1. The Culture of Educational Zeal
The Cram Schools in Daechidong

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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,
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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. A Comparison of SAT Scores
SAT Scores by Subject and Student
Status, 2013
Subject Student Status Standardized Mean Score
Korean high school seniors
graduates
Math B high school seniors
graduates
Math A high school seniors
graduates
English high school seniors
graduates

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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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, (2023)

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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