Segmentations of the teaching profession in South Korea

Abstract

Segmentations of the teaching profession in South Korea exist in relation to several dimensions, including level of teaching, place of teaching, gender, and employment types. These striations primarily originate from the historical development of formal education in Korea. However, a new segmentation between short-term contract teachers and tenured teachers has emerged since the application, in 1997, of the neoliberal idea of a flexible labour market to the teacher hiring system. A series of measures have, to some extent, overcome distinctions between primary and secondary teachers and public and private teachers, but gender inequity in promotions and the comparative weaknesses of short-term, contract-teaching positions remain to be resolved. Moreover, hiring practices in private schools should be examined further for a full understanding of the current segmentation of the teaching profession in Korea.