Korean Education

Proposal to Implement More Extracurricular Activities in Korean High Schools
The Korean government should pass a law that requires all high schools to implement more extracurricular activities within their academic curriculum.
Three Main Problems with the Current System
1. The current system is one-sided with a heavy emphasis on preparing for the college entrance exams.
a. Korean high school chool students spend approximately 15 hours in school or studying every day, which is three hours more than their OECD counterparts (National Center on Education and The Economy).
b. Only 52.1% of high schools hold extracurricular activities; however, 78.6% of those activities are related to academics, such as study groups or extra lectures (Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation).
2. The current system is inefficient in educating students.
a. Teaching is delivered only through rote memorization and cramming procedures, which stifle individual vitality and creativity (Korea Economic Institute).
b. 44% of Koreans in Ivy League schools quit course halfway. The current system does not prepare students for the creative and interactive style of learning in U.S. universities (East Asian Institute of Columbia University).
3. The current system partially contributes to students’ physical and mental health problems students have.
a. Excessive long hours in classrooms and lack of physical activities were identified as two of the four major causes of increasing adolescent obesity in Korea (Korea Journal of Pediatrics).
b. In a government study, it was found that 53.4% of adolescent suicides were due to academic/exam related stress (National Statistical Office of Korea).
Solution to the Problems
The National Assemly of Korea needs to pass a law mandating all Korean high schools to implement more hours of various extracurricular activities in their curriculum. The law should clearly state how many hours of these activities should be held on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. For example, it could require schools to hold at least an hour of extracurricular activities every day, or at three times a week.
Cost/Benefits
1. Costs
a. Increase in expenses involved in reforming the current curriculum, such as administrative fees and labor cost due to demand for more staff and instructors to carry out this plan (Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation).
b. High resistance from Korean parents and the older generation. The “education fever,” which existed during the past hundreds of years, is the root of this social issue. It would be difficult to persuade and change such belief that is founded on tradition and public support (Korea Economic Institute).
2. Benefits
a. Students can actually achieve higher score results.
b. Students can develop more competitive soft skills through participation in extracurricular activities.
c. Students can alleviate academic related stress and achieve a higher level of satisfaction.
d. Korea can successfully educate youth in a better-rounded, competitive manner, which will eventually contribute to the country’s further growth.