Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ulsanchris]

Today during my last class I noticed that the only student who had shown up, the others are studying for tests, was a little shaken. I asked if something was wrong and she told me that she was shown a video of an abortion during her sex education class. From what little detail she gave me it sound very graphic and disgusting. I told her that that sounded like the same video my wife, korean, had been shown as a middle school student and that the teacher said that sex was bad and that you shouldn't do it. My student said that thats what her teacher said too. I asked her how many classes a year do they have of sex education and she said just two.
Does anyone know what they teach the kids during sex education class?
What ever they are teaching doesn't seem to be working very well since around a quater of university aged women have had abortions.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Another thread mentioned that Korea has the largest condom manufacturer in the world now--more than a billion a year produced, but only 11% of the people use them.

You are right. There seems to be a major failure in sex ed class.

[AJRimmer]

[Cedar]

Look, I used to teach girls middle school, and I'd have students who were close to me hem, haw, giggle and finally out with it - for example
Student: "What happens after a man puts it in?"
Cedar: (as dryly as possible) "He moves in and out"
Student: (shocked expression)"He moves?!!!!!!!"

In other words, they didn't know crap... but they wanted to know! Kids are the same everywhere. These days there are more opportunities for kids to have sex than in the past in Korea (living in a nuclear family with no or only one sibling, and without a grandparent or two in the house means you could have time alone at home, predictably alone). It's no longer yogwan or nothing (Koreans don't generally do it in the park, kids don't have mom and dad's station wagon...). There are video-bangs, DVD bangs, and even though there is monitoring... things can happen there... and they used to be much harder to find than they are these days.

Sex education in Korea usually amounts to ABSTINENCE. Kids don't know how to use condoms, they are usually available only in pharmacies (generally small), so it's embarassing to buy them and they aren't available after 10 or 11 pm... except in vending machines of course, but those don't exist everywhere). They learn just as many weird myths as we did from their friends, but they can't ask my mom or my science teacher to tell them the truth... they can't ask anyone (well, a few have asked me, but that's a rare situation for them to have a foreigner around they feel comfortable won't go tell their mom what they want to know about...).

[Real Reality]

Sex Education Is Mandatory
... a minimum of 10 hours per year must be set aside for sex education at primary and secondary schools around the country. In particular, officials said birth control education will be strengthened at the middle school level.

The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development notified primary and secondary schools nationwide Friday of the new mandatory policy. The ministry also sent guidelines for five levels of sex education - from kindergarten through high school - to instructors who will be teaching the subject. Information to prevent sexual harassment and sex-related violence was also distributed, a ministry spokesman said.

The program covers the purpose of birth control, and the problems of abortion will be emphasized in middle schools. At the high school level, specific birth control methods, their merits and drawbacks, and common myths about birth control will be covered in detail.
JoongAng Ilbo (March 23, 2001)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200103/23/200103232306551079900090409041.html

Young Women Unprepared for Sex and the City
Five percent of high school girls and 15 percent of university students said they have a friend of the opposite sex with whom they regularly have sexual relations. Only 3.6 in 10 said they practice birth control, indicating a poor understanding of birth control in the age group. Among the sexually experienced unmarried working women, a round quarter got pregnant and had abortions. "The survey results indicated that women in their 20s are defenseless against pregnancy," Lee said. "If you have no plans to have children, you absolutely need to practice birth control."
Chosun Ilbo (April 29, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200504/200504290013.html

26% of Students Using Condoms
About 16 percent of sexually-active college students have been pregnant or caused a partner to become pregnant, a study by a student at Yonsei University found.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200108/09/200108092325368589900090409041.html

Sex museum opens in Seoul
http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2934948.stm

Video rooms develop a dual role for students
Moral values have changed in recent years but living situations haven't
Kim Ha-na wasn't paying attention when she opened the door to Room 18 -- or what she thought was 18. "I was chatting with a friend when I turned the handle," says the freshman at Ewha Womans University. "I stepped inside and I found myself staring at a naked couple."
Ms. Kim, who asked that her real name not be used, quickly retreated.
Was this a cheap, by-the-hour motel? Think again. This was a video room in Sinchon, the largest university district in Seoul. It's one of the places where students come to have sex.
by Park Soo-mee JoongAng Daily (July 1, 2003)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200307/01/200307012319143939900091009101.html

Schoolgirls to Have One Day Off a Month
Female students will soon be able to take one day off every month during their monthly period, according to the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development. The ministry announced the plan as part of protecting female students' health rights and reproductive health.
by Chung Ah-young, Korea Times (January 13, 2005)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200501/kt2005011315281753460.htm

Sex Report [�迵����Sex Report] �ӱ���
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Chosun.com (April 4, 2005)
http://weekly.chosun.com/wdata/html/news/200503/20050330000026.html

http://weekly.chosun.com/wdata/photo/news/200502/20050216000030_00.jpg
http://weekly.chosun.com/wdata/html/news/200501/20050127000012.html
http://weekly.chosun.com/wdata/photo/news/200501/20050127000012_00.gif

[kermo]

In the elementary school where I work, a few classes were set aside for a school-wide sex education broadcast. Most students paid little attention as the woman on their TV screens pointed to cartoon fetuses.

Re: the DVD ��, a new one opened in Yongin. A friend and I stepped inside and were astonished to see upholstered couches, a red lightbulb, a spotlight, an entire mirrored wall, and a bloody mirror ON THE CEILING. Although we both really wanted to see the movie we had rented (Adaptation), it was distracting to say the least.

I bought a copy of "The Castle" from Amazon, and when it arrived, my buddy and I went to the grotty old one, just to be sure we saw ALL of the movie we so adore.

[schwa]

Girls middleschool I worked in 3 years ago had a prominent display case next to the nurse's room full of assorted replicas of male & female genitalia, & demonstrating the use of condoms, etc. I thought that was quite enlightened but I never saw anyone pay it much notice.

What I did find disturbing was a glossy full-size full-color poster in a well-travelled hallway featuring an erect male organ half-rotted with some disease.

[JongnoGuru]

[Bozo Yoroshiku]

[jajdude]

[Cymro]

This was taken back in winter outside a department store. Many kids, male and female, were having a go putting a condom on those plastic models.

There was quite an educating display of stuff arranged there and lots of kids were getting involved.

[shakuhachi]

Speaking of Sex education, here is a book teaching 'human sexuality' to 5 year olds in some US public schools.



"A family can be made up in many different ways."


Text: "Laura and Kyle live with their two moms, Joyce and Emily, and a poodle named Daisy. It takes all four of them to give Daisy her bath."


Text: "Robin's family is made up of her dad, Clifford, her dad's partner, Henry, and Robin's cat, Sassy. Clifford and Henry take turns making dinner for their family."

[dogbert]

[Cedar]

[bigverne]

"There seems to be a major failure in sex ed class."

As compared to countries like the USA and the UK, which have very extensive sex ed classes, while having the highest rates of teen pregnancy and illegitimacy in the developed world. I suppose it depends what your definition of failure is.