Students take a mock test in a classroom at Daegu Girls’ High School in the southeastern city of Daegu on Oct. 15, 2019. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Negative sentiments toward South Korea’s education system are more widespread among young South Koreans than in other countries, a survey showed Thursday.
The state-run Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) conducted a survey of approximately 550 young adults in their 20s from South Korea, the U.S., Germany, Japan, and Denmark, which revealed that 49.6 percent of Koreans felt negative towards the idea of allowing their children to enroll in the same education system they had experienced.
Among young South Koreans, 42.3 percent believed that they would not be respected in South Korea if they fell behind in education.
Regarding the meaning of attending mandatory education up to high school, most South Korean respondents believed that it was all about ‘going to a prestigious university’ (60.4 percent).
To live a successful life, young adults from other countries mostly prioritized effort, personality, and talent, while most South Koreans picked talent (61.8 percent), followed by their parents’ financial status (50 percent), and good looks (42.9 percent).
“Compared to other countries, young South Koreans have high expectations for academic achievement, but relatively low self-esteem,” said Professor Kim Hee-sam from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, who conducted the survey.
“This is a result of the centralized competition in the field of education in South Korea.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
