Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Corporal]

What are you doing re: their education while you're in Korea and how is it working out for you/them?

(cost, convenience, foreign school/Korean school, overall contentment factor)

Comments appreciated. This is something I'd like to start thinking about, even though she's only a week shy of six months.

[kimcheeking]

Corporal,

I've said this before on the board. I know of one guy (21 years in Korea) with mixed kids 13 & 11 who went to Korean for the first 6 years and had no problems. THey were well adjusted and well liked. The man has recently started sending them to a foriegn school so that they will be more easily accepted to a university back in the states.

I know of another man with 3 white kids who sends two of them to Korean school (no problems) and home schools the other one 'cause he has had some trouble adjusting to Korea. It can be done here.

Foreign schools will cost you an arm and a leg and probably one of your kidneys. My plan for my daughter is to send her to Korean school until she is in 3rd or 4th grade and then move back to Canada. I choose to send her to Korean school so that she will have a very strong grasp of Korean language as well as culture, but still be young enough to fully adapt to life in Canada.

KK

[Derrek]

I know one guy and his wife who are leaving Korea because their half Korean/white son is now being picked-on in class. I believe he is around 7 or 8. The Korean teachers at the school just say, "We can't watch them all of the time," so it has continued to be a growing problem.

He decided that it was time to leave when his son came back from school with stuff like "Pabo" written on his face in marker. I guess it was fine that they went to this school for the first 8 months, but the newness wore off, and now the kids are not kind to them.

[Scott in HK]

Like Kimcheeking, we are sending our daughters, when they are off age, to korean public school for their primary education. We will return to canada when the oldest has finished primary school. I am not that worried about their get re-adjusted to Canada afterward as I know a couple of korean-canadians who immigrated to canada about the same age and they said they really didn't have a problem except for the language which won't be a problem for our girls. Well, the academic english might be a problem but a little home schooling will help it

[Ody]

we decided years ago to send our son to korean school, the question now has become, "which one?"

i had preferred that he go to a private school and even set sights on the one in our neighborhood, hongik elementary, where my niece and nephews went/go. of course, to get into the private schools, your name is supposed to be drawn from a collective lottery, taking place toward the end of the year. however, now we are looking at a newly established alternate-education public school that my husband thinks will be more fun for him.

since he's born before the feb. 28th cut-off-date, our boy can start 1st grade a year early, march 2004. we consider this to be good fortune because if we don't consider his first year successful (wherever he is), he can start again at a different school and still be with kids his age.

there are several ways it can go. i'll keep you posted.

as far as his pre-school, kindergarten experience goes, i've noticed little difference from what i remember myself (many moons ago). i have said this before (i think the last time was on a thread started by Dutchman), my observation is, whether positive or negative, that one's childhood and schooling experiences ultimately come down to the individual circumstances and personality of the child.

at 6 months, you should have a good grasp of your girl's character. easy going, stubborn, happy, somber. her way with other children through the preschool ages can give you an idea of what to expect going forward. at least this is how it has worked for us thus far.