Education in the Republic of Korea

Education in South Korea is managed by the Ministry of Education. In 2001, the administration of Kim Dae-jung set the highest priority for citizens to receive a quality education, as a result of which the powers of the ministry were expanded and its head was given the rank of deputy prime minister.

Like all other ministers, the Minister of Education is appointed for a rather short term (about a year) by the current president from among the candidates who in the past were somehow related to the field of education.

Korean kindergartens are not part of the general educational administrative program; parents send their children to private institutions. Most of them are taught in Korean, many have English classes, and some generally have English as their main language.

Children from three to five years old are sent to kindergartens. Most children may not receive “pre-school” education, but just go to kindergarten with other children, and the age difference can reach three years. At the age of six, children usually go to primary school.

In the 80s, there was a jump in the level of enrollment in kindergartens and preschool institutions: in the 1980s, 66 434 children were enrolled in such an institution, while already in 1987–397 020 children were enrolled in 7 792 institutions. Over the same period, the number of pre-school educators and teachers increased: from 3,339 to 11,920, the overwhelming majority of which — 92 percent — were women. There are several reasons for this:

• Encouragement and assistance from the Ministry of Education;
• An increase in the number of women entering the labor market;
• An increase in the number of nuclear families in which older parents, due to their absence, could not babysit children;
• Awareness that kindergartens can facilitate follow-up.

An important factor was also the impressive graduation ceremonies, as well as diplomas and letters of completion of the kindergarten, which to a certain extent impressed the parental sense of pride in their child.

Elementary school (“Chkhodyn Hakkyo”, cor. 초등학교 ^? , 初等 學校^? ) ^Is attended by children aged 7 to 13 years (6 and 12 “western” years, respectively). The duration of study is 6 years. The list of subjects studied (but do not exhaust it):

• Korean
• maths
• exact sciences
• social sciences
• languages
• art
• music

Usually all these subjects are taught by one class teacher, although some specialized disciplines may be taught by other teachers (for example, physical education or foreign languages).

Advancement on the steps of the educational system from elementary to high school is determined not by the results of passing various exams, but solely by the age of the student.

Until the end of the 80s of the 20th century, English usually began to be taught from the second-level school, but now they are beginning to study it in the third grade of primary school. The Korean language is very different from English in terms of grammar, so learning English is very difficult, but with relatively little success. Many of the parents send their children to study in private schools called hagwons ( cor. 학원 ). More and more schools in the country are starting to attract foreigners, for whom English is their native language.

In addition to public elementary schools, there are a number of private schools in Korea. The curriculum of such schools is more or less consistent with the state, however, it is being implemented at a higher level: more teachers are offered for fewer students, additional subjects are introduced and higher standards of education in general are set. However, the cost of training in them is quite high.

In Korean, the second-level school is called "chunhakkyo" ( 중학교, 中 學校 ), which literally means "high school."

In the Korean school of the second stage of grade 3. Most students enter it at the age of 12 and graduate by age 15. Compared to primary school, the second-level school has much higher demands on its students. Almost always the clothes and hairstyles are strictly regulated, like many other aspects of the student’s life. As in elementary school, students spend most of the day in the same class as their classmates, but each subject is taught by their teacher. Teachers pass from class to class, and only a few of them, excluding those who teach "special" subjects, have their own audience, where students go themselves. Class teachers (담임 선생님, Tamim Sonsennim ) play a very important role in the life of students and have significantly greater authority than their American counterparts.

Pupils of the second-level school have six lessons per day, which are usually preceded by one special block of time in the early morning, as well as the seventh lesson, special for each specialization.

Unlike a university, the curriculum does not vary much from one school to another. The core of the curriculum is formed by:

• math
• Korean and English
• also a number of exact sciences.

“Extra” items include:

• various arts
• physical education
• the story
• Hancha (Chinese character)
• ethics
• home economics
• computer literacy lessons.

The number of subjects studied and the subjects themselves vary from year to year.

The duration of the lesson is 45 minutes. Right before the start of the first lesson, students have at their disposal about 30 minutes, which can be used at will for self-study, watching programs broadcast by a special educational channel ( Educational Broadcast System , EBS), or for conducting personal or class activities. In 2008, students attended classes full time from Monday to Friday, as well as half a day every first, third and fifth Saturday of the month. On Saturday, students engage in additional activities in any circles.

In the late 1960s, the government stopped the practice of entrance exams in second-level schools, replacing them with a system in which students from the same area were randomly enrolled in the school. This was done in order to average the level of students in all schools, but the difference between rich and poor districts remained. Until recently, most schools were open to only one gender, but recently, new schools of the second level accept children of both sexes, and former schools also become mixed.

As in elementary school, students move from class to class, regardless of their performance, as a result of which the same subject in the same class can be studied by students completely different in level of training. Grades begin to play a very important role in the last year of study for those who primarily want to make a scientific rather than professional technical career, since they affect the chances of a student entering a particular university. There are several standard forms of exam for certain subjects, and teachers of “scientific” subjects are obliged to follow the recommended teaching aids, but usually teachers of second-level schools have more authority regarding the course program and teaching method than teachers in universities.

Many students of the second-level school after classes also attend additional courses ("Hagwon") or undergo training with private tutors. Particular attention is paid to English and mathematics. Some of the “hagwons” specialize in only one subject, while others specialize in all key subjects, which can turn into the second round of school immediately after the first (official), often with an even greater load on the student. In addition, some students also attend martial arts clubs or music schools, returning home late in the evening.

Korean high school is called “kodinhakkyo” ( 고등학교, 高等學校 ).

In high schools in South Korea, students study for three years, starting from the first grade (aged 15 to 17 years) to the third grade (age 17-19 years). Schools can be divided into specialized departments that correspond to the interests of a student and coincide with his career path. For example, there are “scientific” high schools ( Science high school ), schools for the study of foreign languages ​​and schools of art. All of them require admission to pass quite sophisticated exams. High schools can also be divided into public (public) and private. Such schools do not provide any specialty, but simply prepare their students for admission to the university. For students who, for whatever reason, do not want to get an education at a university, there are professional schools that specialize in the fields of technology, agriculture or finance. The list of core subjects includes Korean and English, mathematics, as well as various social and natural sciences. It is important to note that specific subjects and the level of their teaching can vary from school to school, depending on the specialization of such educational institutions. It is considered normal for high school students to return home after midnight after intensive “self-study” sessions.

Unlike elementary and second-level schools, high school is not compulsory. However, according to OECD estimates, in 2005, 97% of young Koreans graduated from high school. This is the highest percentage in the world ^[4] .

Higher Education Structure

Most high school graduates enter universities at the end of the year. Students are required to pass the standard state test, usually called “Sunun” ( 수능 ). The curriculum of most schools is built to take this test. Sunyun is an analogue of the American SAT Reasoning test and consists of three parts: Korean, mathematics and English. In addition to them, you can choose several social or natural disciplines. Unlike the American SAT, Sunyn is handed over only once a year, it requires intensive preparation, and some future students start preparing for it in kindergarten. Dissatisfied with the results of this test and deciding to postpone college admission for a year, students are called “chesusenami” ( 재수생 ).

Since the late 1980s, admission to the university has become the main event in the life of young Koreans, and admission to the most prestigious of them requires a very long and complicated preparation. The most respectable are Seoul National University , Korea Leading Scientific and Technical Institute , Busan National University , Gyeongbuk National University , as well as a number of private institutes: Koryo University , Pohang University of Science and Technology , Yongsei University, Sogan University, Hanyang University, Songyungwan University and Women's Ehwa University .

Since admission to the university depends on the results of entrance exams, high school students are forced to fall into the so-called. "Exam hell" - a tough marathon for endless memorization of a huge number of various facts. Unlike the Confucian exams of the Joseon Dynasty, their modern version is important not for the elites, but for the numerous representatives of the middle class. In the late 1980s, about one third of the student population (35.2% in 1989) entered higher education institutions. Those who could not do this drastically reduced their chances of social and economic success.

The number of undergraduate students rose from 100,000 in 1960 to 1.3 million in 1987, which is second only to the United States. Higher education institutions include four-year universities, two-year vocational colleges, four-year pedagogical universities, as well as graduate schools. The main drawback is that university graduates would like to make a career that somehow makes them social leaders, but there are simply no places for so many who wish, which makes many take up less prestigious positions than they would like. This is especially true for ambitious women, who, among other things, are constrained by traditional gender discrimination.

Since tests in high school, which take place twice every semester, are almost as important as entrance exams to college or university, students simply do not have time to relax from the hardships of the educational process. It is believed that the student needs to remember from 60 to 100 pages of facts in order to successfully pass such regular tests. Therefore, it is not surprising to meet with schoolchildren returning home from school late in the evening. For the sake of entering the best university, they sacrifice family, private and public life.

Examinations are a very important time of the year, as they seriously change the structure of society. In the days leading up to the exams, newspapers publish appeals to girls asking them not to use strong perfumes on exams or not to wear high-heeled shoes, as this can be distracting. Private businesses usually open at 10 in the morning, entering the position of parents who helped their children prepare for exams late at night, and in the evenings all entertainment venues, such as tennis clubs, begin to close earlier to help prepare for exams.

The price of “examination hell” is the “spoiled” childhood of young Koreans, which can also result in very real acts of suicide, caused by the constant pressure of endless tests. The most common cause of suicide is a low test result. In addition, the format of permanent exams in high school and entrance exams to universities with predefined answer options leaves students with little opportunity to develop their own creative abilities. Such an exclusive orientation to memorizing facts leads to the formation of a specific picture of the world.

Nevertheless, such a situation and its main component - the emphasis on tests - are unlikely to change in the near future. A big plus of this approach is its objectivity. Even despite some rigidity, the system is considered primarily fair and impartial. The use of such "biased" criteria for delivery as essay writing, personal recommendations or recommendations from teachers, success in extracurricular activities, etc. potentially open the door to all kinds of corruption. In Korean society, where social ties are very important, it is ties, not personal dignity, that can determine the fate of university entrance. Those students who experience all the troubles of such a system are universally recognized as worthy of their success. The most successful graduates who have held senior positions in government and business are recognized as having proven their ambitions for legitimate excellence.

Unlike other countries where the personal merits of individuals are the basis of the determining factors of their achievements, in South Korea, such a factor is the prestige of a graduated university. Most often, a diploma of such a university means a successful career and financial well-being. However, some Koreans achieve some success in society, even without higher education.

According to the OECD , among adolescents, suicide as a cause of death is in second place, followed by car accidents. ^[five]

Like any other East Asian country with Confucian heritage, South Korea has a long history of formal education. Despite the lack of a state-supported primary education system, the government established a school system in Seoul and the provinces during the Joseon Dynasty . Such schools experienced some shortcomings in the quality of education provided and in the 16th century were replaced by importance by academies - “sowons”, centers of neo-Confucian revival. Students of both private and public schools were exempted from military service duties and enjoyed approximately the same social privileges as the students of our day. And, like the latter, they were involved in politics. Higher education was provided in the capital by the Confucian National University Songyungwan Dehakkyo ( 성균관대 학교 ). 200 students a year, who had previously passed the lowest exam of civic duties and were ready for subsequent exams, could enter there.

In the late XIX - early XX centuries, private schools were organized by the Koreans themselves and Christian missionaries. The role of the latter is especially important, as they promoted the education of women and disseminated Western social and political ideas.

The end of Japan’s educational policy after 1910 was aimed at turning Korea into an obedient colony, and therefore mainly taught subjects that developed technical skills. State University, in the likeness of Tokyo Imperial University, was opened in Seoul in 1923. A strict ratio of Korean and Japanese students was registered in advance, equal to 40 and 60 percent, respectively.

during the occupation of southern Korea by US troops in 1945, an education system was established in the image of the American: six years of elementary school, six years of junior and high school and four years of higher. Education before grade 9 was compulsory. Under the regime of Lee Seung Man after 1948, due to lack of resources, many of these reforms were canceled: co-education was preserved only in primary school, and education only became obligatory until the 6th grade. The 1990 reforms basically returned the order established during the American occupation.

During the reign of Lee and Park Jung Hee , education control was transferred from local schools to the state Department of Education. In the late 1980s, the ministry was responsible for administering schools, allocating resources, setting admission quotas, certifying schools and teachers, developing a curriculum, and more.

Most agree that the successes of South Korea in economics and technology are the result of skillful investment in “human resources”. The traditional public respect for an educated person, preserved from Confucian times, has survived to this day, and today it is also used by scientists and workers of various technical professions. The jerk in economic development can almost entirely be attributed to highly educated technocrats and economists who have had access to governing the country since the 1960s. Science professions are considered the most prestigious in South Korea since the 1980s.

The successes of the South Korean national educational program are confirmed statistically. In 1945, 22 percent of citizens were literate; by 1970 - 87.6, and in the late 1980s - 93 percent. South Korean students perform well in international competitions in mathematics and the exact sciences. Despite the fact that only primary education (up to grade 6) was compulsory, the percentage of students at higher levels of education was comparable to similar indicators in developed countries, including Japan. Approximately 4.8 million students enrolled in primary school in 1985. The percentage of those who continued their optional education at the second level school was more than 99 percent. Approximately 34 percent of students passed university exams, which is comparable to Japan (30 percent) and higher than the British (20 percent) rating.

Impressive government spending on education. In 1975, they amounted to 220 billion won, which corresponds to 2.2 GDP, or 13.9 percent of the total budget. And in 1986 it was already a figure of 3.76 trillion won, or 4.5 percent of GDP and 27.3 percent of the budget.

• National Educational Information System

• [one]
• Gain or Pain for Korean Students?
• Students Rally to Protest College Admission System
• Cutthroat classes
• Education / Literacy in Korea
• "In South Korea, students push back," The International Herald Tribune , May 9 , 2005 .