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: 2010-9-9
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Korean Schools
Gangnam-gu has some of the best schools in Korea and the ratio of local high school students entering prestigeous universities is consistantly higher than in other areas. Korea's secondary educational lottery system requires that students attend a school in the district where they live. As a result, many wealthy families have moved to Gangnam-gu to give their children access to better schools. Also, to recruit smart and rich students, some high schools moved to Gangnam-gu, which became a social issue.
Now, in the 21st century, people from Gangnam-gu who graduated from prestigious colleges tend to play an important role in society.
As a highly Confucian society, Koreans place a great emphasis on education. Korea's literacy ranks among the highest in the world. Many parents make great sacrifices to ensure that their children can have the opportunity to attain a high level of education. Students study very hard for most of the day, attending private lessons for language and music after regular school hours. From high school, most students spend all their time studying for the all-important college entrance examination to get into a good university. Even after graduating college, many workers continue to take language classes, study other interests, or pursue higher degrees.
Korean schools use a 1-6-3-3 approach (1 year for kindergarten, 6 years for elementary school, then 3 years each for middle and high school). The school year starts in early March and goes to February, with about 40 days for summer vacation and about 45 days for winter vacation. The Education Law mandates a minimum of 220 days of education each academic year for elementary through high school.
Formal education began in the 4th Century with the establishment of Daehak ( , meaning "great school"). Pupils studied the teachings of Confucius. Other subjects were later added. Similar schools started appearing around the country to prepare children from upper class families for the civil service examination to enter government service. In the 1800s, several private institutions opened, making education available for other classes. Education became compulsory in 1948, entitling all Koreans to pursue and education. As Korea's economy continued to grow, the government expanded educational facilities and personnel. During the 1990s, the government adopted a number of changes to further improve the education system, beginning foreign language instruction at earlier grades and revamping the college entrance examination.
Foreign residents wishing to enroll their children in a Korean elementary school must submit the child's Certificate of Alien Registration to the local school. To enroll in a Korean middle or high school, residents must apply to the local Education Office. Based on the child's previous education experience, the Education Office will determine the appropriate grade level. Students will need to have good proficiency with the Korean language.
In Gangnam-gu, please contact the Gangnam-gu Office of Education
28, Samseong-dong
Tel: 511-6129
Several Korean universities run graduate schools of international studies (GSIS), with degree programs taught in English. (A few also offer undergraduate programs and exchange programs with universities overseas.) Foreign students with strong Korean proficiency may also apply for admission to the regular Korean college programs. Contact the schools directly for information and application procedures. Students should apply for a student visa before coming to Korea.
In certain cases, foreign residents with other long-term visas may apply with the Seoul Immigration office to receive permission to attend programs at Korean colleges.
Copyright 2001-2006 by gangnam-gu (district) office . all rights reserved.
#426, hakdong-no, gangnam-gu, seoul, south korea (135-705) TEL: 82-2-2104-1268 / FAX: 82-2-2104-2410
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