The Korea Herald

College evaluations to focus on quality

Sept 30, 2014

Ministry unveils criteria for assessment next year
School curriculum reform plan adds to confusion

Sept 28, 2014

The government’s recent move to unify the high school curriculum ― currently divided into two fields of study ― has raised concerns that the revision will not help achieve its desired purpose of fostering a well-rounded education. The Education Ministry’s plan centers on schools integrating humanities and natural science programs by 2017. The current system has prompted criticism that the division between fields of study causes students to neglect subjects that are not tested on the college entr
DGIST aims for spot among world-leading science universities

Sept 24, 2014

In 2004, a handful of people gathered at a small building in Daegu to watch the launch of a tiny state-run research institute. Ten years on, the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology has blossomed into a research-oriented university, utilizing research and education to boost Korea’s economic growth.“The objective of DGIST is to establish itself as a world-leading research university,” said Shin Sung-chul, the first president of DGIST. “For this purpose, we aim to foster talented in
Dwight School Seoul to host Open House

Sept 23, 2014

Dwight School Seoul will host an open house on Saturday for families of prospective students, officials said Monday.The event is intended for families of children aged 3 to 18 and will be held at the campus in Sangam-dong, western Seoul. It will continue from 10 a.m. to noon.“The Dwight School Seoul Open House is the perfect opportunity to experience all we have to offer,” said Lucy Kenneally, PR and Marketing officer for Dwight School Seoul.Kevin Skeoch, head of Dwight Seoul, will introduce the
Teachers’ union vows to step up status fight

Sept 22, 2014

A progressive teachers’ union on Monday urged the government to abandon the effort to outlaw it, holding President Park Geun-hye’s administration responsible for the commotion caused by the ongoing battle over the group’s legal status.“The attempts to outlaw the KTU stem from the president’s hostility toward the KTU,” the group said in a press conference held at its Seoul headquarters. “The Park administration should now abandon its effort to strip (us of) our legal status and accept the KTU as
Teachers’ union to retain legal status temporarily

Sept 19, 2014

A Seoul appeals court said Friday that a left-leaning teachers’ union should be recognized as a legitimate trade union until the court releases a final verdict on its status.The decision marked a rare victory for the embattled Korean Teachers and Education Workers’ Union in its prolonged battle with the government to avoid being shut down.“The court has recognized the urgent need to prevent the irreversible damage (to the KTU that would result) from being labeled an illegitimate group. And there
Conflicting data on school violence raises questions

Sept 18, 2014

The Education Ministry’s data on school violence does not match that compiled by local education offices, a lawmaker said Thursday, raising questions about the credibility of the government’s tally.In 2012, the ministry said that 24,677 cases of violence occurred within the classroom, but the data from 17 education offices across Korea put the total number at 16,411, according to Rep. Jeong Jin-hoo of the minor opposition Justice Party.The government put the numbers of perpetrators and victims a
E-learning more about education, less about tech

Sept 18, 2014

Using high-tech gadgets simply as means of delivering learning content not enough, experts say
We must teach students to prevent school violence

Sept 18, 2014

Although the type and magnitude differ depending on the country, school violence is a universal issue ailing all schools across the globe. In Korea, both the government and the general public have actively attempted to raise awareness of the problem since 2012, and a recent survey insinuates that such efforts have paid off considerably. However, it appears that the fundamental solution to bullying and verbal abuse is yet to be found.School violence generally starts in elementary school. Around 8
Budget woes stall free high school program

Sept 18, 2014

The free high school education program, one of President Park Geun-hye’s election pledges, will not kick off next year due to budget restraints, the Education Ministry said Thursday.Government budget plans for 2015, revealed early in the day, showed that the ministry had not allocated any money for the free high school tuition plan, or for free child care programs for preschoolers and elementary school students.“Originally, the ministry requested 3 trillion won ($2.88 billion) for the three prog
Chung-Ang University to close graduate school

Sept 17, 2014

Chung-Ang University is planning to shut down its graduate school of food and drug administration, officials said Wednesday, a decision that enraged students for being made unilaterally. The administrative committee at the Seoul-based university reached the decision last month and has brought it to the board of directors, according to officials. If the board members approve of the decision, the school will cease to accept first-year students from 2015.During the first half of this year, Chung-An
Protest highlights dark reality of music ‘apprenticeships’ at colleges

Sept 16, 2014

A group of undergraduates at Sookmyung Women’s University boycotted classes for the 16th day Tuesday, demanding the dismissal of two professors whom they have accused of verbal and financial abuse.The students enrolled in the department of composition have claimed that the two professors ― surnamed Yoon and Hong ― abused their positions repeatedly. “We strongly demand that the school dismiss the cited professors. One of them even told the students they did not deserve to live and insinuated that
Seoul education chief vows to cut elite schools

Sept 15, 2014

The Seoul education chief said Monday he was still bent on cutting the number of autonomous private high schools despite being turned down by the Education Ministry, nearly two weeks after his bombshell announcement to revoke the status of eight of them.“Legally speaking, the superintendent is the one who has the right (to change the status of autonomous schools). The law only requires me to discuss the matter with the ministry,” said Cho Hi-yeon, the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Edu
[Weekender] Songdo aims to become NE Asia’s education hub

Sept 12, 2014

University of Utah president David Pershing (fourth from left) and Ghent University president Anne De Paepe (fifth from left) cut the ribbon at the joint opening ceremony on Monday at the Songdo Global University Campus in Incheon. Joining the two school chiefs are Han In-suk (third from left), president of the University of Utah Asia Campus; and Lee Jong-cheol (far right), commissioner of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority. (University of Utah)With renowned universities opening up campuse
Korea to conduct biannual survey on school violence

Sept 11, 2014

Korea will kick off its second biannual survey on violence in elementary, middle and high schools throughout the country next week, the Education Ministry said Thursday.Students from some 600 schools ― ranging from fourth graders to second year high school students ― will participate in the nationwide survey. Parents of students in the cited schools will also be allowed to take part, should they choose to do so. The survey will be held online from Sept. 19 to Oct. 24, and will have the same cate