Korean Job Discussion Forums

newinseoul · Joined: 22 Sep 2005 Location: Busan

Hi,
This has been on my mind for a few weeks so I wanted to hear what others think about this. I've noticed since I've been here, (over a month) that the kids at my hogwan seem terribly overworked. Besides looking like zombies a lot of the time, (especially in the evenings) they tell me that they study all the time. When I ask them what they did on the weekend they say mostly the same thing, "studied for math or Korean test." It also shocked me to see that some of the students go to school on Saturdays.

I feel sorry for these kids sometimes. It seems like the mindset of this culture is to mentally overload these kids and expect them to get top scores. Does making them go to school from morning to night actually make them smarter? I saw the statistics relating to suicide and it's depressing. Any thoughts on this?

vidphile · Joined: 29 Nov 2004 Location: Daejeon, South Korea

welcome to Korea newbie!

wait till you see them in middle school or highschool...

joe_doufu · Joined: 09 May 2005 Location: Elsewhere

Yeah, when you notice that your high school students come to you from 9:20 to 10pm, and they have another 40 minutes with the K-teacher after you go home, and then they go back to the library, uh, it makes you feel a little dirty. Try not to think about it.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

What's worse is if you show them an ounce of compassion, they take it as "yeah I can go hog wild!" Not beating them or going medieval on them for not doing homework once means they never have to do homework.

Unfortunately they are not adults and don't understand you're giving them a bit of a break but self limit.

I had this one 10 year old girl, Lilly. She was covered in warts. She spent most of her class time picking the warts off her hands, arms, and face. Warts are usually caused by a fairly benign virus that a healthy body keeps in check but during times of stress when our immune system is low, the virus has free reign. When you talked to this girl it was pretty clear she was totally stressed out. She was kind of chubby so she probably got a lot of grief from kids. She was in a couple hagwons, piano lessons, violin lessons, and she had to go to the gym after hagwon to help her lose weight... Poor things.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

Demonicat · Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Location: Suwon

Then they get to university and don't have to work AT ALL. Thats the funny part. Elementary education is STRESS, WORK, TORMENT, STIFLE. Those ABC's and Violin lessons are crucial. When they are training to be doctors and architechts, then soju tuesdays and pass/fail couses are de rigeur.

sheba · Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: Here there and everywhere!

Yep its all pretty normal. The last month has been pretty hectic for middle school students cos they've had exams. Also it is mandatory to go to school on Saturdays for half a day, and they get one Saturday off a month. Dont be surprised if kids fall asleep in your class.... it happens.

VanIslander · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:52 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I feel for them.

Though less than I used to.

Nearly six weeks for winter vacation? Plus summer vacation?

Some kids have it alright. Though the smart and rich ones often have "camp" and hagwons filling in the gaps. Some do math and science, others sword fighting and swimming.

So it depends on the neighbourhood and the family. Some kids do twice as much hard work as other kids.

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

Even during the vacations they still go to hagwon or English camps or whatever. And what they do to their high school students is unconscionable. You can't spend 3 years on 3--4 hours of sleep a night, especially during adolescence when you need sleep most. There are a few Koreans calling bullshit on the whole thing but not enough.

kermo · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:50 pm Post subject:

Last week, the "listening task" was a relaxation exercise. Some classes just giggled through it. One class of particularly earnest kids actually followed the instructions; they closed their eyes, tried some deep breathing, etc.

It was such a hit that we repeated the tape several times. I actually turned off the lights so they could indulge in some much-needed downtime. It's not often I get to offer my students a treat like that, and I was grateful that the management didn't descend upon me as they are often wont to do.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Yeah, as HD said, what happens in high schools is just dreadful, and obviously counter-productive. The other day I met two of my students when I was coming home at 10.30pm. When I asked what they were doing out that time of night they said they were going to an academy from 11-12, and they'd be back at the dorm at 12.30. The funny part is that if you see them in the dok-sa sil, half of them are clearly just starring at a textbook they're supposed to be memorising while taking next to nothing in.

I'm sure my students could do just as well spending 50% less time at school.

vlcupper · Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Location: Gangnam

I'm sure they'd do better, Yu.

I think it might be changing. Slowly, but still changing. There's a high school in Pohang that's from 9-5, and that's it. I don't remember if they had Saturday classes. One of my students was in it, and he wasn't half as stressed as the middle school kids. Do some high schools in Seoul have class on Sundays? Because I've seen kids walking around in their uniforms with bookbags.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

newinseoul · Joined: 22 Sep 2005 Location: Busan

Yu_Bum - That picture says it all. You should bring a trumpet to school.

Kermo - Meditation classes should be a mandatory thing for these kids to help them concentrate.. problem is they would all fall asleep.

It is seriously sad. These kids miss a lot of their childhoods because all they do is study and go to class. I agree with one of the posters, some kids are really spoiled too. I teach a seven year old who has the top of the line cell phone with a camera. Who needs a phone at seven years old?

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

If students sleep I my class I grab by the scruff of their collars and wake 'em up. Water pistols. I often write 'I sleep in class' on their jackets in chalk or draw hearts on their faces.

I got over feeling sorry for them, as they will milk it for they got. Also the fact that at lunch time they are running around like manaics suggests those poor dears will do or say just about anything to get off studying.