The developing country of South Korea has gone through enormous changes during the past few decades. This country, sometimes called the Hermit Kingdom, has been ravaged by wars and occupied by other nations, but manages to make progress. Korea was involved in the first shooting war in the Cold War era. This small republic of just 45 million people has accomplished in a short time what took centuries in other industrial countries. It is the purpose of this paper to describe their education system and its influence on the recent development in South Korea.
Education is very high priority in Korea. It is a serious matter, and the parents see possibilities for the future in the school success of their children. There is a strong family focus on the children doing well in school. Korean children attend school from 8:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon six days a week from March until March (Ellinger & Beckham, 624). The mothers usually oversee the children's education, supervise homework, furnish snacks for late night studying and administer punishment if the child is not studying hard enough. Education in South Korea is compulsory only through the sixth grade. However, most students continue through high school. Parents of high school students must pay tuition of approximately $1,200 a year, a figure that could triple when one adds the additional costs of textbooks and private tutoring. Students in middle and high schools attend school Monday through Saturday (half a day on Saturday) for a total of 222 days. The school year runs year round but there are breaks and vacations, including a winter break from late December until the end of February. Class schedules resemble university schedules in the U.S., with courses taught on alternate days. Students take required courses, including such subjects as ethics, math, biology, chemistry, physics, literature, grammar, a second language, composition, and technology and industry ...