Having to stay late at school is one of the biggest complaints among EPIK teachers. On one hand I think that if were possible for EPIK teachers to go home early after classes it would really help out the program, but on the other I don't believe that it would be well received by the Korean teachers.
Most EPIK teachers teach at more than one school. Some teach at one or two, others at more than one a day each day of the week. Part of me wants to say that for that reason, EPIK teachers should be allowed to go home early. But on the other hand, EPIK teachers are spared the administrative burdens that every Korean teacher has to deal with on a daily basis. EPIK teachers also don't have to hassle with the exams. EPIK teachers also get return airfare and paid accommodation and aren't even required to have a teaching degree.
Though many would disagree, I would personally recommend not making any waves and staying at work until everyone goes home, even if you teach at 10 schools. Even if you're deprived a computer or a desk, you can still study Korean, read, listen to music, keep a journal, do crossword puzzles, etc.
There is word that someone in Jeju complained about this years ago, and for that reason everyone in Jeju has to stay at school until 4:30pm. Before then, teachers could go home. If you are respectful and cooperative and even go so far as to bring in fruit or other snacks, it might give you some real bargaining power on that one afternoon when you need to leave early to wire money home or have a wisdom tooth pulled.
What do you think?
EPIK Teachers going home from school early
If you sign a contract agreeing to work from 8:30 - 6:00 everyday, then don't complain about having to stay until 5. It's that simple. It has nothing to do with Korean teachers or their contracts, or even whether they get paid more than you do.
If you are not prepared to stay at work during the time period stipulated in the contract, don't sign it. What could be more simple? It has nothing to do with whether or not you have a desk or a computer at school, or even if people at the school don't talk to you. Hearing, "I deserve the right to go home early because people at school don't talk to me" reminds me a little of 3rd graders playing in the sandbox.
Now, if your school doesn't mind if you go home early, then by all means grab a sandwich and hit the gym . I am only saying that you should keep in mind that if you are sneaking out of school to go home early, you are making the situation harder for foreigners that come after you.
That being said, each situation is its own and I am in no position to tell someone what to do. What it comes down to is those that are helping the cause know who they are, and vice versa.
Leaving school early
What really happened was that in the past it was up to the principal whether you could go home or not after teaching. Most principals came to the party so long as the foreigners kept it pretty low profile.
Well, there was one guy whose principal was a bit of a stickler for the rules and didn't want him to leave early. But the foreigner teacher completely ignored the principal and repeatedly just used to leave as soon as his last class was over.
As you can imagine the principal took a pretty dim view of someone completely disregarding his authority.
The next thing we all knew letters were being sent to every school stating that foreign teachers had to stay till finish time. Once the Board of Education found out teachers were leaving early they had a big crack down resulting in schools being told (in writing) to enforce the contract. That meant foreigner teachers should come to school even in the holidays- i.e. seven days holidays.
So it wasn't that someone complained - it was that someone behaved like an idiot.
Sherrin
Jeju EPIK Change
When did this happen?