Another means by which travelers work their way around the world is
through a teaching position in a foreign country. There are countless short and long term opportunities for qualified
travelers and/or teachers to work in schools in all corners of the planet. But stories like this are a bit
disheartening: At least 50 Canadian
teachers were arrested this
week in South Korea, a popular location for teaching opportunities, where over 10,000 foreigners legally participate in
educational jobs. The Korean government has been cracking down on illegal teachers in the country who have been
working without the proper visas or rights to do so. There have been cases of fake diplomas being used to prove
credentials and an increase in the number of private schools who knowingly hire illegal workers.
While the government does have the right to do this, there has been outrage at certain extreme measures being taken
that treat these teacher/travelers as criminals — including imprisonment and handcuffing. Quite a few Canadians
have been deported in the past month and it appears the crackdown will continue. There is a huge conversation going on
over at the Globe and Mail, where the
latest story
broke on Monday. (You must register to read all the comments on the article.) You can also follow along at
The Marmot’s Hole, a blog about all things Korea, with recent
discussion and
advice about this
news.