Education in Chosôn Korea Sôdang, Hyanggyo, Sôwôn, and Exams Korean Society August 6, 2012

terms Sôdang, Hyanggyo, Sôwôn, and Exams Sôdang -- primary school (village) Hyanggyo – public (state-funded) secondary Sôwôn – private secondary school Sônggyun’gwan (Sungkyun’kwan) – central, post-secondary school Mun’kwa – the civil service exam

Sôdang

Sôwôn

Tosan sôwôn

Yi T’oegye’s house

School and shrine

Temple layout, too

Sônggyun’gwan birdseye

Front gate

Munmyo (shrine)

Hall for Elucidating Morality

Offerings to Confucius

Spirit tablets

Education Begins at the pre-primary level, at home Taught by parents Or uncles, Or – “trade children for education” 교자 이학

Sôdang Primary education Village level Retired officials, or those who nearly passed Building – sometimes a dedicated structure, -- sometimes a communally-owned lineage hall --- but without a shrine

Hyanggyo Government school, with shrine One in each county (and four in Seoul) Secondary level, but also post-secondary Could go directly from hyanggyo to the exams Shrine and school were replica of the central academy in Seoul, Sônggyun’gwan

Sôwôn (Seoweon) The “Private Academy” Movement, began in 1542 Spread all across the country Same scale, competitors with, hyanggyo With shrine – dedicated to one great scholar (with one to three others in the hall) – See Milan Seoul Nat. Univ.

The Sôwôn movement The movement was seen as “the enemy” in the Royal decree to eliminate all but 47 of them. A blow to the heart of the aristocracy To bolster the royalty, the central court at the expense of one segment of the aristocracy (now being restored by descendants of each group)

Sônggyun’gwan The National Academy and Shrine Two main buildings, school and shrine Shrine holds “spirit tablets” for Confucius – His four disciples – 16 Chinese sages – 18 Korean sages

Ceremonies Not just a school, but a shrine where ceremonies, like ancestor offerings, are held. At the Oksan Sôwôn, the school has a signboard that says, “Seeking Benevolence”; the shrine has a signboard that says, “Embodying Benevolence.” Where practice makes perfect

Ceremonies Major ceremony once a year (now first Sunday in May?) Minor ceremonies twice a month, on the full of the moon and the dark of the moon. At the Sôwôn on an anniversary date.

The purpose of education?

To pass the exam! Of course!

The high civil service Munkwa Once every three years (and on special occasions – usually once a year) 33 selected each time The elite of society, those selected for government positions

Government positions The sole source of Prestige Wealth Power The SOLE source – not an exaggeration

Munkwa We have the rosters of those who passed Study by Wagner and Song 13,562 passers in 500 years

The Sama exam Secondary in prestige Two parts – Saengwon – Chinsa One in poetry, one in prose About 35,000 passed, 100 in each exam / 3 yrs

The Sama exam Was in the first part of the dynasty considered as a preparatory exam, like an MA on the way to a PhD (the munkwa). Later in the dynasty became a kind of terminal MA degree

The miscellaneous exams Five categories

The miscellaneous exams Five categories Law Medicine Accounting Science

The miscellaneous exams Five categories Law Medicine Accounting Science Translation

The miscellaneous exams Lower status Limited access Controlled by a sub-class of functionaries that were generally hated by the upper class and despised by the lower classes

…and the military exams For recruitment of officers More passed in times of emergency Somewhere between 50,000 and 200,000 Not as prestigious But once one passed, there was a guaranteed route to bureaucratic success

Military exams A practicum with five parts – Archery – Horseback archery – Swordsmanship – Hand-to-hand combat – Horse-riding And a written part

Exam-focused education Then, essay exams built on Confucian classics Now, bubble sheets on math, English, etc etc

Exam-focused education The tradition is alive and well today, In Korea And In Korea-American families The cram school phenomena Compare US and Kor high school life