Korea: Seoul Plans to Increase Foreign Teachers

[Harold Schiffman]

Seoul Plans to Increase Foreign Teachers

By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) said it will increase
the number of native English speaking teachers up to 480 in schools
this year from 362 last year at elementary and secondary schools in
Seoul. ``We will recruit 120 more foreign teachers after thorough
screenings. The new teachers will be sent to underprivileged
schools,'' said SMOE official Cho Chun-ok.  Despite the rise in
foreign teachers, however, they are not enough, given more than 1,200
schools in the city. To make up for the shortfall, the office is
considering using Koreans fluent in English.  Additionally, the
education authority will open an English education institute in
Gapyeong County in Gyeonggi Province in April and set up English-only
classes at 22 schools. Also, it will select 344 students for English
immersion programs.

kswho at koreatimes.co.kr
 http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/01/117_16688.html

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