Education in Korea (or Jen on her soapbox)

After my first week teaching here, I talked a little bit about the education system here in South Korea. I don't think I did that great of a job explaining the system here and I have since tried to think of ways to get across what I wanted to say.

Today as I was preparing my lesson for tomorrow, I came across something that would be perfect. A paragraph in one of the readings for my Reading Par class struck me as the perfect way to explain what kind of a place I am teaching at right now (a hagwon). The passage was about the different kinds of tests as well as how students prepare for these tests around the world. Paragraph five says:

"The pressure [to score well on university entrance exams] is especially strong in South Korea and Japan, where hundreds of schools prepare students for these examinations. In Japan, parents may pay an extra $10,000 a year for their children to attend a "juku," or "cram school." Students who fail their college entrance examination may spend an extra year at special schools to prepare to take their exams again. In South Korea, 60 percent of all students who want to attend a university go to a cram school, or "hagwon." For students who want to get into the best university, the day is not over when their school day ends. South Korean student Eunjin reports, "I am in school from 8:00 in the morning until 4:00. Then I go to a hagwon all evening. I don't get home until 1:00 in the morning, and I still have to do my homework." Hagwons are so popular that many have become successful businesses. One company made a 38-million-dollar profit in 2006. The best teachers at these schools sometimes become superstars. They even sign autographs for their students, who believe this will bring them good luck on their exams."

Koreans believe that the only way to be successful in life is to get a good education. Knowledge = power! So they push their children insanely hard to do well in school so that they will eventually be able to get a good job, marry a hardworking person, and generally do well in life (so that they can, later, care for their aging parents).

All of this hard work seems to have paid off. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (a program that tests reading literacy, mathematics, and science skills of students all around the world to allow countries see how their students compare (PISA)), South Korea ranks high in all three categories:

2000 Reading Literacy: #6 (USA was #15)
2003 Mathematics: #2 (USA was #24)
2006 Science: #7 (USA was #21)

Their performance is doubly amazing given that just 50 years ago, South Korea was considered a third world country. The South Korea I live in has all been developed since the Korean War (granted, they are technically still at war with North Korea). The fact that they went from third world to one of the top countries in the world (and still growing) is incredibly admirable.

Don't get me wrong. I still love being a citizen of the good old U.S. of A. However, I do wish that our government and the people of the USA would at least see how our education system is lacking (seriously) and look at these other countries as examples.

In great part it is many people's expectation that it is the GOVERNMENT'S responsibility to educate our children that is the problem. Many parents don't take an active role in the education of their children. The phrase, "I already went through school. Why should I have to do it again with my kids? That's what teachers are paid for." Yes, teachers should work hard to help all of their students succeed. However, it is up to the parents to ensure that their child is taking advantage of the education system. In order for that to happen, parents actually need to be parents and take part in their child's education. Whether that is helping them with homework, getting them extra outside help, or simply being better disciplinarians in the home, parental involvement is key to a successful education system.

However, I also feel that the education system here in South Korea is very unforgiving. Fail the crazy scary standardized test of the year? Might as well kiss your university dreams goodbye. They've actually been working so that the system is more forgiving as well as open to people of lower incomes. In another ten years, the job I'm working at right now might be obsolete. Who knows. But it shows they see a problem and are actively trying to fix it. Sometimes it feels like the US sees a problem, adds a new policy which costs more money and does nothing.

I wish I had all the answers; maybe a magic wand that I could wave and fix the US education system. Right now I don't. Maybe somewhere in there lies the answer to my grad-school and career choice dilemma. Who knows.

All right. I'll get off my soapbox now. I promise not to rant about politics on here too often. I'm a teacher. For some reason I feel strongly about the state of the education system. Go figure. ;)

To make you feel better after a long rant, here's a cute video of the Muppets. They always make me feel happy. Hope it works for you, too.

Weezer singing "Keep Fishin'" with the Muppets.



And one more. Because it's my blog and I can.



Hope everyone has a great week! Love ya!