By Don’t know how much ATEK can do to change the perception of English teachers in Korea, but I guess this is a start:
A group of native English teachers is criticizing a lawmaker over his statement that crimes committed by foreign teachers are “at a serious level.”
Rep. Lee Gun-hyeon of the Grand National Party recently published statistics from the National Police Agency involving crimes by foreign English teachers.
Lee stressed that these crimes have emerged as a social issue, escalating the anxiety of students and parents, who are calling for a stricter verification system to root out unqualified teaching candidates.
Lee also suggested criminal information should be made public to ensure students are not exposed to additional crimes.
The Association for Teachers of English in Korea (ATEK) countered the lawmaker’s claim. Dann Gaymer, communications director of the association, told The Korea Times Thursday that Lee’s comments don’t make sense and that they are making foreign English teachers look like the “enemy.”
According to Rep. Lee, the number of crimes committed by E-2 or foreign language teaching visa holders stood at 274 over the past three years with 114 arrests in 2007, 99 in 2008, and 61 in the first eight months of 2009.
In a press release, ATEK maintained that the statistics do not justify the claim that teacher crime is at a serious level, given that in 2008 there were 19,771 foreigners registered on E-2 visas.
“We find Rep. Lee’s accusation very troubling. As we are an association of foreign teachers in Korea, any accusation against the foreign teacher community is an attack against our members by default,” said ATEK president Greg Dolezal, adding the foreign English teacher crime rate of 0.64 percent was more than five times less than the 3.5 percent among Koreans in 2007 and half the rate of other foreigners. [Korea Times]
The only crime that foreign English teachers in Korea commit that is above local crime averages is for drugs. But to say that foreign English teachers are more of threat to children than Korean teachers is something that has no evidence to support.
You can read more about both foreign and GI crime in Korea below:
Exposing the Myth of Foreigner Crime in Korea
GI Myths: Is the US Military Crime Rate in Korea Out of Control?
5:30 am on October 16th, 2009 1
Just an idea. Shave and wear clothing. He looks like a naked perv.
Also, his creepyness makes me want to keep my daughter about as far away from him as I can.
ATEK needs to start hiring normal people.
12:32 pm on October 16th, 2009 2
BTW the old guy who did his job was reported to have molested children. I will link proof if asked.
Two strikes so far.
1:01 pm on October 16th, 2009 3
He should have taken the time to get proper pictures made. It's very important to give off the appearance of authority when acting in an official function.
Heck, I noticed that my students (some of which I've had for several semesters) are more attentive on the days I wear a tailored suit than on those I dress more casually (typically, shirt, vest, and chinos).
2:10 pm on October 16th, 2009 4
I think I agree with LordofE2 100%.
WTF is ATEK thinking to represent themselves with a person who looks like this?
At least, if you refuse to wear a collared shirt and tie for your publicity shot, shave (or wash?) the bottom of your neck… and the creepy smile framed with stubble looks like he just got caught playing with his own poo.
"ATEK needs to start hiring normal people."
"Normal people" are busy living full and interesting lives in Korea with no time to worry about "racism" and "discrimination" and "the Man gettin' 'dem down".
Only the whiners are making a stink about the meaningless rhetoric of some publicity-seeking lawmaker in a country that gives ample social opportunity, above-average income and unbelievable sexxual possibilities, to clean-cut white guys with easy smiles who aren't (too) freaky.
Korea is an entry-level country to live in… and the more quiet and socially-integrated that whitey is, the easier life becomes for everyone. When shabby-looking whitey starts publicly whining, it makes "normal people"'s lives potentially more difficult.
This manufactured-sensitivity whiny crap is irritating when it comes from Jackson and Sharpton and it is equally irritating when it comes from whitey in Korea.
5:23 pm on October 16th, 2009 5
You know there are a lot of hard working English teachers out there, and so far I think this guy Dann Garbar isn't one of them. He looks like another fly by night English teacher, here today gone tomorrow. I just hope that he likes adults. It seemed like a lot of the ATEK group was focused on teens and boys.
"I am a writer, musician and occasional photographer. I originally hail from the United Kingdom but since completing my degree in Social Anthropology I have been traveling and working in Asia. This is a portfolio of pieces I have had published thus far. I first became involved in writing and photography through the skateboard zine DOS which I founded and edited. It ran for 26 issues from 2002-2007. I also edited a short lived e-zine called 'What Is To Be Done?' Currently I contribute to the following on a regular basis: -Daegu Pockets -10 Magazine -Fault Magazine -Noize Makes Enemies -Die Shellsuit, Die! -Music Under Fire -The Korean Herald My interests include music,skateboarding,art,cats,history,martial arts and travel."
7:55 pm on October 16th, 2009 6
"“Normal people” are busy living full and interesting lives in Korea with no time to worry about “racism” and “discrimination” and “the Man gettin’ ‘dem down”.
Only the whiners are making a stink about the meaningless rhetoric of some publicity-seeking lawmaker in a country that gives ample social opportunity, above-average income and unbelievable sexxual possibilities, to clean-cut white guys with easy smiles who aren’t (too) freaky."
ATEK isn't about whining. It's about keeping the Korean government up to its legal and moral obligations. If you can't see how this sort of activism works for the greater good, than maybe you spend too much time insulting perfect strangers on the internet.
8:45 pm on October 16th, 2009 7
ATEK seems just like another one of those anti-freedom orginizations who want to take away your liberty and make you turn over your paycheck all so they can sit around doing nothing. Just google their name and you can find all sorts of bad things about them. Its run by socialists, anti-Americans and kiddie fondlers..
When you try and ask them anything, they attack you with full force…
The pigs are walking… the pigs are walking…
11:07 pm on October 16th, 2009 8
"moral obligations. "
Let me guess, you and ATEK can decide what is moral for everyone.
10:37 am on October 17th, 2009 9
You're being obtuse on purpose? I was referring to the Korean Constitution and the international treaties South Korea has signed.
3:43 pm on October 17th, 2009 10
Oh so that is what you are referring to. LOL Then tell me how ATEK is enforcing the Korean constituion and ininternatioal treaties. What treaties for example? My guess is, that like everything elase, you don't know what you are talking about.
10:40 pm on October 17th, 2009 11
GAME SET MATCH GOES TO THE LORD AGAIN!!!
4:16 pm on October 18th, 2009 12
Teadrinker,
I had no real opinion on ATEK until I saw the shabby picture of the communications director posted here.
Contrary to your idea, I wasn't "insulting a perfect stranger". I was making an accurate observation about a public figure in an increasingly vocal organization which can potentially be mistaken to represent me.
My posted opinions were based on this picture and public actions which are naive and counterproductive.
Rumpled foreigners publicly fighting a Korean politician over trivial requirements (the general population is inclined to agree with) is a losing strategy by an organization which appears to be looking for self-serving publicity through manufactured conflict.
Ignoring the politician's rhetoric until it is quickly forgotten is probably a better course of action.
If there must be some response, discrete communication with the politician helping him further his political goals without doing any real damage to the English teacher community is a win-win situation… as he gets publicity for "showing results" and ATEK gets legitimacy.
A joint public push for effective teacher training and increased professional standards would do more to counter this politician's rhetoric than all the whining and statistic quoting… even if they are right and he is wrong.
Very amateur.
Instead, bad attention was brought to foreign teachers and their "representatives" over issues that just aren't that big of deal to the Average Kim… as well as making themselves a future target for politicians wishing to shift public attention away from more important issues…
…much in the way Dokdo seems to come up whenever scandal is looming.
This was my first impression… but… I thought I'd make a more solid opinion.
So, I just took a look at ATEK's website.
Here are some quick observations…
1. As of today, the website's official picture of the new president, Greg Dolezai, shows him wearing (and I shyt you not) what appears to be an undershirt and morning hair.
This shows a huge lack of understanding… or caring… about how things are done in uniform-conscious Korea… and it reinforces the stereotype of unprofessional foreign English teachers… because, well, it's not professional… and nobody in ATEK leadership seems to recognize this.
People that intentionally look like this don't… CAN'T… represent the truly professional teachers in Korea.
They can only represent the ragged hippies, assorted losers and shabby stinkers, that make up an unfortunately large percentage of "teachers" in Korea.
2. ATEK leadership appears to be more interested in building a politically-fueled little kingdom with lots of official positions than improving the quality of teachers… which would actually solve many of the problems.
Apart from a few sentences proclaiming lofty goals, if they were clearly useful and beneficial for teachers wishing to improve themselves right now, members would come and they would gain the political clout they are seeking.
Instead, they are trying to get members first, through adversarial publicity, and become useful, in some vague way, later.
They state this objective.
This is a turn-off to those of us who watch directionless organizations get bogged down with internal politics and in-fighting over who controls the screensaver on the office computer.
We have already seen this happen with the great plagiarism non-controversy.
3. While it would be great if they currently offered high-quality lesson plans for directionless teachers or openly pushed professional standards of dress, conduct and attitude, they are instead whining about the non-issue of mandatory HIV testing and criminal background checks.
Sure, this is a pain the arse… but it has no real effect… except, maybe, preventing a criminal from teaching or keeping an unnecessary foreign HIV carrier out of Korea.
Since ATEK can't really come out and say these are bad things that shouldn't be done, they are instead whining about discrimination… and pushing for everyone to experience the irritation of intrusive tests and checks.
Instead of focusing on helping members improve their situation in some way, they are focused on making life more difficult for other groups of people.
Go, ATEK!
4. I'm sure I could go on… but this was the last straw.
Each local chapter of ATEK has 5 leadership positions.
One of these, or 20% of leadership, is titled, "Women and Minorities Status Coordinator".
Uh… ATEK's main talking point has been the evils of separation and special attention directed at a single classification of people.
Instead of a clear platform of assisting all teachers equally, their leadership structure is openly based on categorization by skin color and gender… and providing enhanced assistance for certain groups.
This is an indicator that ATEK is politically driven rather than results-oriented.
They do know the majority of teachers in Korea are white men and the majority of problems that need solved will involve them, don't they?
So…
While I had no real opinion about ATEK, now I do.
They appear to be more of a whiny conflict-oriented agenda-driven special interest group and "community organizer" political stepping stone, than I had first suspected.
ATEK's model is fundamentally flawed. Their actions may attract members… but they will be of the most disgruntled type… as happy teachers have no need to fight the issues they are pushing.
Korea probably needs an association focused on offering organized training and problem-solving assistance to foreign teachers.
ATEK is not it.
4:36 pm on October 18th, 2009 13
People have been asking for help from ATEK and nobody from the orginization will help.
"Tony Hellmann, the association was unable to help him renew his contract at Kyungnam University. Hellmann was accused of having sexual relations with minors when he was in the United States and faced an investigation by the Korean police."
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2009…
Teabagger is an avid drug use promoter. This is the kind of agenda ATEK is supporting.
I am totally shocked by ATEK. ATEK=FAIL
7:38 pm on October 18th, 2009 14
I don't get this:" Women and Minorities Status Coordinator"
Who are they seeking to represent here? The woman part I understand, but what constitutes a minortiy? Are not all foreigners in Korea a minorty? Would that exclude kyopos? or are they referring to minorites in their home nation, which means that Kyopos would be in the minorty and thus would recive this extra status?
Or are they tallking about gays as minorities? If ATEK is trying to promote the gay lifestyle into schools under the guise of minority represntation, then this is a very bad things. The English teaching community overseas doesn't need anymore Paul Neils.
Teabagger, you support the gay lifestyle, forcing drugs on to children, and ATEK, can you clear things up?
9:53 pm on November 6th, 2009 15
hellooooo
I am a korean guy and gay. i live near dongducheon.
I want to meet any friends to speak english.
please send me a mail.
re0302@hotmail.com
2:55 am on November 7th, 2009 16
I guess ATEK doesn't read ROK Drop.
I just checked out their website again.
Did the president of ATEK post a nice picture of himself in a dark suit and tie with a fresh shave and combed hair?
Nooooo…
Same picture… morning hair and undershirt.
Embarrassing.
…but not as embarrassing as their published observation about many of the English "teachers" in Korea.
"With loans to pay back but no substantial prospects for employment their future looks rather bleak."
Uh… guys… as an association supposedly trying to raise the status of English teachers in Korea, I don't think I'd say anything that might leave the impression that people who can get jobs stay in their own countries and those with bleak futures who cannot get jobs come to Korea.
Eskimos don't buy a lot of ice from you guys, do they?
12:21 am on May 29th, 2010 17
haha