Education in South Korea

In South Korea, education is highly regarded and very competitive, similar to many East Asian countries like Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, and is typical of education in Asia. A centralized administration oversees the process for the education of children from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Mathematics, science and English are generally considered to be the most important subjects. Sometimes, physical education is not considered important, as it is not regarded to be education, and, therefore, many schools lack high-quality gymnasiums and varsity athletics. South Korea was the first country in the world to provide high-speed internet access from every primary, junior, and high school. ^*

The school year is divided into two semesters. The first begins in mid-February and ends in June; the second begins in late August and ends in mid- to late December. The schedules are not rigidly standardized, however, and can vary from school to school.

Primary education

In South Korea, elementary school consists of grades one to six. Students learn subjects including, but not limited to, Korean, mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, fine arts, and music. Usually, the homeroom teacher covers most of the subjects; however, there are some specialized teachers in professions such as physical education and foreign languages, including English.

Elementary schools are called 초등학교 (chodeung-hakgyo), meaning elementary school. The South Korean government changed its name to the current form from 국민학교 (gukmin hakgyo), meaning citizens' school in 1996. This was done as a gesture of restoring national pride, due to the negatively charged notions of the word (국민학교 was abbreviated from 황국신민의 학교, which means school for the subjects of the imperial state) carried over from Japanese colonial rule.

Secondary education

Middle school

Middle schools in South Korea teach students from seventh grade to ninth grade. A student is placed in the same level as all the other students in his or her grade level; there is no ability tracking. Classes normally stay in their homerooms while the teachers move from classroom to classroom between periods.

Middle schools are called 중학교 (jung hakgyo), which means middle school.

High school

Students from tenth grade to twelfth grade attend high schools in South Korea. As in middle school, students stay in their homerooms and are not tracked by ability. A student may choose, however, the class he or she wishes to take for liberal arts. High schools in Korea may also have subject specialty tracks. For example, university-bound students may choose to go to an academic science or foreign language specialty high school; while other students may choose a vocational track high school which emphasizes agriculture, commerce, or another technical curriculum. The art track is another popular route many aspiring artists take. Specializing in anything from Korean traditional music to drama, they serve as the alma mater of many of today's most famous celebrities.

The curriculum is rigorous, and many students attend private academies (called hagwons) as supplements to boost academic performance.

High school is not strictly mandatory. However, according to a 2005 study of OECD member countries, some 97% of South Korea's young adults do complete high school. This was the highest percentage recorded in any country. ^*

High schools are called 고등학교 (godeung hakgyo), meaning "high-level school."

Post-secondary education

Main articles: List of colleges and universities in South Korea, Category:Vocational education in South Korea

Many students who complete high school education apply to be accepted in South Korea's various universities and technical colleges. The acronym SKY is often used to indicate the three most prestigious and highly desired universities in Korea: Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Admissions into the "SKY" schools have traditionally been so competitive that a degree from one of the schools is often regarded as a ticket to success and honor in Korean society.(^*) Among these, Seoul National University, a state-run university, is considered to be the highest ranking school in the nation. Other well-known universities include several private universities also located in Seoul such as Sogang University, Ewha Womans University, Hanyang University, and Sungkyunkwan University, in addition to several engineering institutes like Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTEC).

University entrance examinations

Korea retains many aspects of the Joseon Dynasty and Japanese education systems, the most influential of which is probably the use of entrance examinations to determine eligibility to attend the highest-level universities. The entrance examinations test most subjects taught in school, including math, science, English, history, and economics. From an early age, students prepare to take the university entrance examination, and the curriculum of most schools is determined by the content of the entrance examination to a large extent. In addition, many parents enroll their children in cram schools from an early age—many as early as elementary school.

After-school classes

A large number of privately-owned institutions (hagwon/학원) exist in order to provide after-school instruction in various subjects. As the university entrance examination is such an important factor in education, many parents spend a significant portion of their income to send their children to these institutes in order to prepare them for the exam. Although theoretically these private institutions are subject to the regulation of the Korean Ministry of Education, this system of private schools is often criticized for having little or no actual oversight, and many schools operate with sub-standard conditions. Many also worry that the existence of these schools allows wealthier parents to purchase better educations for their children.

Private tutors have also become popular in recent years. Students who attend the top-tier universities are the tutors of choice for many parents.

English education

English is taught as a required subject from the third year of elementary school up to high school, as well as many universities. However, English classes usually focus upon preparing for the entrance exam, as well as various English-language proficiency tests such as TOEIC and TOEFL, which tend to be listening and grammar-based, with little or no emphasis on spoken English. As a result, many Koreans have very limited speaking ability in English despite having studied the language for eight years or more in school as well as in after-school classes.

Many schools, including public schools and hagwons, hire foreign teachers for their English education programs.

Controversy

The Korean education system, despite its successes in achieving high test scores, has been criticized both for its treatment of students and for the content of the education they receive.

Treatment of Students

Because of the importance of the university entrance examination in determining one's career prospects, students are under intense pressure to study long hours. The high school years, especially, are a time when students have little chance to do much except study. The Korean saying "Sleep five hours and fail, sleep four hours and pass" is taken seriously; for three years students typically begin school at 6 a.m. and finish at midnight; some students finish at 10 p.m. and go to hagwons until midnight or 1 a.m.. Students can forgo the 6 p.m. to midnight classes and self-study sessions but only with permission from both their parents and their homeroom teacher, and few bother to ask. The schedule lasts seven days a week and is rigorous even during periods of nominal vacation. It is not uncommon during exam periods to see students sleeping during class from exhaustion. Students are encouraged to conceive of themselves as being in fierce competition with their friends and peers.

Corporal punishment is the most common method of punishment, and ranges from light to severe. Students are punished not only for actual infractions of school rules, but also for giving incorrect answers during class or receiving low marks on exams. Common punishments include being beaten on the palms, calves, and buttocks and being put into humiliating or physically stressful positions, such as kneeling on a desk while holding a chair above the head. Though rare, students are sometimes severely injured by their teachers.^*" target="_blank" >Because teachers are expected to instill moral virtue, students can be punished even for behavior outside of school; for example if they are seen drinking or riding on a motorcycle. In 2003 it was reported that roughly 75% of elementary schools and 80% of middle and high schools employ corporal punishment..^*. The official government position is that corporal punishment is prohibited; little if anything, however, is done to enforce the ban.

A shocking clip, taken by a parent visiting the school, has been recently released on the popular Korean site Media Daum. The clip shows a teacher violently hitting a seven-year-old boy in the face and throwing an object at his face. Then it shows a seven-year-old girl being abused by the teacher. The reason for this violent behaviour was due to poor performance in school.

Students are required to wear uniforms, and the vast majority of schools also strictly regulate the length of students' hair. If it is found to be too long a teacher may cut it on the spot. Students in 2005 began organizing a campaign, called "No Cut", to protest this rule.^*^* Since the campaign began the Ministry of Education directed schools not to regulate hair length but, as with corporal punishment, does not check schools for compliance. Many schools in larger cities allow students more freedom about their hair length, as long as it is neat or tied (for girls). Many accessories are still not allowed.

Korean high school students suffer from high rates of depression and suicide; suicide rates spike around times of major exams. In 2005 students gathered in Seoul for a candlelight vigil in memory of friends who had committed suicide and to protest for shorter school hours and an end to the haircut policy. A significant number of them wore masks and asked reporters not to take photographs out of fear of being punished by their teachers; many schools warned their students not to attend.^*

Content of Curriculums

School curricula have been criticized for indoctrinating students politically and for emphasizing rote memorization over critical thinking.

In 2005, a Japanese television station reported that certain teachers in a teachers union were teaching lessons critical of Japanese and American national policy The union has also been accused of fomenting general anti-Japanese sentiments in younger children [http://uqmgp.hp.infoseek.co.jp/. The Busan branch of the union was criticized for a video it produced during the 2005 APEC meetings; the video parodied world leaders, including American President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who were gathered for the summit, and advocated an anti-corporate-globalization point of view. The union edited the video to remove some English curse words and moderate its political content.

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