A few days ago, Obama, the President of America, emphasized how important it is that American education systems be like the Korea education systems. The Koreans took this news very well. Koreans both in Korea and around the world definitely are proud of the amazing educational system Korea had produced and the result of the Korean educational system. In order to understand the Korean educational system, one has to know its history. The Koreans hated Japanese barbarism. From 1905 to 1945 the Japanese were determined to kill anything Korean, including the language. For example, they outlawed the use of the Korean language, punishable by death. However, the Korean language survived because of those who disobeyed the law. Language is very important to Koreans; they have a mission about protecting and loving their language forever. However, the people of Korea were never allowed to protect their language. This national characteristic benefited an educational system in Korea. The President of the United States emphasized it so many times. Of course, there is no perfect education system in the world, but want to tell about our education system and compare and contrast things between Korea and America from my experience.
First, I want to touch on the freedom aspect in the educational systems. There is a sharp distinction between the freedom in the Korean and American systems. For example, in Korea, students do not have the freedom to pick the schedule and classes. In America, students do have the freedom to choose which class as well as which teacher. This system helps students go the right way for their future. Second, there is a great difference between the respects for school in each country. As a student raised in Korea and attending school in America, I was really confused when I was in high school in Colorado. It was my first class in the school, but almost every student got coffee and drank during class. It would be an unimaginable thing if that happened in Korea; also if I did that in Korea, it would probably result in expulsion from the school. A school is a very special place. We also have to respect teachers because we have to learn from and respect them. This is very hard and sensitive problem but I understand because of the culture difference. A few days ago, I called my friend in Korea to research this problem, and he told me many schools try hard to follow American school systems. The only good thing was that the school gave us a chance to pick our own schedules. This is the only similarity he found in the Korean and American school.
Lastly, punishment is another major difference in the systems from Korea and America. Korean school systems allow teachers to punish students but American school systems never allow punishment. School punishment can change lives. For example, I knew a boy who was extremely disobedient but after he was punished from his school, he never tried to be rude. He is a better man now. Personally, I met so many students while I studied in Colorado who needed school punishment. I was greatly surprised when many students behaved rudely to teachers, and the teachers say nothing to them. This is a bad situation, and if teachers are not allowed to punish, something needs to change. What is a teacher? What is a teacher’s job and responsibility? Teachers have to show students a right way and have a responsibility to help them to a successful life. But in America, they do not have this system and they do not have a responsibility to students anymore. Regretfully, a web site said that, thoughtlessly, a member of the National Assembly tried to change the abolition law for a student’s freedom about punishment. This is a similarity between Korea and America. One hundred percent I agree on so many problems that will be happening in Korea, and I hope to read about a side effect from the wrong law.
In conclusion, I cannot correct educational systems but an obvious fact is that we have to respect school education system, each other, and apply good things for our countries educational system? If the American government introduced punishment, of course, many people will say no and oppose this law but a true teacher never opposes this law. Think about this fact: Korean students are top students in Harvard, Oxford, Yale, Stanford, etc… What kind of system made the top students in the world? If Korea and America will take good things from each other, probably our son or daughter’s will enjoy a wonderful educational system in both countries.