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MORE POSTCARDS FROM
KOREA
Mastery learning
A highlight of our visit to Midong Elementary School in Seoul was a
student demonstration of Taekwondo. The students were led by Mr. Kyu
Hyung Lee who became world famous when he was the Master of the Taekwondo
demonstration at the Opening Ceremony of the 24th Summer Olympic Games
(1988). I watched a young girl in Grade 3 perform high kicks, twirls
and jumps with consummate ease and grace. That afternoon I left the
school convinced of the great potential of all students in all fields
of human endeavor, given a master teacher like Mr. Lee.
Thinking outside
the box
The tycoons who had the vision to start Hyundai and POSCO Steel were
both men with little formal education. This struck me as a very surprising
fact in a country which values education so passionately today. Could
Korea’s present education system produce entrepreneurial men and
women with visions as equally grand as those of the founders of two
of the most successful companies in the world? With large classes, an
emphasis on rote learning and cramming, and small school libraries it
is difficult to imagine today’s students learning to think creatively
and critically.
Wired
The parking garage attached to a large American restaurant I visited
in Seoul had a comfortable room where customers could await their driver.
Inside the waiting room were three computers for customers to check
their email free of charge. Little known to many Westerners is the very
high percentage of Korean homes that have access to the internet. Korea’s
achievements in information technology (and, despite the euphoria, not
the success of its World Cup football team) can provide a very powerful
base on which to project a new national image to the world.
Corporal punishment
At one of my school visits in Seoul the Principal explained that he
had just received a directive from the Ministry of Education about the
use of corporal punishment in schools. The directive did not ban corporal
punishment, as happened in most Western countries in the 60s. Rather,
the directive went into detail about how corporal punishment should
be administered to both boys and girls. To what extent does the Korean
education system accept and legitimize physical and psychological abuse
in its schools?
Fear, as a motivator, has very severe limitations. Students who are
afraid of being beaten by their teachers will never develop a lifelong
love for learning. Moreover, research shows that any student who has
been physically abused will probably develop feelings of shame and low
self-esteem and most likely continue the cycle of abuse from his or
her generation to the next.
Hospitality
My fondest memory of Korea is the kindness of our hosts.
From the moment when I was met at Inchon Airport by the staff of the
National Institute for International Education Development to my departure
for Hong Kong 10 days later I was overwhelmed by small acts of kindness.
Without exception the Koreans I met made me feel as though I was the
center of their attention. Nothing was too difficult for them to make
my stay in Korea enjoyable and memorable.
My homestay family, for example, drove me to Mokcheon on a very wet
day for an unscheduled visit of the Independence Hall of Korea. Their
generosity allowed me to understand Korea’s struggle against the
brutal and exploitative rule of the Japanese.
Perhaps Koreans are so friendly, polite and kind today because Korea’s
past history has often been marked by turmoil and suffering.
Bill
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