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By Jung Min-ho
A regulation reform committee under the Prime Minister's Office has called for the lowering of education requirements for non-Koreans when teaching English online.
According to the five-member body, Wednesday, it recommended that the Ministry of Education revise its enforcement ordinance, which requires private academies ― also known as "hagwons" ― to hire foreigners with a bachelor's degree or higher education levels as English teachers.
That qualification has been criticized as being discriminatory, given that it does not apply to Koreans who can teach English at hagwons with an associate degree. A four-year degree had been required for both groups until the ministry eased the rule only for Koreans in 2004.
The committee's decision comes as online education companies are demanding a rule change. They have complained that the requirement hinders them from expanding their business overseas.
One of the popular business models adopted by their competitors based outside of Korea is to connect students with university-attending juniors or seniors ― regarded under the law as being a higher education level than a two-year college degree ― at, for example, Harvard or other prestigious institutions in the United States. Such programs attract student customers from around the world, including Korea, they say.
Committee members, who held a meeting earlier that day to make a decision, thought the complaint was reasonable. But they said that they won't recommend changing the rules for in-person education.
"It would be easier to protect students from teachers' inappropriate remarks and contact in online classes, which can be monitored," the committee said in a statement. "There should be a more cautious approach regarding in-person classes where teachers would have more influence on students."
The committee said the screening and management of teachers' qualifications should not be loosened, urging hagwon owners to strictly comply with all the rules stated under the Hagwon Law and related enforcement ordinances. It added that the ministry should support such efforts.
The committee also recommended the ministry make the paperwork more convenient for overseas applicants for English-teaching jobs.
If the ministry decides to ease the requirement for foreigners, the committee said it would invigorate the online education business environment and provide more opportunities for Korean students living in less-developed regions, where they have limited access to private education, especially English language education.
The ministry said it would accept the committee's recommendations and review the results of the meeting before revising the related rules.
