Expat parents may be surprised to find that some international schools are predominantly populated by a Korean student body. These schools will still follow an international curriculum and use a foreign language for instruction, but the overall mindset may lean more towards Korean culture. This means a heavy emphasis on entrance and exit exams, which can lead to a stressful environment.
Many students at these institutions will still attend hagwons or receive extra tutoring outside of their normal school hours. If you do not want your student to be in this sort of high-intensity environment, you may want to look for schools with a more diverse student body. Schools in Korea for international students largely follow either an American or British curriculum. These are found all throughout the peninsular country, but the greatest concentration will be found in or around Seoul.
Older schools will typically be religious in name such as a Christian or Catholic school but may not be terribly religious in practice. Students will be asked to attend church services and religious holidays will be observed, but rarely are there religious study classes involved. In addition to American, British, and religious schools, it is also possible to find international Japanese, German, French, and Chinese schools.
Be prepared to be put on a waiting list when searching for the right international school for you. An appealing aspect of international schools is their small class size, but this also means limited space. When searching for a school, keep your options open. Be sure to look at a few different schools so that you can not only compare but have a better chance of acceptance.
If you need assistance during your school search, the expat experts at InterNations GO! We can set up school interviews as well as advise on all the documents you must prepare for enrollment. The requirements for admission will differ from school to school, but in general you should provide the following documents:. Perhaps one of the greatest drawbacks to an international school in South Korea is the cost.
Foreign schools in Korea are the most expensive education option. If you are thinking of moving to South Korea for higher education, you will be happy to learn that the country has a reputation for having some of the best universities in Asia. This reputation has partially been earned because South Korea is considered, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD , one of the most educated countries in the world.
Before this time, Korea was looked at mostly as a country of rural farmers. In an effort to change their international image, the South Korean government started placing greater emphasis on its education system, reshaping the standards and curriculum from primary school all the way through university.
While this has created a culture of tremendous stress and pressure on the student-level, it has also led to South Korea being one of the fastest, most successful growing economies in modern society. International students interested in science, technology, or engineering will find excellent programs at Korean universities. Some Korean universities, such as KAIST listed below , even place special emphasis on robotic technology and research that will ultimately improve societies around the globe.
In addition to an excellent grade point average GPA and academic record, studying at a South Korean university will also generally require the following from international students:. South Korean universities run on a two-semester academic calendar. The academic year typically starts in March, but some universities will allow students to enter in either semester. Prospective students interested in spring enrollment must submit their application in the fall of the previous year, and students wanting to start in fall must submit their application in the summer of the same year in which they hope to start attending classes.
Expats should be aware that the competition to get into South Korean universities is stiff both for foreigners and Korean nationals alike. Thus, foreigners who also hope to enroll in Korean universities should ensure they have an outstanding profile in order to compete.
However, while competition will be stiff, do not let that dissuade you. South Korea is extremely open to foreigners, especially in regard to international students. Many Korean universities even offer generous scholarships just for international students. How much does it cost to study in South Korea for international students? That depends on the school and diploma level you hope to receive. Generally, annual tuition for an undergraduate degree will range between 2,, to 5,, KRW. For postgraduate, tuition will be between 2,, to 7,, KRW.
Knowing Korean will not only help your job prospects in the peninsular country, but it will also go a long way to helping you feel more at home. However, for expats intent on staying in Korea long-term, learning the language is crucial. In addition to Korean, foreigners moving to South Korea will also require a decent grasp of English. Korean society and business culture is becoming increasingly more international.
Therefore, English and Korean are two unifying languages throughout many aspects of Korean life. If you are neither fluent in English nor Korean, attempting to learn both in tandem will be difficult, but beneficial. Depending on the school you choose and the type of course, fees will start at around 1, KRW USD and go up from there. Course types range from once-a-week group classes to daily intensive courses. If you are interested in joining one of the sessions, or if you would prefer a private class for just yourself or your family, contact InterNations GO!
As experienced expats, we know that learning the local language is one of the best ways to start adapting to a new country.
We will help you find the best course for you and your language expectations. Do you want to relocate? If you have never moved abroad, the process will be overwhelming, and if you have, you know the burden that lies ahead. Whatever stage you are at, InterNations GO! Our expert expat team is ready to get your relocation going, so why not jump-start your move abroad and contact us today? Best to start early!
Once we've helped you move to South Korea, we can make you feel at home by introducing you to other expats who have already settled and are part of our South Korea Community. Attend our monthly events and activities in South Korea and get to know like-minded expats in real life. Sep 20, , PM. Mar 18, , PM. Connect with Like-Minded Expatriates Our team of experts is ready to help you find a home abroad, move your household goods, and settle into your new country.
Join Now. Education Tap to see all guide sections. Admissions for the top international schools in South korea tend to have waiting lists so it is recommended that parents apply well in advance to secure a spot for their children. Additionally, each school has ratings based on parent reviews and are ranked below accordingly.
Home Schools South Korea. View Map. Students and parents in South Korea place a high regard on education. Most students, i. This is because students aim to enter the top universities upon graduation from high school. Traditionally, schools in South Korea are not co-educational. At present, there are still a number of schools in the country which teach boys and girls separately.
Public school teachers and principals in South Korea change school assignments every five years. This is to ensure the teaching quality as well as the professional growth of every educator.
There are state schools, private schools, and international schools in South Korea. Public and private schools receive government funding, although private schools receive smaller subsidies.
Hagwons are private education companies that cater to students ranging from young children to adults. Essentially, hagwons operate like businesses, separate to the South Korean public school system. Unlike the public school programs, teachers have autonomy over the exact location and hagwon where they work. There are a huge number of hagwons operating in the country, meaning there are ample ESL jobs in Korea and a wide variety of establishments to choose from.
Hagwons typically hire all year round, with the visa application process taking approximately 2 — 3 months. The above are the essential requirements to work in a hagwon. The following may be preferred by some hagwons:. To find out more about hagwons, including the benefits, downsides and suitability, read our guide on What Is a Hagwon and Should You Work at One? Thank you. My name is Filipa Carvalho, 25 years old, from Porto Portugal. This resulted in lost jobs when documents were not produced in time.
Applicants then had to start their job search all over, by which time most private schools had completed their hiring. At best, this caused many people to go to Korea months after they originally wanted to. They then have to start all over. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. We had multiple reports of teachers being promised positions in large metropolitan cities. When they arrived at EPIK orientation, however, they were given placements in rural areas.
They were then told that they could either accept that position or return home on their own dime. As schools could no longer afford to employ foreign teachers. While losing your job before getting to Korea is a problem, losing your job while in Korea is infinitely worse. At that point, the entire visa process needs to be redone, and you must do this all on your own. EPIK teachers commonly complain that there is a serious lack of support. Whether it is from EPIK representatives or within the school, there is often no support structure.
At private schools, you have managers, directors and co-teachers who can assist you or answer your questions. In addition to the problems outlined above, in late , EPIK cut jobs 1 month before those positions began. For Travel and Teach alone, we recruited 35 of those teachers.
We then had to inform them that they were jobless, even though they had already completed the visa process and purchased plane tickets. Is it true that some private schools will not pay you on time, add on extra teaching hours or fire you in the 11 th month of your contract to save on severance and plane ticket payout? Unfortunately, we still hear stories like this. However, these stories are usually from people who have either 1 been hired directly through a school or 2 been placed through a Korean recruiting agency.
While not all schools that hire directly are bad, nor are all Korean recruiting agencies, the fact is once you have a visa sponsorship with a school in Korea and are unhappy, your only two options are to 1 quit, go home and do the visa process all over again or 2 stay put and deal with the poor working conditions or treatment. At Travel and Teach, we have always been very picky about which schools we work with.
This gives us full confidence when we send teachers to these schools year after year. We have partnered with many of these schools since Therefore, we pass on extensive information to prospective teachers so they know exactly what they are getting into. And if there are any issues or miscommunication, we are there to help figure everything out.
This is the Travel and Teach Guarantee. Once people are informed of the differences between private vs. When my recruiter asked me if I would prefer to be placed in a rural area or a metropolitan city, I immediately expressed my preference for a city. I am the only foreigner in my town, and it is technically considered a rural location. So, while I am technically in Daegu, it is safe to say that I am relatively isolated.
All details are sent to you in the job description for the school before you interview for the position, so once you arrive in Korea you can expect…what you were expecting :.
Even some second year applicants are denied placement in Seoul. Everyone wants to teach English in Seoul when they think of teaching in South Korea. I promise I am not trying to be negative, just realistic.
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