#186, School
I'm rather fascinated by public schools in Korea. They exist in an education system that produces some of the brightest minds in the world, yet the schools themselves seem somewhat unremarkable. They also exist in an education system in which the average household spent 384,000 won per month on private education in 2017. This level of spending clearly signifies that public education just isn't enough. This begs the question, what actually happens in public schools then?
Growing up in New York, my public school was absolutely essential to my growth as a learner. I had consistently great teachers and very much enjoyed learning (math was my favorite). The education I received there constitutes a fundamental part of the person I am today. This isn’t true of all young learners though.
Last week I had a discussion with one of my classes about their public schools. It started off innocently enough but soon morphed into a stew of bizarre tales and peculiar anecdotes. It was enthralling. It was a peek into inner workings of modern government-funded learning in Korea.
To complete this Journal response,
Tell a story about a strange lesson or teacher from your school.
Comment on a peer’s response.
-Brenden Lee Teacher