The education system in South Korea involves all age stages of human development. From an early age, the little citizens of the Land of the Morning Calm study hard. Pre-school education for young Koreans is no less important than special or higher education. After all, it is in young years that the foundation of the future education in Korea is laid.
South Korea Education System: General Principles
The country of morning freshness has recently occupied a leading position in many areas of human life. The education system of the state is no exception. It is clear, transparent, aimed at the comprehensive development of the individual.
Analyzing the education system in South Korea, we can conclude that its citizens are memorized students. Koreans are able to acquire knowledge for 11-12 hours a day. The main goal of most residents of the state is to getquality education and master a good profession.
However, getting into a university after graduation is not so easy. Here there is only a bet on knowledge, and no patronage works. Throughout their studies, students diligently perform tasks, set experiments, conduct experiments on their own. The task of a high school teacher in South Korea is to provide initial information on the subject and direct the student in the right direction. Further, young people are given the opportunity to act independently.
The education system in South Korea is one of the best in the world. As a result, among citizens of other countries, it is considered prestigious to study in the Land of Morning Calm.
Pre-school education of the country
Education of the country's citizens begins from a young age. Modern parents, wishing to stimulate the early development of their children, can give their child from the age of three days to a nursery. Here the kids will master the first skills of self-service and communication with others. At the age of three, the first lessons of writing, reading, and counting begin for tomboys. At the same time, a foreign (usually English) language was also introduced into training.
In general, all kindergartens in South Korea are divided into three types:
- Crèche.
- Medium groups.
- Older preschoolers.
In addition to compulsory subjects, pre-school education in Korea includes physical education, music, the basics of safety, movinggames and swimming in the pool. Kindergarten teachers regularly meet with the parents of their wards, hold consultations and explanatory conversations with them. It can be concluded that even from infancy, little Koreans learn to be responsible for academic knowledge.
Primary school
South Korean students must go through three stages of education. This includes elementary, middle school and high school attendance.
In the first step, students must learn such compulsory subjects as:
- Native (Korean) language.
- Foreign language (mainly English).
- Social studies.
- Math.
- Music lessons.
- Fine arts.
- Physical education.
For the first three years of elementary school, students are under the care of one mentor. Recently, following the trends of technological progress, a robot can come to the aid of a living teacher, which announces the topic of the lesson and sets out the main postulates. In a high-tech country, all educational institutions (from elementary to high school) have high-speed Internet.
Another innovation of modern education in South Korea is the rejection of physical punishment. Until the early 2000s, in order to instill obedience in students, disciplinary duties included hitting with a pointer (individual approach) and group punishment, for example, the whole lesson all children stand with their hands up for the misconduct of their classmate.
Modern school in South Korea involves uniting in one classstudents of both sexes. Until recently, girls were taught separately from boys.
Teen education
Primary school has 6 grades. After completing the first stage of education, students are transferred to the secondary level at the place of residence. There is no need to take entrance exams. The exception is specialized secondary schools with in-depth study of a particular subject. For example, in South Korea there are educational institutions that teach gifted children (art, music, etc.).
Secondary school is divided into two levels: the first three years are compulsory for all.
In the secondary school of the Korean education system, in addition to the main subjects, the following are also added:
- Exact sciences - mathematics, physics.
- Aesthetic knowledge.
- Electives, focusing on the future profession.
- Activities that shape the identity of a citizen of the Land of Morning Calm (for example, the history of their people, studying the political situation, etc.).
The hallmark of a high school student is wearing a certain uniform, hairstyle and shoes. Teenagers have 6 lessons of 45 minutes each, five days a week. Sometimes additional lessons can be added - zero and seventh. Extra-curricular education involves visiting all kinds of circles, tutors. Popular additional classes in school education in Korea are general development courses - music, drawing,traditional calligraphy, ballet. No less important for the formation of the intellect of young Koreans is the mastery of computer literacy.
High School
Korea's high school students are required to complete two grade levels when they reach the final level of schooling. The first is general education and lasts two years. Such schools do not provide any specialized knowledge. The subjects taught in such institutions will be further studied at institutes and universities.
The second stage of high school in the Korean education system is aimed at mastering a certain speci alty. In such schools, there are ratings and difficult exams that students must constantly take to prove their right to study further.
As a continuation of the senior classes in Korea, there are various technical schools and colleges. After them, the educational life of Koreans does not end. Anyone who has graduated from such an institution and received a certain speci alty can try his hand and enter a university.
Higher education institutions of the country
Wishing to get higher education in South Korea are many. About 99% of the population dream of studying further after graduating from the first stage of high school. The number of university entrants makes it possible for the country to get into the top ten countries of the world in this indicator. Even Japan and the UK come after the Land of Morning Calm.
Preparation of university graduates in South Korea consists of several stages:
- Bachelor. To obtain a bachelor's degree, you need to study for three years. The exception is students who receive medical education in Korea. Future doctors must study for a bachelor's degree for six years.
- Master's degree. Here you need to study for three or four years. All students applying for a master's degree must defend a dissertation, and future doctors must pass a national exam.
- Doctorate. Applicants for the doctoral degree study on the course for four years. During their studies, future scientists must conduct research and defend a dissertation.
In addition to universities, the higher education system in Korea includes vocational colleges, teacher training institutes and religious educational institutions.
To enter a higher education institution, high school students must pass final exams and a national exam. Some universities also conduct additional tests for applicants.
The main criterion for further employment is the prestige of the university.
An interesting fact is that almost 80% of higher education institutions in Korea are private.
Getting into a state university is difficult, but possible.
By the way, it is considered a great shame in the country to expel a young man from the student ranks or classify him as an underachiever.
Employers are eyeing various higher education institutions in advance and placing an order for a particular speci alty. At the same time, no patronage will help you get a prestigious job.
Postgraduate education
After basic studies at the institute orUniversity yesterday's students have the opportunity to enroll in a master's or graduate school. To obtain a master's degree, you must complete six courses in two years and write a research paper that will form the basis for a thesis.
Master's studies, as well as PhD studies, are funded by the government's Global Scholarship Program of South Korea. Students receive a scholarship, and all the work of teachers is paid by the state.
There is also paid education after graduation. Its cost ranges from 1.5 to 4.5 thousand dollars.
Having received higher education in South Korea, graduates can continue their studies directly at their native university. The fact is that the state obliged each such institution to open at least one postgraduate and graduate department. Thus, the image of the country as one of the most enlightened in the world is maintained.
Basic principles of education for citizens of the DPRK
The Soviet school had a huge impact on the organization of education in North Korea. And if today in Russia major changes have been made to school education, then students in the DPRK are forced to follow the old program.
The education system in North Korea includes compulsory levels of schooling. This is one kindergarten class, four elementary and six years of high school. Most citizens of the country after receiving secondary education go to work. The we althier and smarter go to college.
The subjects of the school curriculum are unpretentious and academic. This is mathematics, native language, foreign (mainly Russianor English), geography, literature (native and western), history (domestic and world).
In addition, students are required to attend all kinds of courses: "Communist morality", "Communist Party politics", "The life of the great Kim Il Sung", etc. Such subjects make up no more than 6% of the total program.
The entire school curriculum is subject to the basic principles of the policy of the DPRK. For example, the citizens of the country are sure that the Korean War was unleashed not by North, but by South Korea, and abroad people suffer from the “horrors of the capitalist system.”
Two Koreas, two education systems: key differences
By analyzing the teaching principles of the two countries, the following differences can be seen:
- The entire education system in North Korea is aimed at creating a "gray mass", a person who is not a sovereign individual, but will become a part of the majority of society - citizens who are ready to faithfully serve the party and government.
- All North Koreans must be wary of anything American and hate imperialism.
- Strange as it may seem, North Koreans are hostile towards their immediate neighbors, the citizens of the Land of Morning Calm. The reason for such contempt is the same desire of South Koreans for everything American.
- North Korean students from the age of ten are required to join the Children's Union and wear red ties. This brings the education system even closer to education in the USSR.
- On the contrary, in South Korea, the individuality of a person and his desire to learn not for the sake of obligation, but for the sake of his own development are most welcomed.
- The formation of the citizens of the Land of Morning Calm begins from early childhood. Moreover, special attention is paid to the study of foreign languages. So the state takes care that in the future its citizens will be in demand as specialists in any country, without any particular personal inconvenience. After all, someone who knows the language of the country may not spend money on an interpreter.
- If only schooling is enough for success in North Korea, then more than 90% of the citizens of the neighboring country have received higher education.
- North Korea is a fairly militarized country. The first children's toys are usually pistols and tanks.
- Higher education in Korea, in the South, is the goal of all youth, while North Koreans strive to faithfully serve the country's leadership immediately after graduation.
Education in Korea for foreigners
Education in the Land of Morning Calm is also open to citizens of other countries. In addition to the exotic nature of Korea, studying for foreign students is also attractive because the state ranks 14th in terms of economic indicators. As a result, the country bears the proud title of the "Asian Tiger".
Education in South Korea is not inferior in quality to the education of the most developed countries - Great Britain, Japan, etc. The bulk of foreign students are citizens of the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Education in Korea forRussians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhs, etc. is free. Moreover, in some countries (in particular, in Russia), since 2018, applicants can enter a Korean university in their country by completing special preparatory courses.
Another important step in preparing for admission to a Korean educational institution is the preparation of a package of documents. An official request to a foreign university makes it possible to clarify the availability of study programs for foreigners. Also, upon admission, it is recommended to find out about the existence of grants for training.
The mandatory list of documents for prospective students includes:
- Summary.
- Photocopies of certificates that confirm the level of foreign language proficiency.
- Extract from the educational institution.
- Motivational letter.
To go to Korea to study, you need to open a student visa. The following documents are required for this:
- Civil and foreign passports.
- Questionnaire.
- An extract from the bank, which indicates the availability of the required amount of money.
- Photocopies of the certificate and diploma, which are officially certified.
- Admission statement from a South Korean university.
- Receipts for future studies.
- He alth insurance policy.
- Two photos.
- If the applicant has not reached the age of majority - a birth certificate and parents' permission to leave, certified by a notary.
