A teacher prepares for classes at Itaewon Elementary School in Seoul on Oct. 16, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Those who pass the teacher employment exam for elementary schools in Seoul currently have to wait for more than a year before getting a job, government data showed Tuesday, amid declining demand for teachers resulting from the decrease in the number of school-age children and a plunging birth rate.
New teachers have been waiting for 15.6 months on average to be hired since 2017 and the longest standby time was two years and six months, according to the Ministry of Education data submitted to Rep. Min Hyung-bae, an independent lawmaker.
The 15 teachers who passed the state-run teacher employment examination in Feb. 2019 were hired in Sept. 2021, six months before their qualifications expired.
In general, the qualifications of those who pass the exam expire if they are not hired within three years after passing the exam.
In addition, 752 teachers across the country waited for more than two years to be assigned to schools after passing the exam.
Moreover, the 540 teachers who passed the exam in February were still standing by to be assigned to schools as of last month, including 186 in Seoul, 151 in Gyeonggi Province and 100 in South Gyeongsang Province.
Considering that most elementary school teachers are placed at the beginning of new semesters, the 540 teachers who failed to be appointed in September are likely going to have to wait for more than a year.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
