All Work and No Play

One of the most interesting cultural aspects I've been exposed to since moving to Korea is the work ethic here, particularly in regards to education. I read an article here that said the high value on education in Korea is in part due to the traditional values established by Confucianism which place so much importance on the family's role in society. Then, after the Korean War, education was emphasized as a way to strengthen the country's potential for economic growth.

As a nation, Koreans work more than any other country in the world. According to the The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Korean work week is by far the longest in the world. A 2004 OECD study indicated that the average South Korean worked 2,390 hours a year which was 400 hours longer than the next longest-working country (Poland) and 34% more hours than the average person in the US.

When it comes to education, Korean students are some of the hardest working, highest scoring students in the world. The three-yearly Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) shows that only two countries out of 57 rank in the top five for both reading and math this year. They are South Korea and Finland. Also, 97% of South Korea's young adults complete high school which is the highest percentage recorded in any country. I find this amazing, considering that 40 years ago South Korea's economy was comparable to that of Afghanistan's today.

One Korean friend of mine had an interesting perspective on the work ethic here. He said that his parents' generation (the generation that lived through the Korean War) is determined to secure a better life for their children than the one they experienced during the war. They have certainly done an amazing job of this. Forty years ago this nation was being torn apart by communism. Now South Korea has the 3rd largest economy in Asia and the 12th largest economy in the world!

While a good work ethic is important on an individual and cultural level, it can definitely be taken too far. Many would say Koreans are not simply hard-working but that they are overly-obsessed with competition and success. Education is a common example. When I went to kindergarten as a child I don't remember a lot of actual studying. I remember playing with my friends, napping, eating snacks, singing songs, puppet shows, make-believe, and basic concepts like ABC's, shapes and colors. The Korean kindergarten I taught was learning ABC's, shapes, and colors as well - that is, in a second language. These kids are 5, 6, and 7 years old and they are attending 4 hours of daily kindergarten in another language! I could not believe how much actual school work was done during kindergarten. Kindergarten is about 4 hours a day at my school and the students spend 2.5 of those hours at their desks doing actual book work in English studies. Compared to what I did in kindergarten (which was in my native language!) that seems like a lot to me. And that's just the beginning for the Korean student.

A large number of privately-owned institutions (like the one at which I teach) exist in order to provide after-school instruction in various subjects to elementary and high school students. Many of my students go to school from 9-3 and then go to several different "academies" to study specific subjects more in depth such as English, math, science, Chinese, etc. Many of my students attend 3 or 4 of these academies. Most attend these classes on Saturdays as well. This past Friday I asked a class of 10 students what they were doing on Saturday. Every single one of them answered that they had class.

In South Korea, the college a student attends is said to determine his future for the rest of his life. Because of this, students are under intense pressure to study long hours so they can get into one of the best schools in the country. The high school years in particular are a time when students do little except study. There is a Korean saying that goes "Sleep five hours and fail, sleep four hours and pass". It is definitely taken seriously. During high school students typically begin school around 7 a.m. and finish around midnight when you include private tutors and various after-school academies. I was reading an article about a high school boy described as a "model" Korean student. He wakes up at 6am each day and starts school at 7:20. He does not return home until 1:30 a.m. the next morning, after an evening spent in after-school classes and tutorial sessions. This leaves him with 4 hours of sleep. He told the person conducting the interview that he finds nothing unusual about this schedule - most of his friends, and most of the nation's high school students, are doing the same thing.

I'm interested to know what you all think about this. Do you think the Korean approach to education robs kids of a "childhood". Do you think it's over the top? Or do you think that making kids work so hard from such a young age creates more responsible adults who will contribute to society in more positive ways? Do you think attitudes toward education in the US are better or worse than those here in South Korea? Please comment!