The Korea Herald

Math textbooks too complicated for students: lawmaker

Oct 5, 2016

A ruling party lawmaker said Wednesday existing math textbooks for students are excessively complicated, casting concerns they may induce students to seek private tutoring to keep up with class work."Many South Koreans believe math is complicated. When we asked third graders a question that had been reviewed for second graders' textbook, less than 30 percent got it correct," said Rep. Bae Duk-kwang of Saenuri during the regular audit by the parliament's science committee.A math problem reviewed
Korea, Peru co-host APEC's future education forum

Oct 4, 2016

South Korea, along with Peru, hosted a two-day meeting of education officials and teachers from Asia-Pacific countries in Lima this week to discuss how education should be provided in the future, the education ministry said Tuesday.South Korean Education Minister Lee Joon-sik took part in this year's future education forum of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) that was opened on Monday. Initiated by South Korea in 2005, the forum is a gathering of teachers, researchers and policymakers
Most teachers regard school curriculum as unhelpful: report

Sept 27, 2016

Most teachers in South Korea believe the current curriculums of elementary and secondary schools are too focused on examinations and fail to teach students skills that can help them in the future, a survey showed Tuesday.In a survey of 667 teachers nationwide conducted by religious civic organization Good Teacher, 77 percent, or 514, felt the current standardized test-based curriculum focuses too much on academic evaluation and thereby discourages students from applying what they have learned.
More than 100,000 foreign students now study in Korea

Sept 18, 2016

The total number of foreign students studying in South Korea has surpassed the 100,000 mark, a local education data institute said Sunday.Data provided by Higher Education in Korea (www.academyinfo.go.kr) showed the landmark number being reached as of April 1, with 104,262 students enrolled in local schools.The total marks a surge from just 3,954 tallied in 2000, the institute said. The numbers rose to 89,537 in 2011, but fell in the following years before rebounding to 91,332 last year.Korea Un
School schedules, terminology are now available in 5 foreign languages

Sept 4, 2016

A public foundation on Sunday said a booklet of the yearly schedules of preschools and primary schools and terminology used in them are currently available for parents of multicultural families.The Korean Institute for Healthy Family, a state-affiliated organization working to help families in crises and multicultural families, said it translated the booklet into five different languages -- English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Cambodian -- and began to distribute them at 217 government-run
Parents study English to teach their children

Aug 25, 2016

A survey showed Thursday that a majority of Korean parents have tried teaching their children English, with many of them having studied the language themselves to enhance their teaching ability. According to the survey on 527 parents by private institute Yoons English School this month, 87.7 percent of them said they have tried teaching their own children English.Models demonstrate using an English learning kit during the Educare exhibition in Seoul in April. (Yonhap)Most, or 69.3 percent, prefe
50 Beijing high schoolers arrive at Seoul schools, aspire to study at Korean universities

Aug 25, 2016

As many as 50 students from a Beijing high school have transferred to four separate high schools in Seoul en masse as they aspire to study at South Korean universities, school officials said Thursday, amid Chinese parents'increasing zeal for a high level of education in their neighboring country.The third-year students majoring in the Korean language at Beijing Newbridge Foreign Language High School have been recently enrolled in the four schools -- Myungduk and Daewon foreign language high scho
Gov't cracks down on hundreds of cram schools illegally operating in Seoul

Aug 23, 2016

South Korea's government on Tuesday said it has imposed administrative penalties on some hundreds of private education institutes illegally operating in the affluent southern part of Seoul this year. The Seoul Gangnam Seocho District Office of Education said a total of 259 cram schools were fined or received other administrative measures for false advertisements, late-night operations and other irregularities. Among those penalized, 40 were caught while operating past 10 p.m., which is illegal i
Spending on overseas tuition down 7.6% in H1

Aug 7, 2016

The amount of money South Koreans spent on education abroad dropped 7.6 percent in the first six months of this year from a year earlier, central bank data showed Sunday, amid the declining number of South Koreans studying abroad.South Koreans studying abroad spent a total of US$1.57 billion in the January to June period, compared with $1.7 billion in the first half of last year, according to the data released by the Bank of Korea.The reading -- which includes spending by exchange students and l
Conference opens to improve Korean teaching to foreigners

Jul 26, 2016

Dozens of Korean language teachers from around the world gathered in Seoul Tuesday to discuss ways to improve their teaching amid heightened interest in the Asian language.The 14th conference of overseas Korean language educators brought together more than 80 teachers and professors from 28 nations and some 30 South Korean education officials for a weeklong workshop consisting of seminars, group discussions and field trips.The education ministry and its affiliate, the National Institute for Inte
King Sejong Institute hosts 8th World Korean Educators Conference

Jul 12, 2016

The King Sejong Institute, South Korea's state-supported Korean language training organization, hosted the 8th World Korean Educators Conference on Tuesday to further promote overseas understanding of the Northeast Asian country. A total of 300 attendees are in Seoul to attend the four-day conference that runs till Friday and is designed to educate Korean teachers and improve global cooperation in Korean education, said the institute and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In the openi
Korean universities studying ways to make inroads abroad

Jul 11, 2016

South Korean universities, which are worried about their futures due to dropping birthrates, are studying ways to make inroads abroad, local school sources said Monday. Ewha Womans University in Seoul recently disclosed its plan to branch out into the United States and China. National universities not in Seoul, which are dealing with an ever-falling number of entrants, are also showing deep interest in setting up schools in foreign countries. According to the Education Ministry, the number of hi
Australia invites N.K. defectors for English-learning program

Jun 30, 2016

The Australian government has invited five North Korean defectors to study English for up to 30 weeks this year in the first run of its state-subsidized English-learning program, organizers said recently.The students, now South Korean citizens, will leave in September to join the University of Technology Sydney’s INSEARCH, a practice-oriented university in Sydney. The program is offered in partnership with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Australia-Korea Foundat
Korean city to host Asian universities summit in 2017

Jun 27, 2016

A British institution on higher education has selected the Korean city of Ulsan to play host to a summit of Asian universities in March next year, the city government said Monday.The Ulsan regional government in Korea's southeastern area said THE Asia Universities Summit to be organized by Times Higher Education will take place from March 14-16 at the University of Ulsan.The conference will bring together heads of leading universities worldwide, as well as Asian universities, government official
Korea unveils list of 700 foreign students for this year's scholarship program

Jun 22, 2016

A total of 700 foreign students from 142 countries will be given opportunities to study in local universities via this year's government-sponsored scholarship program, a state-run organ on international education said Wednesday.The National Institute for International Education, affiliated with the Education Ministry, unveiled the list of students receiving scholarships under the Global Korea Scholarship program aimed at securing an outstanding potential workforce and expanding a global human ne