The subjective happiness of elementary school students in Korea ranked 19th among 22 surveyed countries. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent study has found that the level of happiness among Korean elementary school students is low compared to their peers in other countries.
According to a study conducted by Save the Children, a nongovernmental organization for international relief and development and Seoul National University, the subjective happiness of elementary school students in Korea ranked 19th among 22 surveyed countries.
More than 34,000 children from around the world participated in the survey, including 3,171 South Korean fifth-graders.
The “subjective happiness” scale was based on six questions designed to assess student happiness, including “I’m enjoying my life” and “A lot of good things happen in my life”.
According to the survey, Albania had the highest score of 97.2 out of 100, and Greece had the second highest score of 94.1.
The countries that scored lower than South Korea, which scored 84.4 points, were Taiwan, Nepal and Vietnam.
Ahn Jae-jin, a professor at Gachon University who participated in the study, said, “The choice of what students can do in their free time and balanced daily life between studying and leisure were important factors in children’s satisfaction with their use of time.”
She also said that “efforts should be made to change the social perception that children’s leisure is a waste of time and create an environment where they can enjoy healthy leisure.”
D. M. Park (dmpark@koreabizwire.com)
