.
“The overall budget execution has been temporarily frozen,” the official said.
“This is because IMOE is suffering from financial difficulties. We are currently re-examining our programs, especially budgets.”
The official said that native English teachers are “of course needed” and are very proficient in classes. She left open the door for the possibility of recruiting more native speakers in the future, but remained mum on when the hiring process will resume.
“We are hoping that will happen, but (new hires) can only take place once the budget problem is settled,” she said.
This decision is expected to bring negative impacts on the lives of those seeking teaching jobs, said a person who was hired three months ago as a native English teacher.
“Suddenly the education chief came in and said there are no jobs available because of the budget cuts. So it’s affected a lot of us,” she said.
She also claimed that her former employers abruptly asked her to resign while citing budget cuts by IMOE, raising suspicions that the budget cut is affecting not only the new intakes, but already-hired teachers as well.
Lee Cheong-yeon, the newly elected education superintendent-elect for Incheon, has made it clear that his office will be run on tight budget. He said in a recent press conference that the IMOE needs an additional 100 billion won ($98.8 million) to carry out all the programs that it had scheduled for the second half of 2014.
IMOE was not the only education office short on cash. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education recently announced that its budget was 300 billion won short of sufficient.
The move by the IMOE garnered angry responses from foreigners.
Many claimed that while EPIK promised to place native speakers in other regions, there are probably not enough jobs left. This means that a considerable number of qualified candidates may not be employed.
One said that teachers in Korea are being “used as pawns in a game” and are never provided enough protection from authorities’ decision that can devastate their lives.
Another disdainful native English teacher claimed that Incheon was “never a good destination for EPIK teachers,” and said that the education office there hires too few and its practices are “shady.”
By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
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