Maybe the title is a little too much, but Rudy Ronald Sianturi wrote an excellent article on Japan’s largest English school busted for cheating its customers. Fortunately something like that would never happen in Korea (wink wink), but it is nice to compare the two countries for similarities and differences.
According to the article and links, there are even some schools in Japan that want to hire only blonde hair and blue eyed foreigners. One reader of Japan Today noted:
”Advertising that only blonde haired blue eyed English teachers teach at this school teaches the children what? That all English speakers have the same eye and hair color? Kindergarden is not a modeling agency folks, nor is it Disneyland where even a black haired, dark eyed Japanese woman can put on a blonde wig and be a Cinderella! Kindergarten is is a place where children first learn about their world, and hopefully learn some manners and respect for adults and the higher education they will eventually embark on. When I look at this advertisment, I think “this is probably a kindergarten where the “Enlgish teachers” are just wall paper where kids are freely allowed to concho and grope them and their parents are probably there with their videocams to costantly catch their little devils in action!”‘
It is a common complaint I have heard in Korea from my friends who teach in English schools. You’ll have to read the rest of the article and the links to it here.
6 Comments
Maybe they want blondes because they’re easier to bamboozle.
The association of “English speaker” with “white” in the minds of much of the Japanese hoi poloi is true to an extent. But the author’s claim that racially-discriminatory hiring is common in the industry, or even exists at all in the big schools, is bollocks. Yeah, it’s surprising to me too.
Racially discriminatory hiring practices are, of course, totally unacceptable.
On the other hand, language schools should not accept as “native speakers of English” such citizens of anglophone countries who have migrated to these countries after the age of 5. This requirement has nothing to do with race and should apply to those of Caucasian, Asian, African, or other descent in the same way.
Don’t forget “Almond Tease”.
Age of 5? That’s idiotic.
“Age of 5? That’s idiotic.”
What age limit do you suggest then ?