Korean Job Discussion Forums

pauly · Joined: 24 Sep 2004 Location: Incheon

During the first year I was at my current high school, I noticed a group of students that wore tracksuits all day. The tracksuits were different colours than the ones the "normal" students wore for phys ed. They never hung out with the other students. They even ate lunch separately from everyone else.

Yesterday, my co-teacher told me that theses athletes don't take any classes during their high school year at all. All they do is practice their chosen sports all day long. These students take exams with the other students, but their results aren't counted. When it comes to university, they take a different entrance exam and do the same thing there. They just focus on their sport. Is this just happening at my school? Probably not. You would think that Koreans would dominate at sports on the world stage with these students, if you can call them students, doing nothing but practicing their sports for years on end.

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

pauly · Joined: 24 Sep 2004 Location: Incheon

Why would the schools do this? The students learn absolutely nothing. What happens to these students after university? Do they just play on a pro sports team in Korea?

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

My high school certainly doesn't do this, though I've heard of this before - at a girls middle school, of all places.

Aparently these kids can be quite horrible if you get them in a classroom, as they tend to be bullies, aren't much afraid of punishment, and know they'll get into uni if their performance is good enough and don't have to learn anything.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

At my high school we have a handball team.
These guys seem to practise morning, noon and night and they have their own dorm where they sleep during the week.
They only attend classes in the morning and train in the afternoon.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I've heard of this too.

From what I'm told, most parents try not to have their kid end up on this athletic track because it doesn't do anything to educate the kids.

The situation at my high school is just the opposite though. We do have a soccer team and a ssirum team, but they never ever practice. Just compete once or twice a year.