Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Geoff1111]

My Korean fiance told me that new school will not be built with any outdoor play area. The powers that be feel that an exercise area is a waste of space. Has anyone else heard of this?

[Yesterday]

Maybe true

My new Public elementary school was only finished being built at the beginning of this year...

Its built like a palace/castle...

and each floor (5 stories) has its own playground (built out like a HUGE balcony/varanda with green felt) for the kids to play on...

so on the first floor - where the cafeteria and English rooms are - we have our own built out playground...

on the first floor for grade 1/2 they have their own balcony/varanda type playground...

on the second floor for grade 3/4 they have their own balcony/varanda type playground...

etc etc

maybe thats how new schools will be built -

because my school has only been open for 2 months - and its visited by visiting inspectors and other school principals each week....

(its only an elementary school - but every student and every teacher has to wear a name/ID card)

and the whole school inside and outside is fitted out with constant CCTV surveilance...

p.s. - the school was also built in one of the POOREST neighbourhoods on the far east of Seoul....

[princess]

Someone told me that the new president will do away with Children's Day, too. So next year, there is one more holiday gone.

[Binch Lover]

Ummm, if there's no playground, where are they going to hold P.E. classes?? I highly doubt this one.

[Hollywoodaction]

There was a story about that on the news. The consensus is that it's a stupid idea. They interviewed kids playing on the rooftop of their new school and they didn't have much positive to say about it.

[Cheonmunka]

At the school my son attends they built a huge gym over half the playing field, which was a pretty yucky sandy field but it was useful and lots of kids and adults played soccer on it. Perhaps this is the new indoor PE intention. Poor kids really. Poor everyone, stuck inside all the time - but then, perhaps dust/yellow sand is the reason, as the desertification from whence it comes is getting worse and worse and in the future there will be less and less decent days for playing outside.

[spliff]

Do they have cell phones?

[anyway]

I went to the nearby middle school recently on a Saturday, but school was in session. During one of the breaks, there were only a handful of students outside. It was a perfectly sunny day. There is no real playground equipment to play on, but there is a nice new artificial soccer pitch, not the usual dirt yard, and some basketball goals.

I can't believe students stay inside for recess, but then again how many times have I seen college lads smoking in the smelly bathroom (ground floor) instead of taking 10 steps to the door and the great outdoors??

[Cheonmunka]

They have the latest phones bought at great prices, Spliff.