Open Topic

Suicide is a big issue in South Korea's education system. The highest rates of people who commit suicide are middle and high school students. People who are fairly familiar with Korean education might immediately infer that student's suicide is caused by the following: competitive atmosphere, depression, pressure, and school violence. 

Students in South Korea are subject to strict education, which leads to a competitive environment. Because of this strict system, most students’ studies do not end just in school; they are followed by private tutoring and extra classes. Students would probably feel less pressure if their parents would encourage them more and give them leisure time, but unfortunately their decisions are also affected by the competition. In most cases, this is the cause of depression and stress. Under this system of strict education, students do no longer study or do something because they desire to do it, they fulfill it because they are told to and they know that if they do not do it, they will rank low. 

School violence is another problem that leads to students committing suicide. There are many cases in which groups of students bully a student, making him do their homework, buy them food, and give them money. These students who are bullied never have the courage to tell their teachers or parents about it, because they are afraid they might get in trouble with the school bullies. These students also feel depression, because they do not have friends. Other students tend to not go near these bullied students, because they are afraid they might also get into trouble.

There are many factors that affect students’ decision to commit suicide. I believe this is a problem in the system. If the education system was more based the different personalities of the students, the student would not have to stress about catching up a certain level. I also believe that teachers should be able to walk up to a student who needs assistance and speak to them in a caring and encouraging manner. Students should feel comfortable speaking to teachers about their problems at school. 

Teacher's salary in South Korea

As I plan to study in South Korea and make a living there, I have researched about its teaching salary. In most of my researches, I have found out that education is a very popular career choice in Korea. This is because it includes various advantages, such as good working conditions, high pay, and stability. Although these qualities make this career competitive, there is an under supply on elementary teachers. I personally find this very opportune, because I am interested in teaching elementary school. Unlike many other countries, teachers in Korea receive a high salary. Secondary teacher’s entry salary is about $30,401, mid-career salary being about $52,699, and maximum salary by the end of the career is about $84,529 according to NCEE, the National center on Education and the Economy. The average of many different countries’ salary is lower than that. The entry level salary is about $31,887, the mid-career salary is about $41,701, and the maximum salary is about $51,317.

Korea’s educators receive some price benefits, such as medical insurance, and severance pay. When the schools offer you private health insurance, the school itself takes care of the prices. Therefore the teachers do not have to contribute at all. An essential benefit in the teaching career is the severance pay, which is when the school gives you an “extra month’s salary pay” when you finish the contract you have made with the particular school. This is very helpful and important as a teacher retires and chooses to go into another field.

Teachers and the people who are in charge of operating the school depend a lot on the students. If there are a small amount of students in a school, then the demand for teachers is going to decrease and vice versa. Even though a large amount of students means a greater need in supply for the school such as tables, chairs, boards, etc., schools are willing to pay for all these supplies, because it increases the school’s overall production. 

Government role in Education

Recently, I have been very interested in Elementary Education. I have been researching about the government role in U.S. education and I have found two very important Acts, which I am going to focus on this blog post. 

The first Act I have found is the Common Core. This is when the government sets the guideline of what is expected from the students at each grade. It also focuses on the core concepts since early grades, so that the students have basics and key concepts well developed. The Common Core standards have the purpose of maintaining a high quality education and preparing the students for their future. This requirement brings out benefits, because it allows teachers know in what ways they can help their students according to their level. The second Act is the No Child Left Behind Act, which includes various requirements from the schools. The government requires all schools in the States to bring up all the students to a specific level. Every school has to meet the "adequate yearly progress target." The schools that do not meet this goal, they receive technical assistance from the government and the students are given a choice to move to another public school. The students that fail to meet this 3 times in a row receive special assistance, such as tutoring. Every school has the obligation to test their students in the fields of Mathematics and Reading, and provide annual report cards for each student. The No Child Left Behind Act does not only refer to the students, but also teachers. The government requires teachers to be highly qualified and certified in all the subjects they teach. They have to be professional and proficient when teaching, and have to be able to answer any type of question asked. One of the most standing positive aspects of this act is the educational improvement made for the disadvantaged students. It helps students with struggles to receive a good education just as the other students. 

From what I have researched, I find the government act in the schools positive. The government sets the basic guidelines that a school should follow, such as report cards, the subjects that the students take, teacher requirements,etc. I believe government should have some control over the developments of schools as long as it does not take out the innovation and style of teaching of the schools itself. Just as the Common Core and the No Child Left Behind Act suggest, the government will play the role of assuring good education and future of all the students. 

My Introduction

My Introduction

My name is Eun Byul Cheon. I am 18 years old and as you may have already noticed by trying to pronounce my name twice or more, I am Korean. I have lived in Peru my whole life, specifically since I was 3 years old. I do not plan to stay in Peru to make a living for the rest of my life. I plan to go back to Korea to study and probably make my living there.

Through this blog, I not only plan to complete each assignment I have been given in my Economy class, but also to gain knowledge and interest about a career I have been pondering a lot about. I was mainly going to investigate and write about public education, but I thought this was a great opportunity for me to get to know the possibilities I have with this career choice. The job I have chosen to write about in my blog is elementary education. I became interested in this career when I was offered to help as a teacher assistant in the EFL program. I hope I find more similarities as I research and post more about it.