Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

Students Become Shorter, Weaker
The average height of South Korea's elementary, middle and high school girls decreased last year for the first time since 1975, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development reported on Friday. Students' stamina has also decreased while their builds have grown because of improper eating habits and changes in lifestyle, the report said. Students' eyesight has also worsened compared to 10 years ago. In 1995, some 24.8 percent wore glasses or needed to wear them, but that increased to 46.5 percent last year. They have also lost stamina -- they run slower and cannot do as many sit-ups and push-ups as students of five years ago.
By Kim Rahn, Korea Times (May 19, 2006)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200605/kt2006051918184111960.htm

[Rteacher]

I would suspect worsening air pollution/yellow dust to be a major factor (AFN warnings to military personnel note that yellow dust can damage eyes as well as the respiratory system...)

[schwa]

I'm teaching a unit on food to middleschool girls this week & the smalltalk question of the day was: What did you have for breakfast? Over half the girls had had no breakfast at all. Half of those had had no dinner the night before beyond ramyeon, ddeokbokki, or some bread thingy. The universal excuse was "diet," but none of these girls appear overweight.

Strikes me as a serious & widespread disorder but teachers & evidently parents arent paying it any heed.

[captain kirk]

I'll bet that yellow dust can damage the eyes. It adheres, slides down under the bottom eyelid I imagine, coated with the heavy metals and godknowswhat which is absorbed by the eye and surrounding moist tissue.

Re; 'reduced stamina' all the amazing new entertainments are sedentary (playstation, pcbangs, etc.) eye to the screen and hands on the controller affairs.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Yeah, it's true. They can't feed themselves. It's triangle kimbap and/or ramyon 7 days a week, usually. 4 year olds drink coffee and everything is loaded with sugar.

[doctor bacon]

[canuckistan]

With bad nutrition and brutal hours of sitting all day long, I'm not surprised.

I often used to take a couple of my older students out at 8-9PM for food--they hadn't had a good meal since breakfast and just couldn't concentrate/stay awake in class. They appreciated it so much because they were famished. It was a fun time for us too.

I consider pushing kids to study that long without packed food to take along parental neglect. Really.

[Hater Depot]

Geez, you people are such cultural imperialists. Where do you get off imposing your dead white male theories about 'nutrition' and 'rest' on a nation that was doing just fine before you came along? I really think it's time for you to go home if you think eating breakfast and getting 8 hours of sleep during your formative years is just so important. Gawd.

On a serious note.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/12/sat.scores.fatigue.ap/index.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/09/980919115732.htm

[canuckistan]

[jinju]

[Pak Yu Man]

Yep I read that article. You forgot to say the part about "over 75% of Korean women think they need to lose weight". lol.