Thursday, April 16, 2015

New EPIK Requirements for 2015

epik
New EPIK Requirements for 2015
EPIK is the official government program that places native English teachers into Korean public schools. While there have been significant cuts in recent years (almost all middle and high school positions), plenty of teachers are still recruited.

New EPIK Program Changes for 2015 and Beyond

Check the article (from Korvia Recruiting), but here are the highlights:

English and Linguistics Majors

Previously, English and Linguistics majors did not need to have a TEFL certificate in order to start at a higher pay scale. That exemption is now eliminated.

My thoughts: good! Even though someone studied English or linguistics does not mean they actually know what they're doing in the classroom.

TEFL Certificates

Starting in 2016, only TEFL certificates with a minimum of 20 in-class hours will be accepted.

My thoughts: good! Those only online certificates are basically worthless and anyone who is serious about being a real ESL teacher should actually just do the CELTA. Why not change it to a 120-hour certificate?

GPA Requirements

EPIK has come out and officially stated that they will require a 2.5 GPA in order to apply. SMOE (Seoul public school positions) will require a 2.7.

My thoughts: why is it not even higher? Don't we want academically successful people in the classroom?  The ones who know what it takes to succeed and not just scrape by?

FBI Checks

It is now easier to get an acceptable FBI check if you're from the USA.

My thoughts: good! Anything that reduces the paperwork stress is a good thing.

South African Applicants

South African applicants are now required to submit official proof that their middle and high school education was in English. 

My thoughts: why not people from Quebec too?!

2 comments:

John from Daejeon said...

Thanks for keeping us up to date, but would you have qualified under thees new 2016 guidelines? What kind of qualifications did you have when you first started teaching in South Korea? And thanks for keeping your blog going.



Jackie Bolen said...

I didn't have a Tefl back then, but I do know. But, I don't think you need it to apply, just to get on higher pay scale.