[OP4] Increasing Teachers' Salary Improves English Education in Korea

What do you think needs to be done to improve English Education in your country? Think of one suggestion and explain why you think it is needed.

Can you believe that Korean teachers are paid with relatively the highest salary when compared to gross national product? It sounds pretty exaggerated, but this is the conclusion of the recent survey by Korean Development Institute. Based on biased assumptions and faulty data, however, this conclusion is not valid. If we just consider that Korean teachers get 1,700,000 won a month during their first year, no one would support such a crude analysis. In fact, teacher's salary must be increased. By doing this, English education in Korea will improve as it will lead to heightened teacher's morale and competitiveness.

The immediate effect of the increased salary is on teachers' morale and spirits. Compensated with larger salary, teachers will start to feel that their works are much more appreciated, and this sense of achievement will result in greater satisfaction and professionalism. In 2002's survey conducted by Korean Education Development Institute, over 80% of Korean teachers replied that the more years they work, the more helpless they feel about their teaching career. Teachers with this sense of incompetence and helplessness are unlikely to teach with enthusiasm, an essential factor for motivating students. By rewarding their efforts with higher salary, Korean teachers will become more confident and responsible for their job, and their confidence and sense of responsibility will, in turn, make the students highly motivated. Thus the quality of English education in Korean schools will improve.

In addition to elevated teachers' spirits, bigger salary will allow them to spend more money on self-development. Today, importance of developing students' communicative skills has been emphasized all the more, yet many of the present English teachers in Korean schools are not capable of producing the target language fluently. With more financial leeway, teachers can join language programs to improve their English skills. If necessary, they can even take a year's leave and join an academic program in an English-speaking country. Moreover, they will also be able to have more opportunities to learn to operate the latest, and in most cases expensive, multimedia equipment and softwares that can help boost the efficiency of their English lessons.

Finally, increased salary will attract highly competitive applicants to teaching positions. At the present, teaching positions receive a relatively lower esteem than other professions such as doctors and lawyers. With higher salary, teaching positions will be more desirable, and thus more number of bright students will compete to be admitted into a teachers' college. Besides, everyone who has the relevant teacher's license will try to become an English teacher without considering other options. Fiercer competition will elevate teachers' competitiveness and, as a result, improve English education in Korea.

As we have observed, increasing teachers' salary is an effective way for the improvement of English education in this country. With re-established self-esteem and confidence, teachers can lead their students to get more enthusiastic and excited about their learning experiences. Having more money at their disposal, they will spend more money to upgrade their current skills and knowledge that will enhance the quality of their lessons. Moreover, higher salary will make the competition for teaching positions more intense, so teachers with better qualification and skills will join our schools. English education in Korea at this point is in need of radical change, and this cannot be achieved just by granting larger salary to the teachers. However, it will certainly make many positive impacts on English education in Korea.

I agree that a teacher's duty is very demanding compared to the reward they get.
They are overwhelmed with many roles as a teacher, an administrator, and a counselor. The latest news that a teacher was hit by a parent in front of the students is really deteriorating their self-esteem and morale.
Although money cannot settle these immoral problems, it is necessary to uplift teachers' morale by compensating them one way or another.