KOREA
Korean educational system is as follows.
| Age | Type of School | Education |
|---|---|---|
| 6-11 | Elementary | Primary |
| 12-14 | Junior High / Technical | Secondary |
| 15-17 | High / Advanced Technical | |
| 18-22 | University / Etc. | High |
| 23-25 | Graduate School |
Competition on passing entrance examinations is fierce in Korea.
But the situation is not as serious as in Japan, for example, which
children face competitive exams even when entering kindergartens.
Amazingly, students in Korea take an entrance exam pratically once and
for all.
This was the result of "standardization policy" during 1960s to
1980s. The following is the history of the policy.
In 1960s, owing to problems such as lack of finances, junior high
school wasn't compulsory yet. Therefore, whether entering junior high
school or not was up to the students. However, since students were
eager to go on to the next stage of education, and also competition on
entering schools was unlimited, it was necessarily competitive to
enter schools. As the competition overheated, it became natural for
students to take extracurricular lessons for preparation. There also
had been problems such as teachers having a part time job at cramming
school, and students' overconcentration in prestigious shools.
In order to solve this problem, the school district system was
introduced. However, this system was nothing but causing another
overconsentration in each of the school districts. Therefore, in
1969, the Government began to carry out a drastic reform. This is the
"Standardization Policy."
The heated competition of junior high school went down since the
drastic policy was adopted. Entrance exam of junior high
schools(national and private) was abolished, and instead, admission
was given by lottery. Prestigious schools of those days were closed
down and reused as high schools.
But a new problem occured, that the fever of entering schools
transfered from junior high to high schools, as a matter of fact.
Therefore, the Government adopted a similar reform plan on high
schools, and then the situation was improved. But still, there were
some students who 'studied away' in 'prestigous schools' in some rural
cities, since the policy wasn't permeated enough.
Since that is the case, it was natural that entering good
universities became important. Extra-curricular lessons, tutors,
crammers etc. made the situation more serious. This time too, a
drastic reform was carried out. Things written above were prohibited.
To put it concretely, students and teachers who worked as a tutor were
dismissed from school or had their teacher's license suspended, and
cramming schools were banned (Schools for entrance exam rejectees and
repeaters were permitted tacitly). Current circumstances on entering
schools are as the following.
Exam for entering universities is the only entrance exam. A day
of a Korean high school student preparing for the test is like this.
Getting up at 6:00, arriving at school by 8:00, taking a make-up
lectures till 9:00, regular classes till 16:00, other supplementary
lessons till 18:00, taking supper and then studying by theirselves
till 22:00. There are quite a few students who go to crammers and
libraries after dinner.
In college, after 2nd and 3rd year, there are a lot of male
students who join the army, and an age difference among students in
campus become large. Needless to say, it is reflecting educational
situation in Korea. We hope that young energy will aim at something
else than military affairs.