1. International Education Presentation:
The Education of South
Korea
Jacqueline Smith, Terrence Veal, Angela Williams, and Kimberly
Mcdonald
EDL/510: Teacher Leadership in a Global Society
May 21, 2012
Stephanie Moreno

2. The Education of South
Korea
The South Korean educational system has maintained a top-notch reputation
among other nations in the world. With 97% of students graduating high
school, and with a rank of 2nd place in math on the PISA exam, it is clear why
education in South Korea has such a reputation (USA Today, 2008). In the
following, South Korea’s educational system will be explored in more detail
including information about the following areas:
 Education History K-12 Schools
 English Language Instruction College/ University
 Political Involvement in Education Education in South Korea
Today

3. Educational History
 South Korean education is viewed as being crucial for success and competition is
consequently very heated and fierce.
 The level of educational achievement in South Korea has become widely known,
and South Korean students have recently achieved the highest mean scores in
science and math in the International Assessment of Educational Progress.
 81% of middle and high schools forbid relationships among students.
 South Korea schools have a strong tendency to neglect physical education due to
the over-competitive nature of classroom-based education.

4. Political Involvement
 South Korea still has issues with North Korea after the Korean war.
 This contributed South Korea’s confrontational stance against North Korea in the education field
 The National Intelligence Service was criticized for the search and seizure of a civilian think tank
 This incident was carried out through a warrant to investigate an alleged South Korean spy who
followed an instruction from North Korean with a purpose of instigating a university student
 Rallies to stop the on-going tuition hike in South Korea

5. Teachers and School Administrators
 Recruited from the top third percent of college graduates
 Receive higher pay for teachers and administrators
 Guaranteed a teaching position for life
 Paid for rigorous training and professional development

6. Kindergarten and Elementary School
Students (Grades K-6)
From ages 3-12 years
Curriculum
Ministry of Education and the national curriculum
 Academic Standards and Benchmarks
School Year
 Two Semesters: March–July & August-Febraury

7. Secondary School and University
Curriculum
Ministry of Education and the National Curriculum
Academic Standards and Benchmarks
Exams
End of Year High School Exams
College Exams
Concentration
Math and Science

8. English Language Education
The English Language is the most popular foreign language in South
Korea
15 trillion won (15.8 billion dollars) is spent on English Learning per
year
Most start learning English from middle or elementary School.
The South Korean government has a policy in place called the
English Language Education (ELE)

9. South Korean Education Today
 Today, education remains the guiding principle of South Korean society,
from affluent city dwellers to the poorest villagers.
 93% of all students graduate from high school on time
 An experienced secondary-school teacher makes almost 25% more than
a comparable American teacher, according to OECD data

10. Conclusion
Throughout its troubled past, South Korea has become one of the top academic
performing countries in the world. One of its main focus is to close the gap
between the advantage and disadvantage students. The educational system
supports creativity and emphasizes the use of technology throughout
classrooms. South Korea recognizes teachers and administrators as
professionals who deserve high levels of respect. The high school drop-out rate
is the lowest in the world with a 97% graduation rate. South Korea continues to
stride to make its educational system the best in the world. Failure is not an
option and should not be a component in any educational system.

11. References
Center On International Education Benchmarking. (2012) Retrieved from:
http://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international- education-benchmarking/top-
performing-countries/south-korea-overview/south-korea-teacher-and-principal-quality
Diem, R., Levy, T. & Vansickle, R. (2012). South Korean education. Asia Today. Retrived
from:http://asiasociety.org/education/learning-world/south- korean-education
Kim Eun-gyong The Korea Times. History of English Education in Korea April 2, 2010. Retrieved on
May 19, 2012 from
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2012/05/181_21843.html
Lynch, D.J. (2008) USA could learn from South Korean Schools. USA Today. Retrieved from:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2008-11-18-korea-education-usa_N.htm
Sorensen. C. W.(1994). Success and Education in South Korea, Comparative Education Review,
Vol 38 no.1 ‘South Korea’s education success’( http//. News.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk-
news/education/4240668.stm) BBC News,13 September 2005 Accessed 3 July 2009
Wikipedia. (2012). Education in South Korea. Retrieved from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_South_Korea