“Korean students are losing their dream”
“A new age is coming. We need a new education system”
Did you see Barack Obama’ recent press conference? It was a shameful thing. When President Obama asked Korean reporters if they had any questions, they did not say anything. nothing! It was a special chance to know about the American President’ ideas for policy directions. However, the Korean reporters messed up this opportunity. Consequently, the Chinese press who make inquiries with confidence could get a chance to ask the question. After the conference, many Koreans felt embarrassed. However, the other reporters asked Korean people “an you ask the question if you are in that situation?”Their answer is “No."
Another press conference is not different. Many Korean interviewers and interviewees have questions. Those question were pre-submitted to interviewee and they just read the text of a speech. Isn’ it weird? That was not just a reporter’ matter. This can be applied to lots of social parts. The biggest problem is the Korean education system. We need to find out what problems are in education system and renovate this education system in circle to improve it. Let’ examine Korean schools.
At the elementary school, many children keep asking their teachers. “eacher, what is this?”“ow can I do this?”“hat’ the point?”They have lots of curiosity and they ask what they wonder. It helps them to understand and memorize the learning contents. However, the higher grade they go, they become quiet. They do not ask questions even if they are not understood during the class. When they attend middle school, the rate of asking questions decrease rapidly because students feel ashamed of asking questions or they are not interested in classes. Even their friends hate asking questions. They think that asking questions will interrupt the class.
The Korean education system is focusing on imparting knowledge to students. It does not accompany interaction. It appears on the exam. Most exams employ multiple choice questions. There is no other right answer, no student’ essay or idea. Students memorize the textbook, workbook or what teacher said by rote. It’ no more than classing: who is the top, who is second, etc. This system is most effective but eliminates students’creative thinking because it only ranks the students according to scores. The main purpose of education is to send students to the so-called top university. We teach that entering the top university is the most important goal in students’lives and it gave happiness to students. This system operates at home, too.
Mom said, “ou should go to a top university.”“ou can get anything when you go to a university.”“ou can be happy when you achieve that goal.”If you don’ want to follow her counsel, so when you say something to your mom, such as, “ want to pursue my dreamed, my dream is to be a cartoonist”and then mom will say “t can’ earn enough money to live. So drawing a cartoon is a hobby during university life”or “ou can draw cartoons after entering the university.”There is a lack of interaction and mutual communication. So student can’ make decisions about their lives, and almost all of them follow their parents’and teacher’ advice that they want you to go to the top university.
However, many students are feeling confused at the university. Even if they achieved their goal, they are not really happy. They do not think about their lives after high school graduation and do not know what they really want. They don’ even know how to find what they really want. During school days, they lose their dreams of the future. So students’aim are the next goals, such as getting a great job. The vicious cycle is maintained.
One question: why do we go to university?
University education looks the same as middle and high school. Many students think this education system will be changed when they go to university. Yes, some are right. Though, fundamental things are not changed. 82% of high school students go to university in Korea. It’ an amazingly high rate. Many students go to university for social attention or employment. As a result, they do not have real interest in their classes. They study for degrees or graduation. They do not ask questions and they want the class to be finished earlier.
The gap between ideals and reality creates confusion in students’value system. They need to make a new life’ plan for true happiness but they can’ do that. They do not think about their life value, and their teachers do not teach their students how to think creatively. Therefore, they follow the majority. They want to get a stable and lucrative job. Not for themselves, but go look for good to others’ These jobs are attractive, but resources are limited. It causes battles of employment.
The rate of university graduate employment is about 50.8%. It’ getting lower and lower. Many say they can’ get a permanent position. 1.19 million people have temporary jobs. It’ increasing rapidly. Consequently, students and universities see the job market desperately. University reorganize departments and students want to learn skills which can apply to their future job. The university loses the main purpose, education.
Now, university education’ value is being deteriorated. Students feel confused because they cannot find their dreams, and they are anxious about the future. The university cannot teach life philosophy and how to find happiness to students. It seems like a job training organization. The high employment rate and scholarship is not the goal of the University, it exists for true education. It gives a chance to learn about professional knowledge and seeks the truth. We should remember that education is the purpose, not the means.
We have lots of social barriers. Many Korean education systems are stuck in the 1980’. Teaching by rote is one example. This old custom is so strict that it isn’ easy to overcome. Nevertheless, we can’ let it go. All society members know about this problem and they want to change this education system. Many people keep working to change this system, but it’ not enough. We need to find out the causes of problem in our education system and make new plans for the future. It’ time to set it right.
As mentioned above, the job market is competitive and students shudder with fear. Big companies wants to recruit employees who have lots of credentials. The war or getting the best credits stated. Students try hard to go to the top universities for jobs after which they have lots of things to do, in addition to studying. For instance, ontest exhibits, clubs, international activities, TOEIC or TOEFL grades and voluntary service. These are for getting a good job not for personal interest. Social equirements pressurize students, so they feel difficulties in their lives. Even though they drop some things, they consider themselves pathetic. It’ not a good environment to study and no one wants to study their major only.
As a result of getting good credentials, student debts mount up. There are lots of reasons. First, the problem is college tuition. It’ too expensive to pay for students. So many students need to get a loan from the bank, the Korean have education expenses loan. This is a government-affiliated organization. It’ not for free so students need to pay back the money with 3.9% interest after graduation. Next debts occur though academy fees. Students learn about English, how to discuss and interview, and more. Average preparation of employment fee is 1.05 million won. It’ really expensive, but many people do with debt. University students become hopeless and lethargic.
After overcoming difficulties, go they become happy? No. Maybe the happiness lasts only for a week. They must be faced with a new challenge, such as getting regular permanent positions or promotions. Going through a life phase of struggling such as going to school, getting a job promotion, getting married, and so on. Do you think that a series of steps is the meaning of life? What is left at the end of life? We need to find out what we want to do, and who we are. Individual effort is not enough to change the present situation. Then what do we want to change about the education system?
Different education system: other countries
The Israelis have a unique education system. It’ called “vruta” This is the way of debating each other. We can easily see Havruta at the Yeshiva University, which is a Jewish school. At the library, it is really noisy because of these debates. They exchange opinions with their partners. When they have questions or do not understand something, they immediately ask questions to the partner or professor. Studying with partner is a better way than just studying oneself. The reason is that partner challenges to you. We can learn from each other. When you speak an idea with partner, it makes your idea clear, and we can know about other ideas too. As a result, it raises the creativity and ability to think.
According to OECD statistics, students from developed countries go to university just 4~50%. United Kingdom students have to go to university for the acquisition of knowledge. Students want to know about their major areas. So their participation and satisfaction in their classes are very high. The degree of United Kingdom students’ satisfaction in 86%. So how could this be possible? The reason is that they do not go to university to live well. Some have a skilled job, so they pay enough money. They earn more than teachers who graduated from university. UK people can choose freely work or study.
In France, they adopted a new education system. It is a very surprising thing. On the report card, teachers write about their students’personality, not rank. About a grade, they write only class average grade and the student grade. So parents and student can’ know about his rank in the class. They quit consider about personality. Let’ see student report card who studied in France. He is 4th grade in the elementary school. His teacher judges him about his characteristics with three standards: Great, Normal, Bad. Teacher writes about independence, teamwork, class attitude. Italy and Finland are the same as France. They do not write a students’n rank on the report card. This system makes student study with happiness.
" It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. "
- Albert Einstein -
We need new persons with talents
When specialization started, we needed only one leader. He allocated task and made all decisions about company’ direction. This system was very useful in the small scale community. So they need a person who meek and mild. They just do as directed. That was a talented person. In that time, they needed to teach students by rote. As the time passes, social complexity and size of company increased. Each person make the decision and he must have a great idea. It means that a man can be the leader in a certain task. The top of 100 companies want a new talented person who is SUPER man: It means specialty, unconventionality, pioneer, ethicality and responsibility. This is the current talented person. Every social trend makes new standard. We should keep up with the times.
Variety is needed in order to change the social environment. To begin with, we need a social policy. This is the government’ role. They foresee the next century and make the future education plans. For example, they can alter the test and lesson methods. The current test and lessons need good memory and less ingenuity and thinking skills. In future, opposite is better. Next, universities need to raise their competitiveness to survive in the global world. Last, we need to break social convention. University is for professional education. Parents and student think about it carefully. So if they want to study about major, then they go to school. If not, do not go to school and find other thing to make their dream come true.
Until now, we think about what is wrong and how we can fix it. We keep try harder and harder to change bad custom. Diogenes Laertius said, “he foundation of every state is the education of its youth” Education is for planning the future. Let’ make a bright future through education. Will you join us?
Lee Sae-un | By CP Reporter