Institutional KUAI accreditation is granted for periods of five years, whereas program-based accreditation is typically granted for periods of from four to six years. Students must also demonstrate proficiency in two foreign languages and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better. The universities want them to come to enhance university prestige or create ‘education hubs’ and [improve] international higher education rankings.”. While all high school programs last for three years (grades 10 to 12), they are taught by a variety of different schools, such as general academic high schools and special-purpose high schools, that offer specialized education in areas like foreign languages, arts, sports, or science. However, since 2015 Korean enrollments are back on a growth trajectory and have most recently increased by 9 percent between 2016 and 2017. In the 1980s, Korea’s government began to strategically invest in human capital development, research, and technological innovation. Fully 57 percent of Koreans enrolled in degree programs abroad studied in the U.S. in 2017, followed by Japan (12 percent), Australia (6 percent), the United Kingdom (5 percent), and Canada (4.5 percent), as per UIS data. Korea currently pursues an internationalization strategy that seeks to increase the number of international students in the country to 200,000 by 2023. (Link). Korean households simultaneously devoted much of their resources to education, thereby fueling a drastic expansion in education participation. The academic year in Korea runs from March to February, divided by a summer break in July/August and a winter break in December/January. While the vast majority of candidates pass the test, students who fail can retake it. The doctoral degree is a terminal research degree awarded by graduate schools. Promotion to the next grade is based on educational assessment and evaluation, with midterm and final exams at the end of each semester. Much attention is paid to physical training and musical education. Traditionally, Korean schools have been segregated by sex—coeducational schools did not begin to emerge until the 1980s. Educational attainment in contemporary Korea is of paramount social importance and strongly correlated with social mobility, income levels, and positions of power. The passing grade for individual courses in graduate programs may be higher than in undergraduate programs (that is, 70 or C). In fact, it’s hard to find another country in the world that places greater emphasis on education than South Korea. They criticize that the growing diversity on Korean campuses is “just for show … that Korean universities primarily attract foreign students as a means to clear ends. To avoid competition over admission into desired schools, the Korean government since the 1970s implemented a so-called school “equalization policy” that took admissions decisions away from schools and placed them under government control. Parents also have … This stage of education prepares pupils to enter a higher education institution. After primary school, children move onto middle school, known as Jung Haggyo, and then High School (Godeung Haggyo). Studying long hours at hagwons has become so ubiquitous and excessive that Korean authorities in the 2000’s deemed it necessary to impose curfews, usually at 10 p.m., and patrol prep schools in areas like Seoul’s Gangnam district, where many of these schools are concentrated—only to drive nighttime cram classes underground behind closed doors. Despite all the time, finances, and emotional resources invested in their education, Korean youth find it increasingly difficult to secure desired quality, socially prestigious jobs. But the Moon administration is certainly pushing ahead with reforms. And the main subjects are Korean language, English language, mathematics, social Sciences. Here we tell you all you need to know about the higher education system. Specialty training involves a one-year internship and three years of residency training. By some accounts, the number of tertiary students in Korea will by then have decreased by more than 50 percent. In Korea, the saying is “Teachers are as high as God“. To conclude, the case of South Korea reveals that having the necessary infrastructure and access is not enough to ensure the efficient online delivery of education. Given the ubiquity of private tutoring, students from rural regions and lower income households tend to score lower in the CSAT and are disadvantaged in university admissions in general compared with students from affluent metropolitan centers like Seoul. © 2021 World Education Services. Curricula include education in the subjects that students intend to teach, pedagogical subjects, and a teaching practicum of nine to 10 weeks. Credentials awarded are the Bachelor of Medicine or Doctor of Medicine, and the Bachelor of Dentistry, Doctor of Dental Medicine, or Doctor of Dental Surgery. The largest Korean HEI in terms of enrollments is the Korea National Open University, a public distance education provider with more than 136,000 students headquartered in Seoul. South Korea’s commitment to invest in education pays off South Korea performance in education in the last four years has been masterful in execution. A Concise Introduction to South Korea Education: Levels of education: One year of pre-primary (kindergarten) education is provided by the government. There is a need for systematic thinking and system-wide reforms to embrace the possibilities offered by technologies and wide-scale stakeholder training and engagements. The final credential may simply be called Associate Degree, or Associate of Science, or Associate of Arts. In higher education, Korean is still predominant, but EMI has spread rapidly since the 1990s, when the Korean government started to encourage universities to offer English-taught classes. However, 51 percent of students were still enrolled at the undergraduate level, compared with 28 percent at the graduate level and 21 percent in Optional Practical Training and non-degree programs. If a student does not want to enter university, he has an opportunity to study at a Professional Institute. And after school, most of … However, at age 6 their child must move on to 6 years compulsory chodeung-hakgyo elementary education. China, on the other hand, is quickly becoming a popular destination. With respect to overseas education, such considerations are likely influenced by the fact that some Korean employers are reluctant to hire graduates of foreign schools. Seoul National University ranks 36th worldwide and is the 11th highest ranked institution among Asian universities, followed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (rank 40), Pohang University of Science and Technology (83), Korea University (86), and Sungkyunkwan University (100). One of the reasons for this contraction is that it has become increasingly difficult for Koreans to afford an expensive overseas education. In addition, unemployment among university graduates is not only high, it exceeds unemployment rates among graduates of vocational high schools, leaving many families doubting if an expensive university degree is still worth it, according to MGI. In addition to institutional KUAI accreditation, degree programs in professional disciplines are accredited individually by bodies like the Accreditation Board for Engineering Education of Korea, the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation, or the Korea Architectural Accrediting Board. Between 2015/16 and 2016/17, undergraduate enrollments declined by 8 percent while graduate enrollments only dropped by about 1 percent. However, universities are not obligated to use the CSAT results for admissions. South Korean students have very little time for creative or personal growth as … Education spending as a percentage of all government expenditures has fluctuated over the past decade and stood at 18.2 percent in 2017. In 1996 only about five percent of Korea's high schools were coeducational. Quick Facts about South Korean Higher Education. Korea’s education system underwent a tremendous expansion since the end of the Korean War. Trends in Korean outbound mobility are driven by a number of influences, including economic factors, increased participation rates and demand-supply gaps in higher education, demographic trends, and the rising demand for English language education. HEIs can only be set up with the approval of the MOE, which has wide-ranging authority over matters like curricula, degree structures, admissions quotas, or the hiring of faculty. All Korean high school students who intend to apply to university must pass the national University College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), commonly called Suneung in Korean, administered by the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE). Since China is Korea’s most important trading partner, fluency in Mandarin is a considerable asset in Korea’s job market. Korean youths will likely find it much easier to find employment, but they will shoulder the heavy burden of supporting the country’s rapidly growing elderly population. Korean households simultaneously devoted much of their resources to education, thereby fueling a drastic expansion in education participation. Most students choose their electives based on their intended field of study in university. Professional education in traditional medicine is structured similar to professional education in other medical programs: Practitioners must complete a six-year undergraduate or four-year graduate-entry program before taking a national licensing exam. For instance, Korea is now the world’s leading country in publishing academic research in collaboration with industry partners. Further declines are likely. Given Korea’s high level of economic development and its strong focus on education, Korean top universities don’t fare as well in international university rankings as Korean policy makers would like them to. Moreover, you may find it interesting to know about the top 10 Korean universities. The data of the UNESCO Institute Statistics provides the most reliable point of reference for comparison since it is compiled according to one standard method. Well-known for its high-achieving students, South Korea’s education system is quite demanding. According to the latest Australian government data, this downward trend is currently continuing. The main difference between middle and high school in South Korea is the ability of students to choose specializations such as scientific activity, foreign language, art, history etc. 48-53. As of 2016, there were 430 HEIs in Korea compared with only 265 in 1990. The picture in other destination countries is mixed. About 30 percent of lectures at Korea’s top 10 universities were taught in English as of 2013—a sign that EMI is being pursued vigorously by Korean universities, partially because it affects international university rankings and makes Korean institutions more attractive to international students. By 2060, more than 40 percent of the Korean population is expected to be over 65, and the country’s population is projected to shrink by 13 percent to 42.3 million in 2050. In 2012, South Korea offered free half-day kindergartens for children of ages 3-5. Entry-to-practice degrees in medicine and dentistry are either earned upon completion of long single-tier programs of six-years’ duration entered after high school, or four-year graduate-entry programs on top of a bachelor’s degree. Moreover, since Korean universities increasingly offer English-taught programs, there is less incentive to study abroad to improve English skills. Ten Korean universities are included among in the current Shanghai (ARWU) Rankings, but none among the top 100. [3] See: Ministry of Education: Globalization of Korean Education – Education in Korea, 2017, Sejong, pp. If this aging trend can’t be reversed, it could lead to severe labor shortages and jeopardize Korea’s prosperity, if not ruin the country. Sejong City now houses the majority of government ministries and agencies, including the administrative headquarters of the MOE, which controls most aspects of education. As a rule, in primary school, there is only one mentor who teaches children all subjects. Most four-year bachelor’s programs require at least 130 credits for graduation, even though 140-credit programs also exist. The Korean school system is a 6-3-3-4 system; that is, six years of primary school, three years of junior high, three years of senior high school and four years of college. ; Primary education (grades 1-6) is free and compulsory with a 99.9% enrollment rate. Per UIS, the number of Korean students enrolled in degree programs in Japan has plunged by more than 50 percent since 2011 and decreased from 25,961 students to only 12,951 students in 2016, although Korea is still the fourth-largest sending country in Japan overall. This is based from the 2009 PISA or Programme for International Student Assessment for 15-year old students. In response, the Korean government enacted substantial tuition cuts and expanded scholarship funding. Standard degrees awarded include the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, but there is a multitude of credential names, such as the Bachelor of Economics, Bachelor of Information Science, or Bachelor of Statistics, etc. Most medical schools in Korea offer programs of the undergraduate variety. The name of vocationally oriented high schools has changed over the years—they used to be called vocational high schools, then technical high schools, but are currently referred to as “specialized schools.” Vocational upper-secondary education prepares students for entry into the labor force as skilled workers, as well as for further education. The Moon administration has criticized autonomous schools for being little more than exclusivist prep schools for admission into top universities, and seeks to convert them into regular schools. All Rights Reserved. Korea today has four times as many international students than in 2006, and it is becoming an increasingly important international education hub in Asia. Subscribe to WENR, and discover other tools and publications. Higher education institutions in South Korea. The number of Koreans enrolled in degree programs abroad peaked at 128,994 in 2011, after doubling from 64,943 in 1997, according to data provided by the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS). South Korea's higher education system has expanded rapidly over the last 50 years and there are now several different types of institution offering post-secondary qualifications in the country. The standard curriculum now includes such disciplines as ethics, history, computer technology lessons, economics and various types of physical activity. The credit system and grading scales used by Korean HEIs closely resemble those of the United States. South Koreans note, that only thanks to a lot of attention to the education they have a positive economic situation. Many continue their studies at junior colleges rather than at four-year universities. In the case of undergraduate programs, the curriculum includes two years of pre-medical science education and four years of medical studies and clinical practice. Until recently, students had to choose between a natural science-oriented stream and a liberal arts-focused stream, but these streams have been abolished under the current curriculum. Australia, likewise, saw Korean enrollments in degree programs drop by 23 percent between 2011 and 2016 despite a record-breaking surge in international enrollments in general. Foreign Western faculty, meanwhile, reportedly feel unintegrated; many of them leave after short tenures. A thesis, project, or comprehensive examination is usually required for graduation, in addition to a cumulative GPA of at least C (2.00). It is much more diversified than lower-secondary education. More than 25 universities were classified as poor in 2017 and are in danger of closure in the near future. Following the scandal, leftist President Moon Jae-in won a landslide election victory in May 2017 running on an anti-corruption platform that included promises to reform the education system and reduce youth unemployment. While South Korea’s previous education system had been more focused on delivering of standardized knowledge and rote learning, the new vision seeks to promote flexibility and creativity on how the students address the new challenges of the 21st century. Many Korean families now worry “that overseas study is no longer the guarantee of economic security that it once was.”. However, as mentioned before, the return on investment in a foreign degree has diminished, and Korean students are increasingly strapped for funds. 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