For this cultural post, I would like to talk about the education system in Korea. The reason why may be somewhat funny and nonsensical. Recently, I've been revisiting the Korean drama named "School 2015." "School" TV series is very popular in Korea and it is somehow similar to the "Reply" TV series (except that "School" series are not as popular).
The drama follows the story of the twins, Eun-bi and Eun-byul, who were separated and are now living completely different lives. Eun-bi lives at a home for orphans and is bullied at her high-school, while Eun-byul is adopted and becomes a popular student at her high school. Their lives intersect when Eun-byul runs away from a school field trip to search for her sister. Eun-byul is later found with amnesia while her sister is pronounced dead after committing suicide. The story then revolves around Eun-byul’s fight to regain her memories and identity.
Now, back to our main topic-- the education system in South Korea. After I did some research, I found that the South Korean public education system's structure is very similar to that in China. The Korean public education structure is divided into three parts: six years of primary school, followed by three years of middle school, and then three years of high school. However, in 1996, only about five percent of Korea's high schools were coeducational. Coeducational schools mean having male and female students being taught together in the same school or college. Moreover, classes in many coeducational high schools are still divided along gender lines.This is something that is very different comparing with the Chinese educational system from my perspective. In China, almost all public schools are coeducational schools except for some private schools that may not be coeducational.
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 a 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 1996 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.” The seventh annual curriculum, which began implementation in March 2000, kept these basic goals but updated many elements to reflect changes in Korean society.
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 1995, 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."
In the end, I would like to include a shocking "facts" about Korean schools. If I'm wrong, please let me know.
Koreans have school on Saturdays
The official school days were originally Monday to Saturday, which didn’t make for happy students or teachers.
Since 2010, the school schedule has changed and loosened up. Now the Korean public school system has two Saturdays per month, off.
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