The killing of South Korean youths: currently in existence. Culprit: the ‘Education Fever’

In South Korea, it is without doubt that students and their families will do whatever it takes to improve their education. Sacrifices are made in order to ensure that these students are provided the best possible education anyone can possibly have. To some parents in Australia, this may be understandable, but not to the extremes that the South Korean people face in relations to education. What extremes you may ask? Well, according to an article written on 22^nd October this year and published on ABC News by Michael Janda, he states that students in South Korea spend an average of 14 hours of studying per day. Yes, you read that correctly – each day. This tremendous amount of time dedicated solely to studying is frightening to many, and it’s gradually taking its toll on the students. Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, with numbers mainly involving young people when major exam results are released (Janda, 2013).  

So, why is this happening? The main culprit: ‘Education Fever’

The ‘Education Fever’ is “a cultural obsession with education and educational credentials as a primary means of societal success and recognition” (Woolley, 2013). This ‘fever’ is deeply embedded into the nation’s culture based on traditional cultures such as Joseon Confucianism (the institution of the civil service examination) and the modern Korean family structure. However, it is due to the recent influence of neo-liberalism that the Korean society has experienced a transformation, leading them to the expansion of the private education market sector (Yang, 2011:81).

Through Confucianism, it enhances the importance of family structure – the child must uphold the parent’s wishes, and be respectable to their parents by obtaining a successful education. Likewise, Confucianism also reinforces the necessity in status structure within Korea, as it is a definite hierarchical society where education is deemed to be the key to success (Sorensen, 1994:35). And so, it is through the application of the Confucian culture within Korean education that forces the common Korean student to achieve high results for the sack of their future.

However, through the manifestation of the ‘education fever’ in modern Korea, it has become gradually evident that such methods are placing financial burdens among numerous families, as well as altering relationships between both parent and child. Therefore, education inequality has increased between children who attend public and private schools. In 2011’s OECD research paper on “Social Justice in the OECD”, it displays that success in Korean education was through Korean parents’ willingness to pay for education yet, access to education has not been evenly distributed among the Korean society (pg. 22). In 2011, South Korea only ranked 19^th out of the 31 countries, scoring below the OECD average (OECD, 2011:23). Eventually, if the government does not actively assist in this increasing inequality between public and private education, the gap in access to education will gradually increase significantly.

Hence, due to the deeply embedded culture found within Korean society, it has affected Korea’s current education system, causing spaced extremes on the spectrum. Not only is there a huge difference in the quality of education between students, it has also affected them physically and mentally, causing many to turn to suicidal actions. Without proper funding and assistance from the government, this inequality within education will continue to manifest, whilst also killing the innocent youths of the country.

References:

1. Janda, Michael  (22^nd October 2013), “Korea’s rigorous education system has delivered growth, but it is literally killing the country’s youth”, accessed 22nd October: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-22/a-korean-education/5037704
2. Yang, Young-Kyun (2011). Education and Family in Korean Society. The Review of Korean Studies, 14(1), 57-87
3. http://www.hamilton.edu/news/story/kim-examines-korean-fever-for-education
4.  Sorensen, Clark (1994). Success and Education in South Korea. Comparative education Review, 38(1), 10-35
5. Tischler, Daniel (2011). Social Justice in the OECD – How Do the Member States Compare?