In Korea, Education is considered as the most important thing for both parents and children. This conception has led an intense competition among students. One positive side of the intense competition is that Korea achieved high educational level. However, there are lots of negative aspects of the intense competition.
As students are exposed to too competitive circumstances, they are forced to study a lot by their parents. Most Korean middle and high school students study until 22:00 everyday in school or private institutions. This situation makes their lives painful.
Also, students and parents only focus on test results. Students study only to get good grades. This conception takes creative thinking out from students. Even worse, some students commit suicide if they get low grades. Therefore, this is one major reason of high suicide rate in Korea.
Even though, Korea's high educational level has contributed to great economic development. Therefore, Korea's education system is a double-edged sword.
Graph showing high educational level of Korea
Belgium is a highly educated country, but there's no pressure. Ofcourse parents want their children to get high grades en behave well, but it's not the most important thing. They also look at social developement. You have different types of schools in Belgium. You have ASO, which I am in. The stress is here on the theoretic part of learning. After highschool you can go to college or university. But you also have TSO. This is more focused on technical eduction, preparing you for your later profession. It's often considered to be less than ASO. I don't think that's true at all, because if you'd let me try to fix something like a broken lamp or something, I'd probably electrocute myself! It is however true that this section of eduction often attracts less motivated students.
ReplyDeleteAll together I also think or level of education is dropping, things are getting easier. Maybe in our schoolsociety, there isn't enough competition anymore...
That's so nice that Belgium doesn't have much pressure. In Korea, there are two kinds of high schools like in Belgium. But many parents and society think that technical education is only students who are not accepted in normal academic school.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I hope that someday my country would become like Belgium. Less pressure.