Obama Lauds Korea’s Education of Children
"U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday called for the United States to look to South Korea in adopting longer school days and after-school programs for American children to help them survive in an era of keen global competition, according to Yonhap News Agency Wednesday."
How will teachers do in-service training during the summer and winter vacations and have a break from teaching? How will teachers teach summer school sessions and still have time off?
How will students work summer jobs like camp counselor, and other full time temporary gigs to save for university, etc? And perhaps most importantly, just have time for fun and being a child/teenager?
I think increasing after school programs might be a good idea, but the logistics of it are probably a nightmare. I don't think that increasing the workloads of teachers will help students and their futures, nor do I think that will help America's future.
If Obama wants the following to happen he should use Korea as a model,
1. Kill the joy of learning through brutal 6 day a week, 18-20 hours of in class learning and study
2. Increase the suicide rate in America's youth from education killing their youth and humanity.
3. Kill the joy of teaching through insane levels of competition between schools, provinces, and teachers with each other while trying to get promotions.
etc, etc, etc
When Dr. Lee, who's in charge of the university entrance exam says that education in Korea has become a 'social disease' . . . well, Obama might want to reconsider the country he recommends as a model for the future of education in America.
J
"U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday called for the United States to look to South Korea in adopting longer school days and after-school programs for American children to help them survive in an era of keen global competition, according to Yonhap News Agency Wednesday."
How will teachers do in-service training during the summer and winter vacations and have a break from teaching? How will teachers teach summer school sessions and still have time off?
How will students work summer jobs like camp counselor, and other full time temporary gigs to save for university, etc? And perhaps most importantly, just have time for fun and being a child/teenager?
I think increasing after school programs might be a good idea, but the logistics of it are probably a nightmare. I don't think that increasing the workloads of teachers will help students and their futures, nor do I think that will help America's future.
If Obama wants the following to happen he should use Korea as a model,
1. Kill the joy of learning through brutal 6 day a week, 18-20 hours of in class learning and study
2. Increase the suicide rate in America's youth from education killing their youth and humanity.
3. Kill the joy of teaching through insane levels of competition between schools, provinces, and teachers with each other while trying to get promotions.
etc, etc, etc
When Dr. Lee, who's in charge of the university entrance exam says that education in Korea has become a 'social disease' . . . well, Obama might want to reconsider the country he recommends as a model for the future of education in America.
J
The KT reeeeeaaaaaalllllly was liberal with the use of "laud." He mentioned Korea twice, and if you look at the second mention, it was kind of a backhanded compliment anyway, like "if this third-world place nobody has ever heard of can do it, so can the Red, White, and Blue."
ReplyDeleteHis comments in full are encouraging. While I don't think American kids should go to hagwon until midnight, they should be focusing more on academics. Yeah, yeah, yeah, diversity is important, and students should have a variety of experiences in order to become well-rounded people. But buckling down more wouldn't hurt. And in fact, I wonder if American schools don't focus too much on individuality and creativity. When I left school---I know I'm not alone---I had an overwhelming sense of "now what?"
Argh . . . talk about an amateur mistake to make in terms of research and writing--double argh!
ReplyDeleteThis pretty much tells me not to blog while I'm at work and have 10 000 things on my mind.
Anyways . . .
J
I'm gong to try to do a fuller treatment of this issue tonight, because I guess a lot of Koreans are googling it.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that a lot of Koreans are Googling it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it's from shock that a global figure like Obama said something about the system here, and that the Korean media is trying to say he approves it and will use it as a model--which you clearly documented is NOT the case.
Anyways, I'll look for that post later.
I gotta prep for a 3 hour lecture . . .
J