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Foreign Schools TIP BOX Differences Between Korean and Western School Systems School ((031) 826-3476) in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-do; Gyeonggi Suwon International School ((031) 695-2800) in Suwon; Okpo International School ((055) 687-3283) on Geoje Island, near Busan; and Gyeongnam International Foreign School ((055) 853-5125), located in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do. The Korean education system is one of the most competitive education systems in the world. Koreans take their children’s education very seriously, as is evidenced by the tremendous amount of money many Korean families will spend on private tutoring and overseas educational opportunities. One of the most prominent aspects of the Korean education system is the overriding emphasis placed on examinations in the Korean system. While test-taking is certainly an important part of a Western education as well, nowhere will test scores impact a student’s life more than in Korea. High school, in fact, can be seen as one big lead up to the university entrance exam. The strenuous preparation for this exam, requiring endless hours of cramming and memorization of facts, produced the infamous Korean social phenomenon of the “examination hell,” a truly grim period of student life marked by endless tests and study. Conditions are changing as society recognizes the ill-effects this system has on the social and emotional development of young Koreans (suicides, for example, were all-too-common news during this stressful period). However, you’ll still notice that Korean middle and especially high school students spend much more time at school than their Western counterparts, and even outside of school, much of their time is spent studying, either on their own or in private cram schools. While Western education seeks to nurture body and mind, the Korean school system tends to devote its energies exclusively to the latter. While school sports and extracurricular activities tend to occupy much of the time of Western middle and high school students, this is not the case in Korea (the major exception being schools with prominent sports programs). Moreover, while the Western system emphasizes creativity and thinking skills, the Korean system tends to focus more on “hard” and utilitarian subjects like math, science, Korean literature and English. 28 Guide to Living in Korea <strong>Education</strong> 29
Preschools Preschools Korea — and Seoul in particular, now has a number of kindergartens that cater to the needs of foreign toddlers, including Montessori School, Franciscan School, and Mustard Seed Christian Preschool. In addition to these schools, many if not most of the foreign schools listed earlier offer kindergarten and preschool classes. 1) Early Childhood Learning Center International School (02) 795-8418 www.eclcseoul.com ECLC is a non-profit, non-denominational International Early Years and Primary School for children aged 2 1/2 to 7 years. It is an Englishspeaking School with an enrollment of approximately 182 children from 30 different countries. Located in Itaewon, the center of Seoul’s expatriate community, ECLC is an IPC School (International Primary Curriculum) and is a member of the Korea Council of Overseas Schools (KORCOS), the European Council of International Schools (ECIS), and the East Asian Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS). The school follows the Montessori curriculum. ECLC occupies two sites, Treetops and The Garden House. Treetops comes equipped with three preschool classrooms for ages 3—4, and one toddler 30 Guide to Living in Korea <strong>Education</strong> 31
Page 1: Guide to Living in Korea Education
Page 4 and 5: Foreign Schools List of Foreign sch
Page 6 and 7: Getting into a Foreign School - A c
Page 8 and 9: Foreign Schools standardized test s
Page 10 and 11: Foreign Schools well. Teachers, mea
Page 12 and 13: Foreign Schools spacious campus inc
Page 14 and 15: Foreign Schools 14) Hanseong Chines
Page 18 and 19: Preschools classroom for ages 2 1/2
Page 20 and 21: Korean Language Programs 1) Yonsei

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