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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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 Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:32 am Post subject: Lee Vows to Keep 'Hagwon' at Bay |
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http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/01/113_59804.html
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As a matter of fact, Lee announced a plan Wednesday to have foreign-language high schools introduce admissions officers and select new students on the basis of their middle school academic records in English.
He believes that it will dampen the fierce competition among middle school seniors to enter these special purpose schools in hopes of gaining better footing to be accepted to reputable colleges.
"In the end, I believe that Korea will have college education that is comparable in quality to those of other advanced countries," he said. "Then, the exodus of students going out of the country in search of a better education will subside." |
If you read that and laugh, please don't. Remember, as you were told earlier in this article,
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| ...Lee, a holder of a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University... |
Ahh... the importance of school name-dropping! Without it, I don't think I could believe his ideas were possible. Never under-estimate the importance of dropping a university name to give your ideas legitimacy, no matter how laughable. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:34 am Post subject: |
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Ok I'll bite and ask..
Why is it so bad to try and regulate the Hakwons and impose some sort of selection standard?
Just curious. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:50 am Post subject: |
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It's the way they're going about it.
His measure will just mean that parents will being spending more money earlier to get students into the right school.
In reality, it could mean more kids going overseas for study (and eventually returning for overseas education).
The problem isn't the hagwons... it's the horrid public school quality situation, fueled by a confucist teacher nightmate ideology, among other things. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:59 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the response Bass.
I see your point.
However, I think this statement is not very well put. It is a bit too one sided and a tad too simplistic. I know you want to point to what you see as a problem but you use terms that are more insulting than anything else. It begs the question of: what makes you an expert on the state of public schools in Korea and on the quality of its Teachers?
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| it's the horrid public school quality situation, fueled by a confucist teacher nightmate ideology, among other things. |
I am not saying public schools are perfect in Korea as many do have problems but they sure are not hell holes (horrid) populated by tyranical confucist despot-teachers either.....thats a gross simplification that demeans the majority of teachers that are probably doing their best in an imperfect situation.
Just my two cents and feel free to flame me as a confucist sympathizer....  |
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bigtexas
Joined: 30 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:14 am Post subject: |
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ask any korean student. 99 percent will say that they hate their public school and that the majority of their teachers are too old (yes, some are 65) and only read from the book and then sit down for the rest of class. This is coming from their mouths and I have heard it 100000000 times.
The problem is that teachers in korea have jobs for life and some are only there to collect a paycheck and actually hate teaching. This is not something new, korean students complain more about this than any other issue. |
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sarbonn
Joined: 14 Oct 2008
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:32 am Post subject: Re: Lee Vows to Keep 'Hagwon' at Bay |
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| bassexpander wrote: |
| Quote: |
| ...Lee, a holder of a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University... |
Ahh... the importance of school name-dropping! Without it, I don't think I could believe his ideas were possible. Never under-estimate the importance of dropping a university name to give your ideas legitimacy, no matter how laughable. |
I have to share this, mainly because I think I may have missed sharing this with you all when I was here.
I was teaching at a debate school that was bought by a shyster English academy owner whose one claim to fame was essentially: "I graduate from Harvard". I knew this because I was told this 50 times before he showed up, and then I was told this 1000 times after he arrived, including 50 times by him as well. I must share my first full (and last) conversation with him (before I left and never came back...for other reasons, but that's not important here):
Him: Hello. I graduate from Harvard.
Me: Um, that's great. What have you done since then?
Him: (perplexed, thinking about the question) I graduate from Harvard.
Me: Hey, that's great. I graduated from West Point. Then I picked up several master's degrees, and I did my Ph.d work at Western Michigan University. Where'd you do your graduate work?
Him: (even more perplexed) I graduate from Harvard.
Me: Okay, great meeting you (as I walked away, slowly)
Turns out, he graduated from Harvard with his BA. That's the completion of his education.
Since then, he's gone around Korea holding seminars for parents about how their kids can get into Harvard just like him. Seriously. That's his schtick. Then he runs up a bunch of debts, realizes he can't pay the Korean staff working for him, and then disappears for a few months before emerging again in a new "business" where he teaches young kids how they, too, can be rich and famous like he is. |
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blackjack
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: anyang
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:53 am Post subject: |
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| bigtexas wrote: |
ask any student. 99 percent will say that they hate their public school and that the majority of their teachers are too old (yes, some are 65) and only read from the book and then sit down for the rest of class. This is coming from their mouths and I have heard it 100000000 times.
The problem is that teachers have jobs for life and some are only there to collect a paycheck and actually hate teaching. This is not something new, students complain more about this than any other issue. |
Fixed it for you |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 7:10 am Post subject: |
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| bigtexas wrote: |
ask any korean student. 99 percent will say that they hate their public school and that the majority of their teachers are too old (yes, some are 65) and only read from the book and then sit down for the rest of class. This is coming from their mouths and I have heard it 100000000 times.
The problem is that teachers in korea have jobs for life and some are only there to collect a paycheck and actually hate teaching. This is not something new, korean students complain more about this than any other issue. |
Hey Tex...how many high school students do you know back home say they like or love their public schools? How many High School students like to study?
Come on and 100000000000000000000000 times?
By the way, Canadian Teachers also have 'jobs for life'....just so you know. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 7:23 am Post subject: |
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