However, classes in many coeducational high schools are still divided along gender lines. The curriculum is standardized so now both boys and girls study technology and domestic science. The primary curriculum consists of nine principal subjects: moral education, Korean language, social studies, mathematics, science, physical education, music, fine arts, and practical arts. English-language instruction now begins in the third grade, so that children can start learning English in a relaxed atmosphere through conversational exchange, rather than through rote learning of grammatical rules as is still the practice in many middle and high schools.
The major objectives, as stated in a background report by the Ministry of Education, are "to improve basic abilities, skills and attitudes; to develop language ability and civic morality needed to live in society; to increase the spirit of cooperation; to foster basic arithmetic skills and scientific observation skills; and to promote the understanding of healthy life and the harmonious development of body and mind.
Upon completion of primary school, students advance to middle school, which comprises grades seven through nine. The curriculum consists of 12 basic or required subjects, electives, and extracurricular activities. While elementary school instructors teach all subjects, middle school teachers, like their colleagues in the United States, are content specialists. High schools are divided into academic and vocational schools. In , some 62 percent of students were enrolled in academic high schools and 38 percent in vocational high schools.
A small number attended specialized high schools concentrating in science, the arts, foreign languages, and other specialized fields. This is still the case. The aims of education at the high school level are stated as "to foster each student's personality and ability needed to preserve and strengthen the backbone of the nation; to develop students' knowledge and skills to prepare them for jobs needed in society; to promote each student's autonomy, emotional development, and critical thinking abilities to be brought to bear in and out of school; and to improve physical strength and foster a sound mind.
The school calendar has two semesters, the first extending from March through July and the second from September through February. A typical day finds high schoolers studying before school begins at about A.
Classes run for 50 minutes each, with a morning break and a minute lunch period. The afternoon session resumes at about P. Students may then take a short dinner break at home, or they may eat at school. Teachers typically move from room to room, while students stay in one place.
Students return to the school library to study or attend private schools or tutoring sessions until between P. They return home where they may have a snack, listen to music, or watch television before going to bed. Elementary and middle school students have similar but somewhat less rigorous days with shorter hours and more recreational activities.
Attendance requirements call for a minimum of days at all three levels. The curriculum is prescribed by law, as are the criteria for the development of textbooks and instructional materials.
There have been periodic curriculum revisions, most recently in March , and the trend is definitely toward decentralization in determining, diversifying, and implementing the curriculum. The well-educated person—according to the curriculum and perhaps shedding further light on what is valued in Korean society—is healthy, independent, creative, and moral. The high schools that we saw were large and rather barren in appearance.
Invariably, a large grassless area in front of the school serves as the playing field as well as accommodates schoolwide assemblies and other meetings. Inside, classrooms line the straight, sparsely furnished halls and are typically filled with 50 or 60 uniformed students and an instructor.
Most instruction we observed consisted of teacher lectures, with only rare interruptions for questions. If students had questions, they might speak to the teacher after class. There is considerable interest in computers.
At the end of there was about 1 computer per every The Ministry of Education planned to raise the ratio to 1 computer per The computer laboratory we visited was equipped with about 50 terminals meant to serve 3, students, but at the time only teachers were in the room. As we noted, discipline problems were infrequent, and great respect for teachers was evident.
Students bowed, as is the custom, when passing teachers in the halls and appeared hesitant to enter faculty offices. We learned that discipline cases are generally referred to the student's homeroom teacher, who then talks with the student and his or her family. In addition to administering discipline, which may but infrequently includes corporal punishment, homeroom teachers offer counseling, help students with college applications, and maintain contact with parents.
We were told in that in years past when teachers informed parents of discipline problems, parents responded by sending the teacher either a small amount of rice as an apology for having caused the teacher worry and trouble or a switch for the teacher to discipline the child.
Since , teachers no longer have the legal authority to administer corporal punishment. This change has created some confusion as to the extent of teachers' authority.
Despite these differences, Korean teachers still have more responsibility for counseling students and controlling their behavior than do teachers in the United States. Korean culture grants teachers the same authority as parents and attributes them even greater responsibility for children's moral and academic development.
One teacher we met was a Korean American from Maryland who teaches conversational English. As he explained, students are rarely assigned written work either in class or as homework.
His regular workload consists of five classes that meet four times each week, with an additional twenty classes that meet once a week. With a typical class size of 50 or more students, this teacher would have 1, papers to review weekly. He, of course, could not evaluate them and handle all his other responsibilities. This teacher's workday extends from A. Although a relatively long day by American standards, it leaves him with considerable free time and few responsibilities other than teaching.
This teacher confessed that he did not know if his students actually were learning English. There are no failing grades, but there are remedial classes, and students may attend supplemental education centers if they or their parents feel there is a need. Most schools give trial achievement tests twice a year to prepare students for college entrance examinations. In addition, multiple Internet websites offer the same services, helping students to gauge their own progress.
Regarding instructional methods, this teacher has tried small groups and other nontraditional approaches to teaching but felt his students did not respond well, being unfamiliar with such methods and uncertain about how they were expected to perform. He therefore returned to lecturing, which he attempts to enliven with frequent questions.
His many students seem amazingly cooperative, good-natured, and enthusiastic. A lively question-and-answer session directed by the teacher about students' images of the United States took place during our visit. As one might expect, they were most aware of international sports and celebrity figures, such as Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson. However, when asked what came to mind when they thought of the United States, many answered "freedom" or "the Statue of Liberty.
We also visited an elementary school of students. Located in Ch'unchon, a city of ,, northeast of Seoul, the school had the familiar large, bare playground and meeting space, along with typical class sizes of approximately 50 students. The music teacher has more than 50 violins to be used by students in a challenging classical music program.
One room stocked with stringed and percussion instruments is devoted to traditional Korean music. To get the qualifications to follow her dream career as a teacher she has to work hard she says, and besides she likes studying, and learning new things. Hye-Min is not alone. For South Korean teenagers a double shift of school, every week day, is just a way of life. South Korean parents spend thousands of pounds a year on after-school tuition, not a private tutor coming to the home once or twice a week, but private schooling on an industrial scale.
There are just under , hagwons in South Korea and around three-quarters of children attend them. Hye-Min's mother Yoon-Gyeong Hwang says she worries about her daughter, but they have no choice when it comes to having to compete.
So anyone who wants to be successful really has to stand out. As a mother I don't feel comfortable about this kind of situation, but it's the only thing she can do to achieve her dream. This relentless focus on education has resulted in formidable exam performers. As a quick test, a group of six teenagers - 15 and 16 year olds - from Ga-rak High School, Hye-Min's school, tried several questions from one of this year's GCSE maths papers.
They then went on to do some more questions just for fun. It's the sort of performance that makes education ministers in the UK and beyond look on with envy, and has them actively remodelling the curriculum and exams to try to emulate them. The huge investment in education has also resulted in an economy that's grown at an astonishing rate since the end of the war with North Korea 60 years ago.
South Korea has in two generations gone from mass illiteracy to being an economic powerhouse. South Korea School Holidays Download PDF. When are school holidays in South Korea?
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