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Roger Foard |
By Roger Foard
Professor of Seoul Theological University
Educational integrity and professionalism within the Korean educational
system are two issues that we never hear publicly debated in the
national media, something that is desperately needed.
It is well known that Korean high school grades are some of the highest
in the world. Likewise, it is also known that many of those same grades
are fraudulently given.
It has been reportedly told, by many who teach in Korean high schools
that teachers are not allowed to give grades less than a “B” to any
student for fearing of harming the schools reputation and funding.
Furthermore, even after the grades are given, the grades are often
negotiable by the student or parent by the use of bribes and or threats.
So how then is increasing the use and importance of high school grades
going to improve the standard by which students are chosen for
particular universities in Korea? They aren’t! The fact is a student’s
high school grades mean absolutely nothing to me as a university
professor.
I have no more faith in them as I do the Easter Bunny. Rather, those
governmental agencies should take a good hard look on how it is
possible for a Korean high school student to barely speak a word of
English and still acquire an overall grade of “B” or “A”?
The reason for this dilemma is rooted in money and in the fact that
Korean educational system is based on two concepts alone, the “what”
and the “how.” Korean students and parents alike are only concerned
with, “what do I need to know, and how is it done.” That is all! But
the pure memorization of facts, dates and concepts cannot and must not
be construed as education.
Contrastingly, Western students focus as much attention to the “why”
and “whatifs.” Attention is given not just to facts of any given issue
but why it is important and its far-reaching implications and
possibilities.
This could also explain why Korea has no noble prize winners in the
sciences, and why Seoul National University is not even ranked within
the top 100 universities in the world.
In addition to the considerable amount of bogus grading, much ofthe
educational teaching is questionable. I know personally of Korean
English professors who do not speak any English in their classes. I
find this absolutely shocking, abhorrent and of the lowest possible
professional standard.
I believe Korea and Korean students and universities want to be taken
seriously by the world, but until Korea starts to establish true
educational integrity and professionalism within its system, Korean
degrees will always be suspect along with students’ abilities and
knowledge of any given subject.
So how then is Korea to fix this educational crisis? In my humble
opinion, a great first step is getting Western universities to set up
campuses in Korea and directly challenge Seoul National University
dominance.
Koreans need to aspire to enter better universities than Seoul
National. Once the establishment of Cambridge Korea or Harvard Korea
has begun with their particularly high standards and professionalism
only then will other Korean universities rise up to standards that will
be respected.
Korea can no longer afford to have such standards as it does today, and
unless there are dramatic changes within Korea and Korean schools and
universities, you will continue to see an evergrowing exodus of
students to other continents.
There must be far better educational integrity and professionalism in
Korean education, if the country wants to be an economic and
intellectual leader within the world. Korea must do better.
afoard@hotmail.com
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