Half of Seoul's native English-speaking teachers not qualified: gov't report

SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Yonhap) -- Half of the native English-speaking teachers placed at
elementary, middle and high schools in Seoul do not have teaching degrees or
certificates, a government report said Monday.

Among 810 native English-speakers who teach as assistants in the capital city,
only 166, or 20.5 percent, have education certificates, according to the report
submitted to city councilman Nam Jae-kyong by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of
Education.
Those who hold certificates for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
(TESOL) total 303, accounting for 37.4 percent.
There are 44 teachers, or 5.4 percent, who have both education and TESOL
certificates.
There were 136 instructors who majored in English education and 106 others who
studied education.
Forty-eight percent of the teachers, or 385 people, do not hold either education
certificates or TESOL certificates, the report said.
With English proficiency seen as the key for success in school and in society,
demand for native English speakers in South Korea has been rising in recent
years.
The number of native English-speakers in South Korean schools jumped to 3,800
this year from 146 in 2000. There are currently about 2,800 more foreign teachers
working at private institutes, according to a tally made by Ministry of
Education, Science and Technology earlier this year.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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