The Korea Herald

Korea to let colleges swap quotas

Jun 29, 2015

South Korean universities will be allowed to adjust their student quotas for each department in partnership with nearby colleges, as part of efforts to boost expertise in higher education, the Education Ministry said last week.The plan, in other words, would enable more flexible operations for each university that will allow them to concentrate on areas they are competent in, said the ministry at a seminar for university chiefs held by the Korean Council for University Education in Gyeongju, Nor
[Best Brand] Dwight School stresses personalized learning

Jun 25, 2015

Since arriving in Seoul three years ago, Dwight School Seoul has been emphasizing the importance of personalized learning by recognizing individual students’ talents to ensure that they develop their own strengths and passions. Dwight School Seoul is a part of the Dwight School family, a global network of schools spanning across Seoul, New York, London, Shanghai and Vancouver Island that dates back to 1872. Dwight’s motto of igniting the “spark of genius” in every child is built on this idea, al
Four elite schools fail assessments

Jun 22, 2015

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Monday that four of the city’s de facto elite schools would face public hearings for failing to meet standards in this year’s evaluation.The autonomous private high schools, introduced during the previous Lee Myung-bak administration, are institutions given greater autonomy over curriculum in exchange for less financial support from the government. Each school is subject to a state evaluation every five years to prevent abnormal operations, such as
Schools reopen after flawed MERS closures

Jun 15, 2015

Nationwide school shutdown sparked by lack of trust in government, rumors and concerned parents
Korean companies should commit to support education

Jun 15, 2015

Marcio Barbosa (EAA)At the end of May, over 130 education ministers and more than 1500 participants adopted the Incheon Declaration in culmination of the World Education Forum held in the Republic of Korea. Among the subjects discussed in the forum was how best to reach the world’s 58 million out-of-school children. These are the children most in need: the poorest, the most vulnerable, the exploited and the abused. Reaching these children – many of whom are currently beyond the reach of program
Ecuador seeks ‘binational school’ with Korea

Jun 15, 2015

Ecuador is seeking to expand its education partnership with South Korea to help translate educational improvements into national growth, the country’s Education Minster said.Augusto Espinosa told The Korea Herald that his country was seeking to continue building partnerships with Korean universities and local companies to boost education in the country. Augusto EspinosaOne of the projects they are working on is the idea of a publicly funded “binational school” between Ecuador and Korea. The con
Gov't revises rules to invite more foreign teachers

Jun 14, 2015

The government announced Sunday plans soon to revise regulations allowing easier access for foreign part-time instructors at primary and secondary schools to teaching jobs at higher educational facilities.Under the proposed plans by the Ministry of Education, foreign part-time teachers at kindergartens and primary, middle and high schools will be eligible to apply for teaching jobs for related subjects at colleges and universities if they have worked for more than 15 hours per week at the primar
Seoul City lifts school closure over MERS

Jun 12, 2015

The top educator in Seoul City lifted the weeklong school shutdown Friday as fears over the MERS virus have subsided. On Monday, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education imposed a blanket ban on classes at kindergartens and elementary schools in two southern Seoul districts, effective until Friday. Cho Hee-yeon, the superintendent of education, said the measure will be lifted as scheduled. The order affected 69 kindergartens and 57 elementary schools in Gangnam and Seocho districts, where a
Education officials to lift blanket closure of schools over MERS

Jun 11, 2015

The education office in the province where the MERS outbreak in South Korea began said Thursday classes will resume next week at schools it had ordered to shut down temporarily. The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education said schools in the seven areas it has asked to cancel classes starting June 7 will go back to business as usual after Friday. The order has affected 1,255 schools and kindergartens in the region. Education officials, however, said school principals may get in touch with the
WHO experts say schools not source of MERS infection

Jun 10, 2015

Experts from the World Health Organization researching the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome confirmed Wednesday that all transmissions so far have been limited to hospitals, advising the country to reopen schools closed as a precautionary measure. A joint investigation team of South Korean and WHO officials said schools have not been linked to any transmission of the viral disease. "Evidence collected so far suggests that the outbreak and the spread of the Middle East Respiratory S
S. Korea confirms 1st student MERS patient

Jun 8, 2015

South Korea on Monday confirmed a male high school student was diagnosed with Middle East respiratory syndrome, the first time for a minor to be infected in the nationwide outbreak. The 16-year-old started showing symptoms of MERS last Monday and was diagnosed with the disease on Sunday, the Education Ministry said. He was admitted to Samsung Medical Center in Seoul -- where he is believed to have been infected -- on May 27 and received surgery for a separate illness the following day.The studen
[Herald Interview] Norway stresses state-funded education

Jun 1, 2015

Providing selective or comprehensive education benefits has long been a topic of discussion in South Korea. Some say the welfare system should cater to those in need, while others say it should extend to all citizens.Bjorn Haugstad, the deputy minister of education and research in Norway, said that paying for education should remain a duty of the government rather than the parents.“We have always emphasized free education. Providing for education is more about public and government’s responsibil
[Herald Interview] ‘High payoffs both driving factor, risk in education’

Jun 1, 2015

World Bank adviser voices concern over possible side effects of Korea’s education fervor
[Herald Interview] ‘Korean education needs soul-searching’

May 25, 2015

South Korea should embark on some soul-searching into its education system and find ways to address some of its problems instead of just praising its own accomplishments, said the head of an international group of teachers’ unions.During her stay in Korea to attend the World Education Forum 2015 last week, Susan Hopgood, head of the Education International, pointed to the forum as an example, saying that the event failed to mention any of the current education issues in the country. These includ
[Herald Interview] ‘Education backbone of long-term development’

May 25, 2015

Often when countries strive for economic prosperity, investments in infrastructure, finance and technology spearhead their agenda. While those sectors are important, Amina J. Mohammed, the special adviser to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on post-2015 development planning, said investing in education was equally, if not more, crucial.“Education is the absolute backbone (of development). It’s fundamental to any society growing,” she told The Korea Herald. Mohammed, formerly a coordinator of t