Many candidates are frustrated by upcoming changes to teacher certification process and say, “This is my last attempt.” Competition to fill limited space of teachers is fiercer each year.
While waiting for the announcement about the new changes to the examination for Seoul secondary schools teacher in 2010, Mr. Park (28), who graduated from a postgraduate school of education in 2007, feels anxious.
Mr. Park, who has tried for many years to be a math teacher, is considering this year his final shot not only because every year competition has become fiercer but also because of the way selection is changing.
Mr. Park who attends a teacher preparatory academy in Noryangjin, in Seoul, after failing the test last year, says with a deep sigh, “Becoming a teacher is getting harder and harder.”
The gate to becoming a teacher is getting narrower and narrower like the eye of a needle.
Partly, the problem is the decrease in the number of students nationawide, so new teacher appointment is becoming smaller too.
To be matters worse, beginning next year, the way of the teacher appointment will change again. Therefore, the candidates are hanging their heads in despair and anxiety.
Norangjin in Seoul is a town where a lot of teacher examination prep academics are swarmed.
A person passing by can be easily see advertisement fliers saying, “This is your last chance before the change,” and, “our academy is your shortcut to finally pass the test.”
In some academies, prep classes that train students for teach-back demonstrations have already begun, even though they were scheduled to begin next year.
Ms. Kim who is an undergraduate at Seoul National University of Education says,
“It is very difficult to adapt to the frequent changes in teacher examination.”
The additional requirement of a teach-back demonstration is too burdensome for candidates. In the future, it might as well change again.”
A person familiar with teacher prep-academies says, “It is too burdensome to ask the candidates who are not yet teachers to demonstrate practical experience in teaching.”
The competitive ratio of the examination for the appointment of middle school teachers, for example, was only 3.7 to 1 (candidate to appointees) in 2002, but hit a record high last year at 26.1 to 1, increasing sharply as follows: 7 to 1 by 2003, 10.7 to 1 by 2004, and 15.3 to 1 in 2005.
The appointment of elementary school teachers has also seen fiercer competition, from 0.91 to 1 in 2003 to 1.89 to 1 in 2009.
A person familiar with the Ministry of education and science and Technology said, “The competition ratio is higher because of a recent freeze in the hiring of teaching staff nationwide.” They are considering various programs to lower the competition rate, such as by merging or even abolishing certain education universities, or lowering the limit on the number of education colleges.
While waiting for the announcement about the new changes to the examination for Seoul secondary schools teacher in 2010, Mr. Park (28), who graduated from a postgraduate school of education in 2007, feels anxious.
Mr. Park, who has tried for many years to be a math teacher, is considering this year his final shot not only because every year competition has become fiercer but also because of the way selection is changing.
Mr. Park who attends a teacher preparatory academy in Noryangjin, in Seoul, after failing the test last year, says with a deep sigh, “Becoming a teacher is getting harder and harder.”
The gate to becoming a teacher is getting narrower and narrower like the eye of a needle.
Partly, the problem is the decrease in the number of students nationawide, so new teacher appointment is becoming smaller too.
To be matters worse, beginning next year, the way of the teacher appointment will change again. Therefore, the candidates are hanging their heads in despair and anxiety.
Norangjin in Seoul is a town where a lot of teacher examination prep academics are swarmed.
A person passing by can be easily see advertisement fliers saying, “This is your last chance before the change,” and, “our academy is your shortcut to finally pass the test.”
In some academies, prep classes that train students for teach-back demonstrations have already begun, even though they were scheduled to begin next year.
Ms. Kim who is an undergraduate at Seoul National University of Education says,
“It is very difficult to adapt to the frequent changes in teacher examination.”
The additional requirement of a teach-back demonstration is too burdensome for candidates. In the future, it might as well change again.”
A person familiar with teacher prep-academies says, “It is too burdensome to ask the candidates who are not yet teachers to demonstrate practical experience in teaching.”
The competitive ratio of the examination for the appointment of middle school teachers, for example, was only 3.7 to 1 (candidate to appointees) in 2002, but hit a record high last year at 26.1 to 1, increasing sharply as follows: 7 to 1 by 2003, 10.7 to 1 by 2004, and 15.3 to 1 in 2005.
The appointment of elementary school teachers has also seen fiercer competition, from 0.91 to 1 in 2003 to 1.89 to 1 in 2009.
A person familiar with the Ministry of education and science and Technology said, “The competition ratio is higher because of a recent freeze in the hiring of teaching staff nationwide.” They are considering various programs to lower the competition rate, such as by merging or even abolishing certain education universities, or lowering the limit on the number of education colleges.
Looks like the education market is getting tighter. Does this worry you? Do you think that there will be a job for you, as an English teacher, when you graduate?
ReplyDeleteThe English Language Education Department at Sangmyung is beginning to offer a training seminar for students taking the exam that focuses on the skills mentioned in this article: writing and teaching demonstration. Do you think that this is valuable? Should there be semester-long course focusing on it?
Dan
I doublemajor in both Administration and English Education and I'm in the third grade now.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I like to teach English to my students but actually, I want to be not a school teacher but an instructor of an English academy. Now I have part-time job in an English academy as a teacher.
Therefore, I rarely worry about Education market of school teacher.
But I chose this article considering a lot of students who want to be a school teacher in our class.
I think the seminar can provide a good, useful and necessary skills for being a great teacher with me.
Since last year, I have learned English class
but I think these subjects is a little poor to students who learn skills for teacher.
In my opinion, the exra semina is essential to most students including me.
I hope SangMyung University will prepare the semester-long course as soon as possible.