Korean Education System

I was recently announced that CSU Board of Trustees adopted of a 9 percent tuition fee increase beginning of fall 2012, but it has been only one semester they increased the tuition by 12 percent. A lot of students and their parents have been suffering from the budget cut on education, and apparently, the financial aids and loans don’t look like doing their functions well. This economic hardship may apply to all other schools as well, and I started wondering how Korean education system different from American system. Generally speaking, America is stronger country than Korea, and even considering the exchange rate and the value of the money, I didn’t pay for school this much and realized that the education system is pretty different from Korea. So here is how Korean education system works.

While Americans have a choice between public schools and private schools, Korean students don’t get to choose until high school. It is mandatory to go to school, and it is free until a middle school, and a little amount in a high school. There are some specials schools for very smart students or those who have a special talent, so that way they can develop their skills. In college, there are public schools and private schools, but the government is very involved and has a control over private schools. The tuition in private schools is only around 1.5 to 3 times more expensive than public schools, depending on the majors. We also have financial aids, but the system of scholarships is very different. Usually, students with the top 3-5 grades in each major automatically receive scholarships. This system motivates their students to study harder so that they can get scholarships.       

The education system is different because Korean government plays a big role in education. Especially, we have a national curriculum that sets a certain education system from elementary schools until high schools. We learn same materials whichever school we go to. The government provides the same textbooks so the students don’t have to worry about the cost of books. This national curriculum helps teachers to push up to higher level of academic achievement.
Those are the main differences in Korean education from America. I wouldn't say which one is better and which is not. Because each system has an advantage and disadvantage. Even though Korean system may have an equality of having same opportunity but it might limit the quality of the education. While American system has a choice and a chance of getting the best education, it can also create an inequality. From looking at the differences of educations, now we know how to implement each system's disadvantages and how to develop a good education system.