what type of course is korean in high school

by Jeramy Aufderhar 3 min read

Can you learn Korean in high school?

Let me see… Math (~calculus, hard) English (kinda basic but the Korean sat english sucks.) Korean (hard af) Science or social studies (depends on this thing called 문과 이과. ) I don't know about social studies because I am 이과. But in science, you have to pick 2 subjects to study out of physics, chemistry, bio and geology. History

What are the best classes in high school?

High schools are separated into academic and vocational training schools. The possibility of higher education depends on which type of high school you attend. Daycare and kindergarten are available for younger children, yet they are not compulsory. To graduate high school in South Korea, students do not need to take an exam.

What classes should my high schooler take?

There is a standardized curriculum. Students attend six years of primary school. Middle school covers grades seven to nine, and students are required to take twelve subjects, including electives and extracurricular activities. Schools also often require regulation uniforms and haircuts. In high school, of which many are separated by sex, there ...

Which AP classes should you take in high school?

Jan 03, 2013 · High school in Korea is represented by the following institutions: General academic schools. They implement general academic education in order to prepare for university entrance; Special-purpose schools. They offer in-depth study of any field (foreign languages, exact sciences, etc.) corresponding to the future direction at the university;

How long is high school in Korea?

High school course in Korea consists of three years. Individuals who graduate from middle schools or pass a qualification exam and/or an assessment that offers equivalent credits can be admitted into high schools. There are four types of high schools- General High Schools, Special-Purposed High Schools, Vocational High Schools, and Autonomous High Schools. Student selection procedures differ by school types and/or school location (e.g., metropolitan or provincial areas). Students are required to pay admission fees and tuition since high school is not considered compulsory education in Korea.

Is primary education compulsory in Korea?

Primary Education. Primary education in Korea is free and compulsory providing the general rudimentary education necessary in life. Enrollment rate at primary schools is as high as 99.9%. The quantitative expansion of primary education is due to the high public zeal for education and the educational policies of the government.

Why is education important in Korea?

Education in Korea. Korea has traditionally placed great importance on education as a means for self-fulfillment as well as for social advancement. Today, Korea boasts one of the highest literacy rates in the world.

What is the purpose of higher education?

The purposes of universities and colleges are to develop students’ personality, teach and research the profound theories of science and arts necessary for the development of the nation and human society (Article 28 of the Higher Education Act).

How many times has the kindergarten curriculum been reformed?

The national kindergarten curriculum has been reformed ten times since the first curriculum was established in 1969. The Nuri Curriculum was implemented for all five-year-olds in 2012, and was expanded to cover all three to four-year-olds in 2013.

What is the Korean vision for education?

Unveiled by the Presidential Commission on Educational Reform in May 1995, this vision projected open, lifelong education that would provide individuals with equal and easy access to education at any time and place.

What is social studies in Korea?

The social studies track includes courses in Korean history, politics, economics, society, and culture as well as world history, world geography, and social studies. Korea has a national curriculum developed and monitored by the Ministry of Education.

How has education contributed to Korea's democratic government?

Education has contributed to the growth of Korea's democratic government. It has produced hardworking , skilled employees who have brought about an economic miracle within a single generation. It has reaffirmed traditional values while maintaining its commitment to modernization, citizenship, and global involvement. The ambitious and comprehensive reform plans developed in 1995 by the Ministry of Education still appear to enjoy widespread public and professional support. A broad spectrum of the society recognizes the need for lifelong learning as a precept for social and economic improvement.

What are the three tracks in high school?

By their second year, students can select from among three tracks: humanities and social studies, a natural science track, and a vocational track. However, this is likely to change.

What percentage of students went to high school in 1995?

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.

How long do high school students study in Korea?

High schools in South Korea teach students for three years , from first grade (age 15–17) to third grade (age 17–19), and students commonly graduate at age 18 or 19. High school students are commonly expected to study increasingly long hours each year moving toward graduation, to become competitive and enter extremely attractive universities in Korea. Many high school students wake and leave home in the morning at 5 am. When the school is over at 4 pm, they go to a studying room in the school or to a library to study instead of going home. This is called “yaja,” which literally means “evening self-study.” They don't need to go home to eat dinner since most schools provide paid dinner for students. After finishing yaja (which usually ends at 11:00 pm, but later than 12:00 am at some schools), they return home after studying, then return to specialty study schools (which are called Hagwon) often until 3 am, from Monday to Friday. In addition, they often study on weekends.

Is high school mandatory in Korea?

High school is not mandatory, unlike middle school education in Korea. However, according to a 2005 study of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, some 97% of South Korea's young adults do complete high school. This was the highest percentage recorded in any country.

Why is education important in South Korea?

Education is regarded as a high priority for South Korean families, as success in education is crucial for improving one's socioeconomic position in South Korean society. Academic success is often a source of pride for families and within South Korean society at large.

What is the life of a South Korean child?

An average South Korean child's life revolves around education as pressure to succeed academically is deeply ingrained in South Korean children from an early age. South Korean students are faced with immense pressure to succeed academically from their parents, teachers, peers and society.

What are the top 3 universities in South Korea?

The top three universities in South Korea, often referred to as "SKY", are Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University. Intense competition and pressure to earn the highest grades is deeply ingrained in the psyche of South Korean students at a young age.

What was the Korean government's philosophy of education?

The new educational philosophy was created under the United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) with a focus on democratic education.

What professions were popular in South Korea in the 1980s?

Highly educated technocrats and economic planners could claim much of the credit for their country's economic successes since the 1960s. Scientific professions were generally regarded as the most prestigious by South Koreans in the 1980s. Statistics demonstrate the success of South Korea's national education programs.

What is the education system in South Korea?

Education is extremely important in South Korea. It is highly competitive and there is a lot of pressure on students to succeed. There is a standardized curriculum. Students attend six years of primary school. Middle school covers grades seven to nine, and students are required to take twelve subjects, including electives and extracurricular activities. Schools also often require regulation uniforms and haircuts. In high school, of which many are separated by sex, there are two paths that students can follow: academic or vocational. In either track, students are expected to study many hours, and admission to the top universities, for those on the academic track, becomes quite competitive. Students on the vocational track can study such fields as agriculture, technology, commerce, fishery and home economics.

How many years of school do you have to go to school in South Korea?

It is highly competitive and there is a lot of pressure on students to succeed. There is a standardized curriculum. Students attend six years of primary school. Middle school covers grades seven to nine, and students are required to take twelve subjects, including electives ...

What are the two paths that high schoolers can follow?

In high school, of which many are separated by sex, there are two paths that students can follow: academic or vocational . In either track, students are expected to study many hours, and admission to the top universities, for those on the academic track, becomes quite competitive.

How many years of school do you have to go to middle school?

There is a standardized curriculum. Students attend six years of primary school. Middle school covers grades seven to nine, and students are required to take twelve subjects, including electives and extracurricular activities. Schools also often require regulation uniforms and haircuts.

What is secondary education in Korea?

Secondary education in South Korea. In South Korea, only elementary and junior high schools (grades 1–9) are compulsory, but more than 98% of Korean students prefer to complete secondary education (12 grades) in order to be able to go to university. Education Level. Title in Korean. Grades.

What is the education system in South Korea?

Education in South Korea. In South Korea, only elementary and junior high schools (grades 1–9) are compulsory, but more than 98% of Korean students prefer to complete secondary education (12 grades) in order to be able to go to university.

How is secondary education done in South Korea?

Secondary education is done by both public and private educational institutions. In South Korea, both receive funding from the state, although the amount given to private schools is less than the amount given to public schools.

Is it cheaper to study in Korea?

Studying in Korea is relatively inexpensive. Of course, the cost depends on the status and the form of funding of the university — in private universities, tuition can be almost 2 times more expensive, but even so, the cost of the course is always lower than in America or the UK.

What is the hierarchy of universities in Korea?

Hierarchy of universities. Hierarchy has been historically embedded in the culture of Korean society, which, of course, is reflected in higher education. So, graduates of provincial universities have fewer career prospects than graduates of the top three universities in South Korea — SKY. Often this causes the latter to be accused of elitism.

Is there hierarchy in Korea?

Hierarchy has been historically embedded in the culture of Korean society, which, of course, is reflected in higher education. So, graduates of provincial universities have fewer career prospects than graduates of the top three universities in South Korea — SKY. Often this causes the latter to be accused of elitism.

What is the negative perception of vocational schools in South Korea?

The negative perception and stigmatization of technical and other applied education unfairly undermine the reputation of vocational schools in South Korea, although they are a good option for those who do not want to follow the traditional university route.

What is the goal of Korean high school?

For the average Korean high school student, the goal is to get into good college and often, the competition is high . As a result, many will attend a agwon (aka a private after school learning program) to accelerate their learning.

Do Koreans have school on Saturdays?

If you think Korean students have the weekend for recreation, think again. 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.

What is model school in Korea?

Model schools in Korea are schools that many Korean teachers want to teach at. They breed excellence in their curriculums and students are high level learners. ESL teachers and Korean English teachers visit other schools to review teaching methods to see what practices other classes are employing. 6.

What is a hgwon?

Hagwons are private entities, which help reinforce higher education and English skills, so there is often a high demand for them. Often, they are run strictly like a business, running one class after another, prepping students for exams and drilling skills into them from the textbook.

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Primary Education

Secondary Education

  • High school course in Korea consists of three years. Individuals who graduate from middle schools or pass a qualification exam and/or an assessment that offers equivalent credits can be admitted into high schools. There are four types of high schools- General High Schools, Special-Purposed High Schools, Vocational High Schools, and Autonomous High ...
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Higher Education

  • The purposes of universities and colleges are to develop students’ personality, teach and research the profound theories of science and arts necessary for the development of the nation and human society (Article 28 of the Higher Education Act). Higher education is provided to high school graduates or individuals with equivalent academic abilities approved by relevant laws in Korea, a…
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Special Education

  • Special education provides relative curricula and services (e.g., counseling service, family support, treatment support, assistant personnel support, supplementary technology support, supplementary academic support, etc.) in order to meet the needs of students with diverse types of disabilities and characteristics. Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high sch…
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Useful Links

Purpose

Image
Our bus wound its way uphill along a narrow, crowded street toward Shinn II Boys High School, and one could only imagine the excitement and disruption we were about to bring to its staff and students. Hanging over the school's entrance was a banner welcoming our group of 19 Americans and more than 40 other educators f…
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Education

  • 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. In 1996 only about five percent of Korea's high schools were coeducational. The proportion of coeducational schools has increased by almost ten percent. However, classes in man...
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Curriculum

  • 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 conversational exchange, rather than through rote learn…
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Academics

  • 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.
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Philosophy

  • 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 …
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Schedule

  • A typical day finds high schoolers studying before school begins at about 8:00 A.M. Classes run for 50 minutes each, with a morning break and a 50-minute lunch period. The afternoon session resumes at about 1:00 P.M., and classes continue until about 4:00 or 4:30, followed by the cleaning of the classroom. Students may then take a short dinner break at home, or they may ea…
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Reviews

  • The well-educated personaccording to the curriculum and perhaps shedding further light on what is valued in Korean societyis healthy, independent, creative, and moral.
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Campus

  • The high schools that we saw were large and rather barren in appearance. Invariably, a large grassless area in front of the school serves as the playing field as well as accommodates schoolwide assemblies and other meetings. Inside, classrooms line the straight, sparsely furnished halls and are typically filled with 50 or 60 uniformed students and an instructor.
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Controversy

  • We were told in 1996 that in years past when teachers informed parents of discipline problems, parents responded by sending the teacher either a small amount of rice as an apology for having caused the teacher worry and trouble or a switch for the teacher to discipline the child. Since 1999, teachers no longer have the legal authority to administer corporal punishment. This chang…
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Effects

  • Despite these differences, Korean teachers still have more responsibility for counseling students and controlling their behavior than do teachers in the United States. Korean culture grants teachers the same authority as parents and attributes them even greater responsibility for children's moral and academic development.
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Staff

  • One teacher we met was a Korean American from Maryland who teaches conversational English. As he explained, students are rarely assigned written work either in class or as homework. His regular workload consists of five classes that meet four times each week, with an additional twenty classes that meet once a week. With a typical class size of 50 or more students, this teac…
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Resources

  • The school library, according to the principal, needs more books, given the size of the student body. He suggested, however, that this school was fairly representative of Korean elementary schools, except for its well-equipped television studio, which students use to produce school programs.
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Culture

  • School tradition and achievement is very important to Korea's principals. One high school has a large stone marker engraved with its motto, \"Diligence and Wisdom,\" and statues adorn the school grounds. One depicts a standing young student looking intently into the eyes of a seated female teacher. The other is of Admiral Sun-shin Yi, the heroic sixteenth-century warrior who des…
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Issues

  • However, the issue that continues to receive the most attention is the need to reform the school system. Many Koreans believe that the mass education of the industrial era is not appropriate to an era of high technology and globalization. In practical terms, large lecture classes of 50 or 60 students with an emphasis on rote learning will not produce creative or morally sensitive gradua…
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Criticism

  • Critics point out that in the ensuing five years most classroom practices have remained unchanged. In addition, policy is still set through a four-tiered hierarchical model that is heavily weighted against parental and teacher input, despite locally elected boards of education.
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Significance

  • Education has contributed to the growth of Korea's democratic government. It has produced hardworking, skilled employees who have brought about an economic miracle within a single generation. It has reaffirmed traditional values while maintaining its commitment to modernization, citizenship, and global involvement. The ambitious and comprehensive reform pl…
See more on asiasociety.org

Components

  • Authors' Note: Based on various reports and discussions with Korean educators, weve attempted to update our previous work and place it within these new concepts. We would like to thank Dr. Tae-Hoon Kim, professor of ethics education at Kong-Ju National University of Education; Mr. Hyung-Sik Kim, superintendent of schools, Kwangju, Republic of Korea; Mr. Hang-In Kim, social s…
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History

  • Pre-division period
    Education has been present throughout the history of Korea (1945–present). Public schools and private schoolshave both been present. Modern reforms to education began in the late 19th century. Since its early history, Korean education has been influenced significantly by Confucian …
  • Post-war years
    After Gwangbokjeol and the liberation from Japan, the Korean government began to study and discuss for a new philosophy of education. The new educational philosophy was created under the United States Army Military Government in Korea(USAMGIK) with a focus on democratic edu…
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Kindergarten

  • The number of private kindergartens have increased as a result of more women entering the workforce, growth in the number of nuclear families where a grandparent is often unavailable to take care of children, and the feeling that kindergarten might give children an "edge" in later educational competition. Many students in Korea start kindergarten at the Western age of three …
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Primary Education

  • Elementary schools (Korean: 초등학교, 初等學校, chodeung hakgyo) consists of grades one to six (age 7 to age 12 in Korean years—6 to 11 in western years). The South Korean government changed its name to the current form from Citizens' school (Korean: 국민학교, 國民學校. In elementary school, students learn the following subjects. The curriculum differs from grades 1–…
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Secondary Education

  • In 1987, there were approximately 4,895,354 students enrolled in middle schools and high schools, with approximately 150,873 teachers. About 69 percent of these teachers were male. About 98% of Korean students finish secondary education. The secondary-school enrollment figure also reflected changing population trends—there were 3,959,975 students in secondary sc…
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Higher Education

  • Higher education in South Korea is provided primarily by universities (national research universities, industrial universities, teacher-training universities, broadcast and correspondence universities, cyber universities, graduate schools, open universities, and national universities of education) and colleges (cyber colleges, technical colleges, colleges in company, graduate scho…
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Government Influence

  • Ministry of Education
    The Ministry of Education has been responsible for South Korean education since 25 February 2013. Its name was The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (often abbreviated into "the Ministry of Education") since 25 February 2008 to 24 February 2013. The former body, the M…
  • Teachers' union
    Although primary- and secondary-school teachers traditionally enjoyed high status, they often were overworked and underpaid during the late 1980s. Salaries were less than those for many other white-collar professions and even some blue-collar jobs. High school teachers, particularl…
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English Education

  • Korea has an extensive English education history dating back to the Joseon Dynasty. During this time, Koreans received English education in public institutes, where translators were instructed for conversion of Korean into foreign languages. The Public Foreign Language School established in 1893, educated young males to perform tasks to modernize Korea. This school, unlike facilities …
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Controversy and Criticism

  • Students' health
    South Korea's scarcity of natural resources is often cited as a reason for the rigorousness and fierce competition of its school systems; the academic pressure on its students is arguably the largest in the world. In an article entitled "An Assault Upon Our Children", Se-Woong Koo wrote th…
  • Academic elitism
    The South Korean political system has a strong academic elitism. In June 2005, Conservative politician Jeon Yeo-ok openly opposed the nomination of the former president Roh Moo-hyunwho did not graduate from a higher level institution, but passed the state-run judicial examinations.
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See Also

Further Reading

  1. Adams, D., & Gottlieb, E. E. Education and social change in Korea(Garland, 1993).
  2. Ahn, Hyejeong. Attitudes to World Englishes: Implications for Teaching English in South Korea(Taylor & Francis, 2017).
  3. Arita, Shin. Education and Social Stratification in South Korea(2019)
  4. Byun, Soo-yong, Evan Schofer, and Kyung-keun Kim. "Revisiting the role of cultural capital in E…
  1. Adams, D., & Gottlieb, E. E. Education and social change in Korea(Garland, 1993).
  2. Ahn, Hyejeong. Attitudes to World Englishes: Implications for Teaching English in South Korea(Taylor & Francis, 2017).
  3. Arita, Shin. Education and Social Stratification in South Korea(2019)
  4. Byun, Soo-yong, Evan Schofer, and Kyung-keun Kim. "Revisiting the role of cultural capital in East Asian educational systems: The case of South Korea". Sociology of Education 85.3 (2012): 219-239....