By David Azócar
Though a developing economy with below average spending on education, South Korea has one of the most technologically advanced educational systems in the world. It also has had excellent results in international testing. Consequently, the Library of Congress organized seminar entitled “Integrating technology into education: Learning from the Korean experience”. The panel included Ik-Chang, Young-Sik Jeong and Ho-Yeol Kwon, who were responsible for the successful implementation of Korea’s online educationsystem.
This seminar was paid for by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and sponsored by the KoreanEmbassy in Chile and the Ministry of Education.
Starting from zero
The high quality of Korean education is as remarkable as the history in which it was forged. Fifty years ago, the Koreanstandard of living was comparable to that of Afghanistan, according to the OECD. Today, Korea is one of the leading emerging economies and has one of the most efficienteducational systems in the world.
This seminar was paid for by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and sponsored by the KoreanEmbassy in Chile and the Ministry of Education.
Starting from zero
The high quality of Korean education is as remarkable as the history in which it was forged. Fifty years ago, the Koreanstandard of living was comparable to that of Afghanistan, according to the OECD. Today, Korea is one of the leading emerging economies and has one of the most efficienteducational systems in the world.
Investment in education has been heavy. Education is considered fundamental to Korea’s economic future. Although the South Korean government has spent nearly half of what the US has on primary education, it has achieved much higher results. When researching the genesis of Korea’s educational system, one finds a long history of public policies designed to improve education, which is viewed as one of Korean society’s most precious assets.
To review some history, US forces occupied the southern part of the Korean peninsula after WWII. The foundations of Korea’s education were laid with the American model in mind. Since then, South Korea has been keen to develop an educational system based on the different stages of development through which the country has evolved.
Until the mid-70s, the government introduced a series of economic plans that emphasized the growth of Korean exports. During this period, educational policies were focused on providing trained manpower for the economy and strengthening technology and science curriculum. Discovery and research became the main teaching methods.
From 1975 on, and during the 1980s, the government set educational priorities based on social problems such as high competition to enter universities. It strove to diminish the use of private tutors, which were a large financial burden for parents. It replaced this demand with the universalization of curriculum and a more holistic approach to personal development.
Beginning in the 1990s (the period during which the national economy diversified) the quality, relevance and excellence of Korean education became the government’s main priority. It was decided to focus the curriculum on learning, while respecting individual diversity and implementing various public policies, which were constantly changing and finally resulted in the current system.
The current scenario
Today the Korean education system consists of six years of primary school, followed by six more in secondary school. Post secondary education may include from two to five years, offered at technical institutes and universities. Secondary education is divided into academic and vocational options. Post secondary education is classified into four categories: university, university professors, theological university, seminars and distance education.
Educational administration has been centralized. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has primary responsibility for policy development and administration of general, professional and technical education. It also regulates the operation of schools, enrollment, curriculum, teacher hiring and facilities management.
At the provincial and municipal level, Local Education Authorities (LEAs) have relative autonomy from the central government. They are autonomous in that they are free to gather the necessary financial and personnel resources for the schools in their regions.
South Korea, according to the OECD, spends less on education than most nations. In fact, it spends well below the international average. However, its budget has grown from 14.3% (of the national budget) in 1963, to 20.4% in 2000.
In 2000, 78.5% of the MOE budget was destined to teacher salaries, an investment in the future of primary and secondary education. During the same period, the private sector owned 55% of secondary schools and 78% of institutes and universities. This high level of privatization was conducted through a set of measures such as public subsidies and tax exemptions. Thus, through this strategy of equalization, there are no perceptible differences between private and public education today.
The power of reform
In 1995, a presidential committee launched a reform based on the elimination of unwanted social practices, such as education designed to pass exams and excessive demand for private tutors. It focused on training students and adults for the Information Age. Three policies resulted from this reform. The first changed the high level of regulation present in the system. Regulation was causing a lack of flexibility, spontaneity and creativity in teachers and institutions. Performance-based financing and the abolition of onsite Ministry inspection were introduced. Ministry visits to campuses were replaced by a professional assessment panel. Parents and the community at large were also invited to participate in extracurricular activities and the implementation of curriculum.
A second, crucial reform allowed for greater diversification in learning and teaching. Students were given a wider choice of classes and subjects, thereby reducing unnecessary learning burdens. This reform encouraged students to learn according to their skills, talents and abilities. These measures were reinforced by a common plan aimed at Korea’s so-called 3R: foreign language, interpersonal skills, and information technology literacy. Moreover, professional schools promoted more practical expertise and introduced a stronger link between the vocational secondary schools and technical institutes, convinced that expertise at this level is a fundamental requirement in this day and age.
The era of the ICT
A third measure, which deserves special mention, was the integration of Information Technology (ICT) into the educational system. It has included the introduction of ICT skill sets, investment in ICT infrastructure in primary and secondary schools, management of school information (SMIS), and greater opportunities for ICT training for teachers. These measures were crowned with a series of regulations designed to accommodate new technologies and establish an information clearinghouse: the Korea Education and Research Information System (KERIS).
For Chang Ik, director of the Center for Education Information at KERIS, who visited the Library of Congress, Korea’s implementation of information technology in classrooms followed three basic steps of a “master plan”. The first was to integrate them into the infrastructure of the class, providing each teacher with a personal computer and the implementation of EDUNET, a system for linking public policy to schools.
The second measure focused on content development and of EBS (Educational Broadcasting System) integration. One of EBS’s many options allows classes to be broadcast over the Internet.
Finally, the “Life Long Learning Society” was created, aimed at integrating all Koreans into continuing education.
Classroom education: The future is now
The Korean model’s impressive reforms are most evident in the classroom, which has been equipped with various tools that enable the development of ICT. The institution responsible for empowering the classroom is the Korean Education Development Institute (KEDI). Its director, Young-Sik Jeong, explained the key measures taken in this regard.
One of the most striking advances has been the implementation of “digital textbooks”, which employ touch screen on PC tablets. Students can interact by working and writing in the books, as if they were notebooks, via a keypad and digital pen.
Even “old” programs have been kept on, though in a modernized state. Thus, the Air & Correspondence High School (ACHS), based on the old correspondence or distance format, is now offered via the Internet. It includes an integrated assessment, grading and attendance system, recorded classes, live access to teachers, and communication with fellow students through chat sessions.
To review some history, US forces occupied the southern part of the Korean peninsula after WWII. The foundations of Korea’s education were laid with the American model in mind. Since then, South Korea has been keen to develop an educational system based on the different stages of development through which the country has evolved.
Until the mid-70s, the government introduced a series of economic plans that emphasized the growth of Korean exports. During this period, educational policies were focused on providing trained manpower for the economy and strengthening technology and science curriculum. Discovery and research became the main teaching methods.
From 1975 on, and during the 1980s, the government set educational priorities based on social problems such as high competition to enter universities. It strove to diminish the use of private tutors, which were a large financial burden for parents. It replaced this demand with the universalization of curriculum and a more holistic approach to personal development.
Beginning in the 1990s (the period during which the national economy diversified) the quality, relevance and excellence of Korean education became the government’s main priority. It was decided to focus the curriculum on learning, while respecting individual diversity and implementing various public policies, which were constantly changing and finally resulted in the current system.
The current scenario
Today the Korean education system consists of six years of primary school, followed by six more in secondary school. Post secondary education may include from two to five years, offered at technical institutes and universities. Secondary education is divided into academic and vocational options. Post secondary education is classified into four categories: university, university professors, theological university, seminars and distance education.
Educational administration has been centralized. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has primary responsibility for policy development and administration of general, professional and technical education. It also regulates the operation of schools, enrollment, curriculum, teacher hiring and facilities management.
At the provincial and municipal level, Local Education Authorities (LEAs) have relative autonomy from the central government. They are autonomous in that they are free to gather the necessary financial and personnel resources for the schools in their regions.
South Korea, according to the OECD, spends less on education than most nations. In fact, it spends well below the international average. However, its budget has grown from 14.3% (of the national budget) in 1963, to 20.4% in 2000.
In 2000, 78.5% of the MOE budget was destined to teacher salaries, an investment in the future of primary and secondary education. During the same period, the private sector owned 55% of secondary schools and 78% of institutes and universities. This high level of privatization was conducted through a set of measures such as public subsidies and tax exemptions. Thus, through this strategy of equalization, there are no perceptible differences between private and public education today.
The power of reform
In 1995, a presidential committee launched a reform based on the elimination of unwanted social practices, such as education designed to pass exams and excessive demand for private tutors. It focused on training students and adults for the Information Age. Three policies resulted from this reform. The first changed the high level of regulation present in the system. Regulation was causing a lack of flexibility, spontaneity and creativity in teachers and institutions. Performance-based financing and the abolition of onsite Ministry inspection were introduced. Ministry visits to campuses were replaced by a professional assessment panel. Parents and the community at large were also invited to participate in extracurricular activities and the implementation of curriculum.
A second, crucial reform allowed for greater diversification in learning and teaching. Students were given a wider choice of classes and subjects, thereby reducing unnecessary learning burdens. This reform encouraged students to learn according to their skills, talents and abilities. These measures were reinforced by a common plan aimed at Korea’s so-called 3R: foreign language, interpersonal skills, and information technology literacy. Moreover, professional schools promoted more practical expertise and introduced a stronger link between the vocational secondary schools and technical institutes, convinced that expertise at this level is a fundamental requirement in this day and age.
The era of the ICT
A third measure, which deserves special mention, was the integration of Information Technology (ICT) into the educational system. It has included the introduction of ICT skill sets, investment in ICT infrastructure in primary and secondary schools, management of school information (SMIS), and greater opportunities for ICT training for teachers. These measures were crowned with a series of regulations designed to accommodate new technologies and establish an information clearinghouse: the Korea Education and Research Information System (KERIS).
For Chang Ik, director of the Center for Education Information at KERIS, who visited the Library of Congress, Korea’s implementation of information technology in classrooms followed three basic steps of a “master plan”. The first was to integrate them into the infrastructure of the class, providing each teacher with a personal computer and the implementation of EDUNET, a system for linking public policy to schools.
The second measure focused on content development and of EBS (Educational Broadcasting System) integration. One of EBS’s many options allows classes to be broadcast over the Internet.
Finally, the “Life Long Learning Society” was created, aimed at integrating all Koreans into continuing education.
Classroom education: The future is now
The Korean model’s impressive reforms are most evident in the classroom, which has been equipped with various tools that enable the development of ICT. The institution responsible for empowering the classroom is the Korean Education Development Institute (KEDI). Its director, Young-Sik Jeong, explained the key measures taken in this regard.
One of the most striking advances has been the implementation of “digital textbooks”, which employ touch screen on PC tablets. Students can interact by working and writing in the books, as if they were notebooks, via a keypad and digital pen.
Even “old” programs have been kept on, though in a modernized state. Thus, the Air & Correspondence High School (ACHS), based on the old correspondence or distance format, is now offered via the Internet. It includes an integrated assessment, grading and attendance system, recorded classes, live access to teachers, and communication with fellow students through chat sessions.
Other programs include the following: the E-Life Long Education Center, aimed at promoting learning; the E-Teaching and E-Learning Support System, regulating educationin schools via EDUNET); the National Education Information System (NEIS), which integrates all national information which may support education in some capacity; and Cyber E-Learning Home System, which ensures that even the poorest child has a computer. Finally, the Educational Broadcasting System (EBS), broadcasts classes via satellite, cable TV and Internet.
Korea’s exemplary education strategy has been achieved in a short time, creating one of the most efficient and innovative in the world. It reached its goal by basing its efforts on equality of opportunity and an enthusiasm for high quality education.
Korea’s exemplary education strategy has been achieved in a short time, creating one of the most efficient and innovative in the world. It reached its goal by basing its efforts on equality of opportunity and an enthusiasm for high quality education.
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