The Culture of Educational Zeal The Cram Schools in Daechidong

Table of Contents The Historical Origins of the Educational Zeal in Korea The Development of the Public Education System The Linkages between Economic Development and Education The Current Conditions of College Admission System The Cram Schools in Daechidong Discussion

Educational Attainment and Korean Culture: A Historical Review The Traditional Social Stratification System Occupation-Based The Literati at the Top of the Social Ladder The Literati=The Political Elite The Civil Service Examination System in Yi Dynasty Social Class and Opportunity Structure for Education Eligibility for Civil Service Examinations: Only “Yangban” Class Private Educational Institutions Preparation for the Civil Service Examination No Alternative Routes The Origins of the Educational Zeal

Introduction of the Western Style Education Schools Established by American Missionaries around 1900 Secondary Schools Colleges and Universities Public Education System under the Japanese Colonial Rule, 1910-1945 Limited Opportunities of Koreans for Higher Education during the Japanese Colonial Rule International Migration of Korean Students to Japan for College and Professional Education A Lasting Japanese Influence on Educational Culture in Korea

Educational Policies Immediately after the Liberation Compulsory elementary school education of 6-years Anti-Japanese orientation in teaching of Korean history English became one of the major components in middle and high school curriculum The ethos of the Japanese educational system continued to influence the educational philosophy

The Impact of the Korean War on the Educational System Deprivation of educational opportunities for school-age population during the war Anti-communism orientation in educational ideology The influence of the mandatory military service for all young males on their educational attainment The Korea-U.S. alliance and increased emphasis on English language education Increased importance of educational attainment as a determinant of social status

Economic Development, Urbanization, and Education State-led successive 5-year economic development plans Increased demand of trained engineers and technicians Expansion of engineering and technical education Increasing concentration of the population in large metropolitan areas Widening disparity in the quality of school system between major cities and rural areas Increased competition level for admissions to elite middle schools, high schools, and colleges

Causes and Consequences of Strong Zeal for Education The historical origins of the zeal Decline of the significance of family lineage in social stratification system Emergence of educational attainment-based credential society Educational attainment as a vehicle for social mobility Family honor, parental support, preparation for entrance examinations of elite schools and colleges

Causes and Consequences of Strong Zeal for Education: continued… Intensified competition level for admissions to elite secondary schools and colleges Restructuring of the secondary school curriculum centering around the college entrance examination preparation Rapid growth of private tutorial services and cram academic institutes Increasing proportion of high school graduates who repeat their attempts to get admissions to elite colleges year after year

Causes and Consequences: continued… Heavy financial burden for parents for the payment of private tutoring and cram school Physical and psychological tolls on young students “Exam Hell” Impact on family life Teenage suicides caused by stresses of college entrance examination preparation Effects of the college entrance exam preparation centered secondary school education on the academic performance of students in colleges

The Scholastic Ability Test and College Admission Total number of the SAT takers in 2015 594, 835 Proportion of the “graduates” (repeaters) among the test takers in 2015 133, 213 (22.4%) The proportion of the repeaters is higher for the private high schools, foreign language high schools, and high schools in Gangnam school districts

A Comparison of SAT Scores SAT Scores by Subject and Student Status, 2013 Subject Student Status Standardized Mean Score Korean high school seniors 98.2 graduates 107.2 Math B high school seniors 98.3 graduates 105.1 Math A high school seniors 98.2 graduates 108.1 English high school seniors 97.7 graduates 108.4

College Admission of “Repeaters” College Admission Slots Early Admission : 70% Regular Admission: 30% Admission Criteria Early Admission Student’s School Record Essay Writing Interview Regular Admission SAT Scores (90-100%) School Record (0-10%)

College Admission of Repeaters The Case of Seoul National University In 2016, 38.8% of 927 regular admissions were “repeaters” The repeaters are not eligible to apply for some categories of the early admission slots The proportion of repeaters in freshmen class of colleges and universities in Seoul metropolitan area in 2016: 32.6% Economic Cost of Repeating for College Admission 5 trillion Won ($4.7 billion)/year

The Cram Schools in Daechidong The Historical Background The Government’s Population Dispersion Policy The “Gangnam Development Policy” Relocation of Elite High Schools from “Gangbuk” to “Gangnam” Population Influx into Gangnam and Emergence of High Rise Apartment Complex The Middle and Upper Middle Class Families in the Apartment Complex

The Cram Schools in Daechidong The Rising Demand of the Cram Schools in Gangnam due to The Admission Test for the Foreign Language High Schools The Admission Test for the Science High Schools The Admission Test for the International Middle Schools Frequent Changes in the Government Policies on the College Admission System

Why Daechidong? The Demand of Private Education for the Children of the Middle and Upper Middle Class Families in the Gangnam School District 8 The Availability of the Building Space with Lower than in the Neighboring Places including Dogok, Yangjae, Hanti, and Samsung-dong More than 1030 Cram Schools in the Daechidong Area

The Business Strategies of the Cram Schools Developing the Instruction Programs in Response to the New Government Guidelines of the College and Special High School Admission Tests Offering the Instruction Programs for Different Subjects according to the Levels of Students’ Preparedness Recruiting the Instructors with Outstanding Reputations in the Fields

The Tuition Fees of the Cram School The Tuition Fees Reported to the Tax Agency and Office of the Superintendent of Education The Tuition Fees actually charged to the Students: 200,000Won-400,000Won Tuition Fees vary widely by subject, level, reputation of the instructor and school Math, English, Korean Language, Social Studies, Gifted and Talented Program, SAT, TOEFL, English for Preschool Students

Discussion Changes in the government policies on college entrance examination system and their impact on secondary school education Competition in college admissions, costs of private tutorial services, and financial burdens to parents Elite universities, professional job markets, selection of majors, and prospects of different academic disciplines

Discussion Educational and social consequences of the college admission driven curriculum in secondary schools Increasing out flow of elementary and middle school age children to English speaking countries for their secondary education Continuing international migration of students to other countries for undergraduate and graduate studies Financial impact of student outflows

Discussion Issues of the “globalization” of Korean colleges and universities Increasing inflows of international students Korean language proficiency level Language of instruction Employment-motivated, pseudo-students Some colleges and universities turning into diploma mills for international students

Discussion Uneven regional distribution of educational opportunities and its effect on student migration Rising cost of private education and its impact on inequality in educational opportunities by family’s social class status The politics of education in Korea Political populism Ideological conflicts Impact on educational processes

Discussion The Impact of the Extremely Low Fertility on Higher Education The Imbalance between “Supply” and “Demand” of Higher Education Decline in the Number of High School Graduates University Admission Slots: 559,036 (2018) High School Graduates: 400, 5172 (2023)

Discussion Ministry of Education’s Policy Reduction of 160,000 University Admission Slots by 2023 Evaluation of the 339 Colleges and Universities Categorization of the Colleges and Universities into 5 Grade Groups Forced Reduction of the Admission Slots for the Institutions below the Top Grade Group

Discussion Problems of the Scholastic Aptitude Test Maintaining an Appropriate Degree of Difficulty of the Tests Fluctuations in the Degree of Difficulty of the Tests Over Time Problems in Using the Test Scores in Differentiating the Academic Ability of Applicants for College Admissions

Discussion Functions of Education Channels for Transmission of Social Values Preparation for Professional Careers Basis of Differentiating and Selecting Personnel Means of Social Control Social Integration Social Innovation and Development