Gyeonggi-do Set On Reducing Native Speaking Teachers

Brian and GOPF have already been blogging about this.  I see no reason for native English speakers to at all feel threatened or offended by this.

The article mentions a 9% reduction for next year.  That really is trivial when you consider the fact that there are 8,500 NESTs in Korea public schools now and there were only 2,937 in 2007.  There was a 290% increase in the number of NESTs from 2007 to 2010. If they want to lower that down by 9%, it kind makes you wonder why they do not do it by more if they are claiming budget constraints now and they expanded so unbelievably fast to begin with.  A 9% reduction in one province seems insignificant when Korea expanded by 290% in the last three years.

Source:

Gyeonggi education authorities are moving to cut down the number of native English-speaking teachers for conversational classes at public schools due to a lack of budget. 

Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education said Thursday it plans to cut the number of foreign English teacher by 200 or 8.8 percent to 2,056 for next year. Currently, a total of 2,256 native English speakers are working at 2,032 schools in the province. 

The provincial education office said it is also considering cutting the number of native teachers in phases in the years to come.

Instead, the education office will increase the number of Korean English conversation teachers, who speak only in English during class, up to 1,100 from current 600. 

“We plan to gradually reduce foreign teachers and replace them with Korean English conversation teachers,” said an official from the provincial office. 

She said the policy change reflects higher costs to hire native speakers, including accommodations and airplane tickets for the foreigners. [...]

The education office still views English education as a priority.  They are looking for cheaper substitutes with Indians and Koreans.