A Korean education is tough

The structure may be similar: kindergarten, elementary school, middle school and high school, in comparison to nursery, primary school and secondary school with sixth form.

However, even at the ages 3-5, there is a significant difference in the education system between the two countries. Most noticeably, a modern language is encouraged as early as the age of 3 – English.

There is this mindset and belief in Korea (arguably true) that being able to speak English fluently is already half way towards success. This has resulted in a surge of kindergartens that utilise English exclusively in the classroom and also a rise in families residing abroad for several months to a few years to give their children the optimum opportunity to learn English.

English becomes a compulsory subject in the third year of Elementary School (age 8) and remains compulsory all the way up to High School (ages 15-18).

According to a 2003 survey conducted by the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, despite being one of the countries in Asia that spends the most money on English-language education, South Korea ranks the lowest among 12 Asian countries in English ability. Surely this is a mind-blowingly obvious sign that there is something wrong with the current education system?

Putting English language aside, all aspects of Korean education is rigorous. Parents put an obsessive emphasis on reports and exam results. They push their children up to the point of falling off the edge for the sole reason of wanting their children to succeed. What they don’t understand however, is that this can cause an adverse effect.

It is not unusual for middle school students in Korea to come home after school past midnight and this is actually the norm for high school students. Almost all children during these ages attend extra tuition lessons outside of school, called hagwons. These can vary from maths, English and sciences tuition, to music lessons, sport activities and whatever tuition the parents choose for their child. Which hagwon to take up is usually decided by the parent, and not the child. Whilst these tuition may be expensive, it would be unusual for a child not to attend these, regardless of the family’s finances. However, this does still create a significant separation between the poor and wealthy, in terms of the quality of education. The problem with this hagwon system is that it undermines the national schooling system. The nature of parents, overly-competitive, means that they are inclined to send their children to hagwons and cannot trust or rely upon national schooling.

In sharp contrast, the education system in England is much different. Generally, the children have more freedom, especially in Nursery and Primary School. Whereas in Korea, young children are forced to take English lessons and other hagwons, the nature of the English system promotes freedom and creativity. They are free to “roam” around, exploring new things and finding their forté.

As my father, who is in favour of the education system in England always says, ‘you don’t know what you’re good at unless you try everything’. In primary school, they are required to study the subjects English, maths and science and in secondary school, they can choose to take up whatever additional subjects they wish. Whilst many children simply move to a local secondary school, in Korea it is ever so different. The parents try and get their children into the best middle and high schools as possible, moving houses if necessary. Whatever the circumstances, the parents will do the utmost to give their children the best education possible.

In England, sports are highly encouraged. From a very early age, the schools introduce team sports to their pupils. This continues throughout secondary school and I believe it is very important for children in building teamwork and learning other invaluable social lessons. In comparison, only physical education is compulsory in Korea.

Overall, there is no doubt that the education system in England and Korea are on two completely different ends of the education spectra. Although I believe that the level of education in Korea is high, I believe that the quality of education in England is in a different league altogether. Yes, as a consequence of rigorous teaching from an early age, there are outstanding results in subjects like maths, and Korea is one of the most literate countries in the world, but there seems to be no room for creativity. Whilst the competition in English education seems to be between children, which is highly encouraged, the competition in Korean education seems to be between parents who drag their children along, which is just plain stressful. Having gone through intensive studying in the early years, Korean students find it difficult to find creativity and motivation during university, and follow a mindset of ‘now that I’m at a good university, I can finally rest’. Compare those to university students in England who have the upper edge and spark in creativity and motivation, that excel in what they do. I think it is fair to say that many students in Korea go through a minor case of burn-out during their university years.

The top university in South Korea, Seoul National University, which is the ultimate goal for all students in Korea, was ranked a mere 9th in Asia and 50th in the world by the QS World University Rankings, whereas the University of Cambridge, University College London and University of Oxford were ranked 1st, 4th and 6th in the world respectively. Perhaps another measure of the quality of education is the number of Nobel laureates by country. The United States tops the list with 326, the United Kingdom second with 115 and South Korea 54th with 1. Although this is not an accurate scale, it does show a vague overall picture. At the moment, students in Korea seem to be studying simply for the sake of getting good exam results and getting into good universities, rather than learning because they are interested and find it gratifying. Unless this system is reformed, the quality of education in Korea will continue to be in jeopardy, and will never follow the likes of the USA or UK, despite the expenditure the government pours into the education sector.

By Sean Ahn, 17, Eton College