Education in South Korea

There is so much for me to write about. I am concerned about things at home. I am also concerned about things here. I have not really updated in about a week. There is a lot to cover. I guess I will go backwards if you can bear with me. I foresee doing this a lot.

Let's start with the article from Time I just read. The South Korean education system is extremely rigorous. It is so rigorous that the police in Seoul are actually spending time to enforce a studying curfew. Students are not allowed to attend hagwons (private tutoring schools) after 10 pm. The government has made the judgment that their culture of high stakes testing has finally pushed too far. As it is, it is illegal for me to offer private lessons. I could lose my job because I am giving some kids an unfair advantage and needlessly piling stress on a system of education that is already pushed beyond it's limit. As a certified teacher, I am grateful I had the luxury of saying no to hagwons and so I am able to at the very least not be a part of the problem. Students frequently fall asleep in my classes. I wake them up, but I try to go easy on them. I spent a night in the dorms. They probably average 5 or 6 hours a night tops. The rest is spent studying or in school. Granted, during breakfast or lunch I have seen them playing sports, but otherwise there is no free time. I guess what I mean is, if I had to wake up every morning at 6am to kpop after studying all night, I would be tired too.

The United States is impressed with this system, and according to the article, perhaps they should be. The GDP of modern South Korea is 400 times what is was in 1962. That is an underdog story if I have ever heard one, and the education system is a huge component to that growth. Obama has praised their education system. With common core assessment, the United States is definitely taking a step towards the same high stakes testing culture.

Funny thing is, South Korea apparently has learned their lesson. They realize that the United States values creativity, something that requires individualism and sometimes even a little selfishness. One of my goals over this year is to be an instrument in developing creativity in my students. Yeah, I know it isn't really something that can be taught, but it is something that can be inspired. Creativity is personal. It is a way of combining experiences in novel ways that reflect who you are and what you choose for the rest of mankind. Since no two people see the world the same way, I cannot teach creativity, but only show them how to find it for themselves. Hopefully with this group of students I can get that chance.