The Korea Herald

Education system faces overhaul

Dec 31, 2014

On Nov. 25, President Park Geun-hye urged education authorities to revamp the country’s troublesome college entrance exam, which has faced strong criticism for its frequent errors and inconsistent difficulty levels. Later in the day, Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea said there was a need to “revamp the faulty system” in order to make education “appropriate.” The back-to-back comments by the highest figures in education system ― of a country often touted for its education fever ―- heralded the po
New grading system spearheads college entrance exam reform

Dec 28, 2014

The Education Ministry recently announced the implementation of a new grading system for the English section of the college entrance exam, marking the first major change in the government’s bid to reform Korea’s problem-laden test. Starting in 2017, the English test for the annual exam, known as the Suneung, will be graded based on an absolute grading rubric. Currently the exam is graded on a curve that sorts all test-takers into nine groups. Those in education circles, including Education Minis
Half of students in alternative classes satisfied: report

Dec 25, 2014

South Korea’s special education programs, tailor-made for students having difficulty adjusting to schools, have received positive feedback from both students and teachers, the Ministry of Education said Thursday. The programs, known here as “alternative classes,” can substitute the country’s 12-year compulsory education system in part or in whole. They were implemented last year as part of an effort to reduce the number of students dropping out of school.Some 58 percent of students participating
Korea mulls Western-style public school calendar

Dec 22, 2014

The Education Ministry on Monday said it was considering moving the beginning of the school year to September to attract more students and faculty members from abroad while making it easier for Korean students to join foreign programs during the summer.Korean schools begin their academic year in March and have shorter summer breaks and longer winter vacations than in Western countries. This often causes complications when foreign students and professors come to Korea and vice versa.The ministry
P.M. urges national fight against school violence

Dec 22, 2014

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won on Monday urged a comprehensive effort from the public to eradicate the underlying causes of school violence.“To fundamentally solve school violence, not only schools but families, local communities and the government must work in tandem to come up with corresponding measures,” said Chung at a meeting of the committee on school violence at Sejong Government Complex. His comments came as the committee ― affiliated with the Prime Minister’s Office ― passed a pan-gover
S. Korea mulls adopting Western school-year system

Dec 22, 2014

The government is considering introducing a new school year in an effort to facilitate global exchanges of school members and lure more foreign students into local schools, the education ministry said Monday.The move, which calls for starting the new school year in September, comes as local colleges and universities have experienced difficulties in recruiting foreign students and professors because South Korea's school year begins in March.The ministry said it plans to collect opinions from educ
Government sets limit on college tuition hike

Dec 21, 2014

Local colleges will be prohibited from raising their tuition fees by more than 2.4 percent for next year, the Education Ministry announced Sunday.The Korean law on higher education states that an increase in college tuition for any given year cannot be more than 1.5 times higher than the average increase in consumer prices during the three preceding years. The ministry has announced a legal limit for tuition hikes every year since the measure was implemented in 2011.The figure for 2015 marked a
Benefits of German business education

Dec 18, 2014

Nick BarnivilleDespite being Europe’s dominant economy, Germany has historically lost out to neighboring France, Spain and the U.K. when it comes to prestige in the business education marketplace. And while business students from around the world flocked to the U.S. and Western Europe throughout the 20th century, German business education remained a somewhat local affair. In recent years, however, Germany’s role in helping to steady the European economy ― tied to its historic strengths as one of
[Herald Interview] ‘Dutch education fosters open-mindedness’

Dec 18, 2014

Head of Nuffic Neso Korea says discussion-based system helps students think creatively
George Mason to host open house for students in Korea

Dec 18, 2014

George Mason University Korea will host an open house event for Korean high school students on Saturday, school officials said.The school will invite students in second and third year in high school for a campus tour and introduction to the application process at the university, which is part of the Incheon Global Campus. “We are offering this open house to allow third-year high school students the ability to expand their range of choices for college and second-year students to learn about and p
Government may ban foreign teachers in preschool education

Dec 17, 2014

The Education Ministry is mulling over a proposal to ban English education institutes for preschoolers from hiring native speakers as teachers, officials said Wednesday.“Hiring native speakers is a big reason why English language education fees are so high in Korea. After gathering public opinions, we will decide whether to continue the native speaker teacher system in institutes for preschoolers,” said a ministry official. Adding that specific details remain to be sorted out, such as the date f
University blasted over plan to curb ‘grade inflation’

Dec 10, 2014

A local university’s plan to prohibit its professors from handing out too many top grades ran into resistance from students on Wednesday, who complained that the move may hurt their chances in the job market.Last month, Kyung Hee University sent a schoolwide notice to all faculty members, asking them to keep the overall average GPA for all students in their class at below 3.0, or “B.” According to the school’s official response to the student council, it was in response to the Education Ministry
Fledgling test-free semester flexes wings

Dec 9, 2014

Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea (center, standing) speaks to a first-year middle school student at Seogwi Jungang Girls’ School in Jeju Island on Monday. (Ministry of Education)A group of teen girls take part in an impassioned rehearsal for a play in Seogwi Jungang Girls’ School on Jejudo Island. They seem to be having the time of their lives as they take a break from the intense pressure of academic work.It is part of a drama class at a middle school that is participating in the government-ini
[Graphic News] Korean students studying abroad decrease

Dec 7, 2014

The number of South Korean students studying in higher education institutes outside the country has decreased for the third straight year, the Ministry of Education said Sunday.As of 2014, a total of 219,543 college and post-graduate students were studying overseas, marking a 3.3 percent drop from 227,126 in 2013. United States, China and the United Kingdom were the three countries with the most Korean students.Australia was among the countries that saw the most drastic decrease in Korean studen
Success requires more than grades: George Mason chief

Dec 7, 2014

As countries and economies become more interconnected, education should focus on helping students to acquire skillsets that will help them succeed in the global society rather than just emphasizing grades, according to Angel Cabrera, president of George Mason University.He noted the importance of liberal arts model of education that exceeds beyond just studying and taking exams, during a news conference Friday at the Incheon Global Campus in Songdo International City, home of the university’s Ko