The survey revealed that 9.3 percent of registered immigrants and 13.3 percent of undocumented immigrants said that schools had rejected their children. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Mar. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — One out of ten immigrants in South Korea have experienced having their children rejected by schools.
According to the Ministry of Justice, 10.4 percent of 643 foreign immigrants who participated in a survey said their children had been rejected by schools in the past.
Among the respondents, 5.3 percent said they had been rejected by daycare centers or kindergartens, followed by elementary schools (3.1 percent), middle schools (1.1 percent), and high schools (0.9 percent).
The survey also revealed that 9.3 percent of registered immigrants and 13.3 percent of undocumented immigrants said that schools had rejected their children.
The survey, conducted by a research team led by Prof. Moon Byung-gi from the Korea National Open University, showed that 35 percent of the respondents’ children had been exposed to school violence, with most incidents consisting of verbal assaults (44 percent).
At 58.6 percent, the majority of respondents said authorities should provide special education courses for immigrant children. The demand was particularly high among undocumented immigrants (70.9 percent).
Most respondents called for boarding schools where their children could learn the Korean language (45.9 percent), followed by special Korean language courses (44.8 percent), and programs to learn their mother tongue and understand Korean culture (22 percent).
The research team estimated that there are roughly 13,239 undocumented migrant children living in South Korea.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
